ALL MIXED UP by Heidi Hutchinson & Smartypants Romance BLOG TOUR

 

All Mixed Up, an all-new swoony second chance romance from Heidi Hutchinson, is available now in Kindle Unlimited!

Nikki has a lot going on at the moment.

She’s the best sound engineer and mixer at XY Records, she’s working on a super-secret project with a pop megastar, and holding the busier-than-usual studio together.

The last thing she wants or needs is her ex-fiancé to start working in the studio over the summer. She’s over it—him. Obviously. Being ghosted has that effect. But working near someone she used to love has made her life that much more complicated.

Andre has it all figured out. Two and half years ago he had no idea what he was doing when he walked away from the love of his life. But time has given him perspective, and he’s grown up. Which is why the paleontology professor is working part-time at his ex’s recording studio. Because he wants to make amends. And maybe win her back.

Will Nikki give him the chance he thinks he’s ready for? Or will it be her turn to walk away from him?

'All Mixed Up' is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #8 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy TODAY!

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Excerpt

He had a chance.

An opportunity.

Just a small one, but it was there, and he wasn’t going to run away from it.

Not this time.

Never again.

He turned the car into the parking lot, excitement buzzing in his veins.

Every decision in his life had brought him to this moment and he felt good about it.

He was finally ready to embrace life and stop being afraid to be happy.

It was going to be good from here on out—great even.

He hit the brakes as a flash of color and limbs hit his windshield with a loud thud. The car came to a hard stop and the colors rolled off the hood of the car and hit the ground.

“Oh God.” He slammed the car into park and undid his seat belt.

How had that happened?

“Please don’t be a person. Please don’t be a person.” His stomach turned and his hands shook as he shoved the door open.

The hot, sticky July heat engulfed him immediately as he ran around the front of his car.

It was a person.

He dropped to his knees, hands trembling.

He’d hit a person!

With his car!

“Are you okay?” he asked, not sure where to put his hands.

It was a woman in a bright dress. The fabric tangled around her legs, both of her shoes had come off, her arms were tucked under her body at an odd angle.

And the hair…her hair was blonde.

And she was utterly still.

He reached for her, knowing it was Nicole and still hoping it wasn’t.

Footsteps came racing toward him, but he didn’t glance up.

“Call an ambulance,” he said to whoever had joined them and he felt her neck for a pulse.

A flutter under his fingertips let him know she was alive.

Of course, she was alive. The car had barely been moving. It couldn’t possibly be that bad.

Please don’t be that bad.

He pressed his face to the ground to get level with hers and brushed her hair out of her eyes. She was unconscious. Or at least, she appeared to be unconscious. He didn’t want to move her, but he also wanted to be sure she could breathe.

He looked up to see that they were surrounded by some people he knew and some he didn’t.

A dark-haired man in a light blue Henley was on the phone with emergency services.

Sabine joined him on the ground.

Sabine?

He did a double take on his younger sister. Why was she there?

“What happened?” she asked.

“She got hit by a car.”

Sabine’s head jerked around as she looked from André to his car and back again.

Nicole made a noise and they both looked down to her before Sabine could state the obvious.

“Ow,” Nicole whimpered. She tried to move and cried out.

“Don’t move. Where does it hurt?” André placed a hand gently between her shoulder blades and lifted it again.

Nicole ignored his instruction to not move and rolled onto her back. She cradled her right elbow with her left hand, face contorted in pain. Water started leaking from her eyes.

“I’m okay,” she lied through her tears.

André skimmed his fingers along her hairline, brushing away flecks of dirt and gravel. He scanned the scrapes and marks on her face and arms and legs. His stomach twisted with guilt and fear.

“Please stop moving,” he whispered.

If he’d injured her to a point—

No.

He couldn’t go there. She was fine.

Her blue eyes flashed as they raked over his face. Like she was just now realizing who he was.

“What…?” she started to ask and struggled to sit up.

He sucked in a breath and held his hands out, palms facing her. “Stay there.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and all those fantasies that he’d had about seeing her again crumbled into dust like the guy from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade who chose the grail that wasn’t so holy.

Sirens grew closer and relief began to prickle in the back of his mind. “It’s okay,” he said, trying to reassure her (and himself). “The paramedics are almost here.”

He couldn’t stop looking at her.

It had been years since he’d seen her, and somehow, she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

About Heidi Hutchinson

Heidi Hutchinson creates funny, clever, slow burn romance for readers looking for a guaranteed happily ever after.

She hopes the stories she writes inspire her readers to take their hearts on one more adventure.

She lives in the Black Hills with her alarmingly handsome husband, their fearless child, and a rather large and spoiled dog. 

She is fueled by her unwavering and perfectly normal devotion to Dave Grohl and coffee. 

And a whole lotta love. 

Find Heidi online

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidirhutchinson

Website: https://www.heidih.net/

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Review: All Mixed Up by Heidi Hutchinson

All Mixed Up by Heidi Hutchinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions are my own.

As with the other books in the series this reads as a standalone. There are characters mentioned from the previous books by the same author, but they aren't necessary to the storyline of this book. I do highly recommend them as the previous books were excellent. If you want to get to know Johnny and Hannah check out Key Change, if you want to get to know Sabine and Dave (aka Sunshine Capone) check out Lost Track.

Nikki dreams of being a music producer. She works at a small recording studio as an engineer and she is amazingly talented. She has been working with an award winning popstar in secret who she connected with during another recording session. Nikki has what it takes to make this idea a smash hit, but she is letting doubt cloud her judgement. Enter Andre, Nikki's ex and love of her life. Andre is an archeology professor who moonlights as a carpenter on the side. He is also a disaster when it comes to feelings and relationships due to his jerk of a father. Andre sabotaged his relationship with Nikki because he was scared, but he never explained why. He also never stopped loving her. When Nikki's boss hires him to renovate part of the recording studio, the two of them are forced to spend some time together and they are forced to face the past and their feelings for one another.

I really loved getting to know Andre and Nikki. Imposter syndrome is real and dealing with self-doubt about your abilities is so relatable. Even if you are the most qualified person in the world, you can still doubt yourself and I think the author did a great job making both of the characters vulnerable in different ways and brought that forward. I loved that the side characters offered support and advice where needed. I loved Sabine and Dave from Key Change, and it was nice to see them as part of this story as well. I really enjoyed Asa and his no nonsense approach to dealing with Andre and Nikki, just a like a good best friend should act.

I love a good second chance romance and this delivers. The characters had good chemistry, but they don't dive right back into old patterns. They take their time getting to know each other and have the conversations they should have had previously while still maintaining the spark they always had. This has a moderate amount of spice but it isn't over the top and doesn't overwhelm the storyline. Overall, I loved this and highly recommend it as well as the other books in the series!

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Review: Meet Your Matcha by Nanxi Wen

Meet Your Matcha by Nanxi Wen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions are my own.

This is the 7th book in the Common Threads series, however it reads as a complete standalone. There are some familiar characters from other books in the series mentioned, but you don't have to read those first. If you want to read more about Pippa's best friend Tia and her story, you will want to read Give Love a Chai by the same author. I highly recommend it, but it isn't necessary to get to know Pippa and August.

What do you get when you put a wholesome small-town history teacher and a successful worldly lawyer together on a reality TV show? A really lovely opposites attract romance filled with self-acceptance and learning to find the people who love you as you are. Pippa is a successful attorney, but she doesn't find fulfillment in the wealth and success she has achieved. She is very aware of her privilege, but she is also aware that she isn't happy and something is missing in her life. In an attempt to locate what is missing she takes a six month sabbatical from her job, travels the world, and signs up for a reality dating show where the contestants have the opportunity to find true love. August teaches history at the local high school and coaches soccer. He is the biggest cinnamon roll ever. He is happy living in his small town where everyone is in everyone else's business and he never wanted more than he has. August's sister nominated him for the show while he is on summer break as a chance for him to take a chance on love. He is fun and kind and honest, something Pippa is not used to, so when they meet and have instant chemistry she immediately pushes him away for the jerks she is familiar with.

It quickly becomes clear that August and Pippa have something special and as the show progresses they spend more an more time together getting to know each other. August is patient and willing to wait for Pippa to be ready for the big feelings that scare her about their relationship. She doesn't have many real connections in her life and being vulnerable is not something she is good at. They agree to see each other after the show ends and try to build something real instead of something fake for social media views, but neither of them is sure that they can survive the very real pressures the outside will throw at them.

I really loved getting to know August and Pippa. They were both very realistic characters. While their attraction was instant they took time getting to know each other before they jumped into anything physical, which I really appreciated. I'm not a fan of insta-love, and the author did a good job giving their relationship substance even though their relationship did progress quickly. This does have some angst, but it resolves itself quickly.

Overall this is another great installment to the Smartypants Universe, and I highly recommend it!

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Review: Ewe Complete Me by Susannah Nix

Ewe Complete Me by Susannah Nix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, al opinions are my own.

This is the 6th book in the series, however it reads completely as a standalone. There are other characters mentioned in the book that have had their own books written by the same author so if you want to read Dawn and Mike's story read Mad About Ewe, and Donal and Tess' story is Not Since Ewe. You can find some of the other characters in Penny Reid's Knitting in the City series, which is what spawned the whole Smartypants Romance Universe.

This follows Brandon, Dawn's son, as he tries his hand at online dating. He is socially awkward and his ADHD makes him come off as kind of a jerk when he really doesn't mean to. Chloe on the other hand is his complete opposite and happens to work for his mother. When they match on the dating app and have an epically terrible first date, things don't look like they will pan out, but when Bran and Chloe are forced to spend several hours together driving to Dawn's wedding because neither of them want to disappoint Dawn they find that the app might not have been wrong after all. Chloe is an aspiring textile artist and feels emotions deeply. Her parents were kind of crappy and while she is very talented she has lacked the support network she needed to feel confident about her abilities. Bran other the other hand has had a wonderfully supportive mother and a father who values drive and performance above all. He is confused about what he wants for his future, but he knows he is really good at it and will be a successful lawyer if he wants to be.

I really liked that Chloe and Bran offset each other so nicely. The both valued each other's feelings and needs. She made him ditch the perfect plans and be a little spontaneous while he built her up and step out of her comfort zone and take chances with her art and career that she was putting off. They both had to face fears and were supportive of each other while coming to conclusions about their own needs on their own. I loved the supportive cast of characters as well. While we see alot of growth from the main characters on their own, it wouldn't have been possible without the side characters to provide support and advice for them to get them to where they needed to be.

Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know these two characters and watch as their relationship develop.

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Ewe Complete Me by Susannah Nix & Smartypants Romance BLOG TOUR

 

Ewe Complete Me, an all-new forced proximity romance from USA Today bestselling author Susannah Nix, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

Love defies logic when two polar opposites attract.

Chloe and Brandon have nothing in common. She’s a spontaneous, people-loving fiber artist; he’s an uptight, introverted law student. The only thing they agree on during their blind date is that they hope to never see each other again.

Except they do have something in common—Brandon’s mother Dawn, who happens to be Chloe’s boss and dear friend. Which is how they end up stuck with each other for a six-hour road trip to Dawn’s destination wedding.

But as they get to know each other better, their mutual irritation morphs into an inescapable connection. Maybe these two opposites aren't so mismatched after all. Could Brandon be the yin to Chloe’s yang? The peanut butter to her jelly? The rock to her roll?

Or will their differences tear them apart when they return to their normal lives at the end of the wedding weekend?

'Ewe Complete Me' is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #6 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy TODAY!

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Excerpt

I didn’t know why I kept bothering with online dating. I could be at home in my favorite sloth pajamas right now crocheting in front of the TV instead of sitting on this uncomfortable faux-industrial stool sipping a watered-down margarita.

Why did I keep setting myself up for disappointment? I’d even curled my hair and taken extra time with my makeup this morning. Not that you could tell after eight hours of hauling inventory around at work. I’d also worn my cutest bra today, which happened to be my least comfortable. The underwire had practically fused with my ribs. I’d probably need to have it surgically removed.

And for what? To be stood up by a stranger named Bran.

So much for my perfect match.

To be honest, I’d had my doubts about his perfection from the moment the notification from FindUrPartner hit my inbox. For starters, his name was Bran. Not only did it bring to mind high-fiber laxatives and regular bowel movements, it sounded like the kind of one-syllable name favored by too many of the douchebags I’d known in high school. What was it about guys with names like Brock and Bryce and Beck that they seemed to grow up into entitled jerks?

On top of that, Bran was a law student, and every law student I’d ever met was a competitive, self-absorbed overachiever. Which was the exact opposite of what I wanted in a boyfriend. Not to mention, my father was a lawyer, so…yeah. I had some not-good feelings about men who wanted to be lawyers.

I should have swiped left based on the law student thing alone, but I’d been lured in by Bran’s profile photo. He’d had a nice smile and kind-looking eyes, so I’d given him a shot. That would teach me to judge a book by its cover. Actual kind eyes never would have stood me up. That probably wasn’t even him in the picture. Those were likely some stock photo model’s kind eyes that I’d been suckered into meeting for a drink.

Deciding I’d waited long enough, I clambered off my stool and turned to make my escape…only to find myself face-to-face with the very pair of eyes I’d been ruminating over, along with the dark hair, chiseled cheekbones, and square chin I recognized from Bran’s profile photo.

Wowza. Definitely not a stock photo. 

About Susannah Nix

Susannah Nix is an award-winning author of contemporary romances featuring smart women and swoony men, including the Chemistry Lessons series of romcoms about women who work in STEM fields and the Starstruck series of movie star romances. 

Susannah resides in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching stupid amounts of television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a powerlifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.

Find Susannah Nix online

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B072KHZS5W 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susannahnix/ 

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/160037207970579/ 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/susannah-nix 

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

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16880740.Susannah_Nix 

Twitter: @Susannah_Nix 

Website: https://www.susannahnix.com/ 

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BLOG TOUR : NOT SINCE EWE by Susannah Nix & Smartypants Romance

 

Not Since Ewe, an all-new heartwarming second-chance romance from Susannah Nix, is available now in Kindle Unlimited! 

Tess McGregor doesn’t need anyone. 

So what if she doesn’t have any close friends or family anymore? Her successful consulting business keeps her so busy she barely has time to be lonely. She’s got her life organized exactly the way she wants it. 

Until the daughter she gave up for adoption 30 years ago tracks her down. 

Tess doesn’t know anything about being a mother, but now that she’s met Erin, she’ll do anything to stay in her life. 

Even if it means facing the life-ruining jerk who got Tess pregnant in high school and broke her heart. 

Donal Larkin would do anything for a second chance.

He’s divorced, his kids hardly talk to him, and he works so much he barely has time to eat. But when he’s united with the daughter he never had a chance to know, he vows to make up for past mistakes. 

Step one is proving to Tess he’s not the same unreliable kid she knew 30 years ago. 

And maybe if he’s lucky he can win back the heart of the girl he never got over…

Not Since Ewe is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #4 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3zCRbUO

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Excerpt

“I’m just nervous.” Admitting that to Donal took a lot of effort. “Opening up to people isn’t exactly my strong suit, and I’m taking my insecurity out on you.”

He surprised me by pulling me into a hug.

Wow. The man really knew how to give a hug. I wasn’t generally a big hugger, but just like the other night when he’d held me in his arms, I didn’t hate it.

In fact, it felt amazing. A few more hugs like this, and I’d be a dedicated convert to the holy sacrament of hugging. I’d be going door to door proselytizing on the spiritual benefits of embracing physical embraces.

“I promise I’m on your side.” Donal’s voice was low and rough, his breath a warm caress against my hair. “I’m not going to say or do anything to damage your relationship with Erin. You’ve got to trust me on that.”

It was difficult to talk with my heart lodged in my throat and my face pressed against his astonishingly firm chest. “I want that for you too. I’ll try to be a better teammate.”

He pulled back to look at me, and my stomach did another one of those unsettling flips under his up-close scrutiny. “We’re really bad at this, aren’t we?”

I was so flustered, I thought he was making fun of my poor hugging skills and stiffened. “I—what?”

“Being friends.”

Oh. There went my heart, right into my throat again. “Is that what we are?”

“I’d sure like us to be.” His eyebrows notched up a few millimeters. “Wouldn’t you?”

Damn the man for being so likable. How was I supposed to protect myself when he kept being all vulnerable and appealing?

And handsome. Don’t forget the handsome.

Shit, did I really want to be friends with Donal Larkin again?

Yes.

Even with our poor track record, I wanted that. Maybe it could be different this time. We were both mature adults now. Surely we could handle it. We wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

“I’d like that too.” I sounded out of breath, like I’d just done a hill ride on the stationary bike.

“Good.” Donal’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Can we go sit down and eat now? Because I was too nervous to eat much at lunch, and I’m seriously hangry.”

About Susannah Nix

Susannah Nix is an award-winning author of contemporary romances featuring smart women and swoony men, including the Chemistry Lessons series of romcoms about women who work in STEM fields and the Starstruck series of movie star romances. 

Susannah resides in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching stupid amounts of television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a powerlifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.

Find Susannah Nix online

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B072KHZS5W 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susannahnix/ 

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/160037207970579/ 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/susannah-nix 

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

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16880740.Susannah_Nix 

Twitter: @Susannah_Nix 

Website: https://www.susannahnix.com/ 

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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BLOG TOUR: LOST TRACK by Heidi Hutchinson & Smartypants Romance

 

Lost Track, an all new friends to lovers slow burn romance from Heidi Hutchinson, is available now in Kindle Unlimited!

Sabine Debois likes her wine pink and her life predictable. As a private tutor for the rich and famous, she doesn’t get starstruck. But when a tattooed espresso fiend saves her from death by sweater, she’s a little bit… grateful. That’s all. Just grateful.

Sunshine Capone just had the best album of his career, and then his girlfriend burned down his house. Well, his ex-girlfriend now. So he moved to Chicago to focus on his music and avoid the drama of relationships.

He should not be creating any excuse to hang out with the sweet teacher with the hazel eyes and bright smile. She doesn’t need his kind of confusion in her life.

But Sabine’s about to teach this superstar a thing or two about peace, love, and understanding.

Lost Track is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #5 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy TODAY!

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Excerpt

“Help,” she whispered to no one.

Again, the panic threatened to take over.

She wasn’t an overly anxious person. She liked to think of herself as fairly Zen.

But whatever piece of plastic or thread or glue that had tormented her all day long had driven away her sensibleness and she was now gulping for air, trapped in a jumper.

A prison of her own making.

New fear unlocked: small, confined spaces.

No.

Nope.

She would not die here.

Not like this and not this day.

The studio wasn’t devoid of human life. She’d passed at least two sound engineers on her way to the lounge.

Sure, she didn’t know their names, but she could ask them to help her. Maybe Nikki was working. Nikki seemed nice those two times they had almost interacted. Maybe she would rescue her.

She took a tentative step in the direction she hoped was the door. Another step.

Okay, so far, so good.

Another step and her hip bumped into the edge of the table.

Or was it the counter in the kitchenette?

She tried to rub her hip and butt along the edge to orient herself.

The sound of a door opening spun her around and she almost lost her balance.

“Hello?” she called, hearing the tremor in her voice.

“Hello?” a male voice replied and there was no mistaking the amusement in his tone.

She exhaled loudly and tried to walk toward his voice but collided with the table again.

“You are all turned around,” he said, coming closer. “Just wait.”

“Please help me,” she said. “I’m stuck and I can’t—” She wiggled her arms above her head uselessly. Her fingertips tingled. That couldn’t be good.

“What can I do to help?” he asked, now standing in front of her.

She hinged forward at the hips. “Can you pull the sweater off?”

Silence for a beat and then a deep breath.

He smelled like coffee and fresh air. She wondered which engineer this was. His voice didn’t sound like Johnny, the owner of the studio, and it definitely wasn’t Johnny’s younger brother Shawn because he would have just started laughing and wouldn’t have stopped.

“Okay, I’m going to have to touch you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” she replied, slightly confused by his statement. Because it was pretty obvious that if she’d asked him to help her, he was going to have to touch her.

But when cool fingers brushed against the exposed skin near her armpits, she flinched.

Oh, now that made sense.

He tugged on the fabric around her armpits and it didn’t budge.

“Hm,” he said to himself and she sensed him step back. “It’s really stuck.”

She bobbed her upper body in agreement.

Because, duh.

He stepped closer and tried again in a slightly different place.

Nothing changed.

“I don’t want to ruin your sweater,” he said, sounding distressed.

“And I don’t want to die dressed like a traffic cone,” she replied a little more hotly than she should have.

He chuckled and tugged at the sleeves over her head.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“You do not have to apologize.” His voice moved like he was walking a circle around her. “Though I don’t think you look like a traffic cone. I actually saw you as one of those inflatable tube man things you see outside car dealerships.”

She laughed despite herself. “That’s not better.”

“You think if I pull straight up, we’ll end up with a finger trap situation? Because that’s what I’m afraid of.”

“I am very willing to risk it.”

“Okay.” He fiddled with the top of the sweater. “Stop me if it hurts.”

She braced.

The fabric tugged, pulled and smashed her face as he worked it off of her. She held her breath, like that would somehow ease the progression. The hem pinched and rolled over her armpits and then…relief.

She sagged forward and then cried out.

“Earring! Earring!” She moved her head with the sweater. Her hands, newly free, gripped his wrists. “Stop!”

He already had stopped. The moment she had cried out he froze.

She let go of him and dove her fingers beneath the loosened fabric to detangle her earrings.

“Okay,” she said, wincing in preparation for more pain.

But the pain was over.

The sweater came away and she took her first full breath in what felt like hours.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, finally getting a look at her rescuer.

Sleepy indigo eyes met hers, and the smile on his face crinkled the stem of the rose tattooed near his right eye.

Here was the thing about working with famous people and their kids, they were too often hypersensitive to people’s attention. She’d learned early on that most didn’t like to be stared at. And because they were hyper-aware of being watched, any kind of eye contact could feel like it was staring.

Rational?

No.

But she understood it enough that looking around them instead of at them was a safe option. At least until new expectations had been established.

So, it was very off-brand (again) for her to have full eye contact with a rock star.

She immediately looked down, but not before she’d clocked the dove tattoo near his hairline and the words “As Yourself” above his left eyebrow. Her gaze dropped to his neckline where a large black and gray tattoo of the sun on his throat was just barely visible from the collar of his gray hoodie.

Sunshine Capone.

So… not really a rock star.

But kind of.

Pop star?

He was more hip-hop, right?

Why was she trying to specify what kind of star he was?

A star was a star.

“Thank you,” she said again.

“Not a problem,” he replied, and his tone caused her eyes to jump back to his, even though it went against all her instincts. He was still smiling. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and chuckled at her own circumstances. “I am now, thanks to you.”

About Heidi Hutchinson

Heidi Hutchinson creates funny, clever, slow burn romance for readers looking for a guaranteed happily ever after.

She hopes the stories she writes inspire her readers to take their hearts on one more adventure.

She lives in the Black Hills with her alarmingly handsome husband, their fearless child, and a rather large and spoiled dog. 

She is fueled by her unwavering and perfectly normal devotion to Dave Grohl and coffee. 

And a whole lotta love. 

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Review: Key Change by Heidi Hutchinson

Key Change by Heidi Hutchinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been a long time fan of the Smartypants Romance books. This is the third book in the Common Threads series, but it reads as a complete standalone. The books are more companion novels featuring familiar characters and settings, but they can all be read independently and in any order. This particular installment features a former pop-star in hiding, who would like to stay hidden and the owner of a small recording studio from her past that has never forgotten her. 

Hannah leads a pretty boring life these days, she loves her routines and her anonymity. When she was pop star Aston James, she was always in the public eye and she wasn't the nicest person and she didn't make the best decisions. Now she's much more responsible and has her little sister to worry about. Keeping her sister, Piper safe, healthy and happy is her #1 priority. Her boring routine gets shaken up when a talented busker recognizes her, it just so happens she had a fling with his older brother who is now a music producer. Johnny was hurt by Hannah's alter ego Aston many years ago and doesn't want his brother anywhere near her. Hannah doesn't trust anyone after all the betrayals in her music career, so naturally she is skeptical when Johnny and Shawn offer to keep her identity secret without a bribe or NDA in place. Hannah doesn't remember her time with Johnny, but through a series of events, she ends up working with one of his clients which makes him super uncomfortable. This is a huge client for Johnny and his studio so he puts his feelings aside and lets Hannah do her thing with the young rapper Sunshine Capone. Sunshine likes working with them so much he decides to record his entire album with them as long as Hannah is involved. As Johnny and Hannah work together, her memory of him resurfaces and Johnny warms up to her. While he works on putting the past in the past, they both work on moving forward and look toward the future and what that will mean. 

If you wanted a steamy romance, this isn't the book for you. There is some kissing, but the intimate scene takes place behind closed doors. I think it actually fits the story and the characters pretty well given the slow build up of their romantic relationship and the fragile nature of the characters. This is a little bit of everything, enemies to lovers and slow burn romance. It also deals with addiction and recovery in a very open way. I think alot of musicians and people who find themselves in famous situations deal with drugs and alcohol, so I really appreciate that the author chose to put a very real topic in the book. She also chose to put the main character in therapy to deal with her issues and her situations as a guardian. There were times that you did not like the person Hannah used to be, and she was harsh and aggressive at times, but I also felt like she was relatable. I know people that are abrasive like Hannah, but once you get to know them, they are some of the best people. Overall, I really enjoyed this. I love music, and I love watching behind the scenes clips of my favorite bands when they were recording their albums. I really enjoyed the setting of this and I thought the characters worked really well together. I thought Johnny and Hannah had good chemistry and they both had good development. There were good side characters and great dialogue between everyone in the story. 

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for providing me an audio arc, and Smartypants Romance for providing me an ebook arc.  All opinions expressed are my own.  

I thought the narrators did a wonderful job with the characters giving them all a voice. I appreciate when narrators are able to give all of the characters different voices so I know who is involved in dialogue.  

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Review: Give Love a Chai by Nanxi Wen

Give Love a Chai by Nanxi Wen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a fan of second chance romances, this is a must read. I loved getting to know Tia and Andrew and watching them rekindle their spark. They split up 10 years ago because they didn't communicate well. What 18 year old does? Now Tia is engaged, but she has discovered that her divorce to Andrew wasn't official. She goes to see Andrew and asks him to sign the divorce papers again, but instead of easily signing this time he wants to try again. They are older, wiser, and he still has feelings for her. Tia isn't sure what to do with this information as she has a fiancé, a wedding to plan, and Andrew still won't communicate with her. When Tia's fiancé breaks up with her so she can sort out the situation with Andrew, she decides to give Andrew 2 weeks to see if their marriage is really worth saving. During this two weeks they rediscover what it is that they loved about each other, and what they needed to work on. Tia demands that Andrew tell her his secrets and in turn she tells him the secrets she's been holding on to.

I loved the letters that Tia and Andrew send and didn't send to each other as chapter openings. It gives the reader insight into the past without flashbacks or tons of backstory. The storyline can progress in the present while we get to know the characters both present and past from the notes they wrote to each other. They also give deep emotional insight into each character, as many of them weren't sent so they were able to write down their true feelings knowing the other person would never read the letter. Speaking of emotions, there is a content warning at the beginning of the book. If you find topics of pregnancy and miscarriage triggering, I'd maybe skip this one as it is a major plot point in Tia and Andrew's relationship. I feel the topic was handled with care and respect. I will say that the grief that the characters feel comes through on the page and it is raw and heartbreaking.

This story had great character and relationship development. Now that they are a bit more mature, Tia and Andrew know what they want, each other. Tia knows that communication and insecurity is what broke them up the first time and they have to work on that if they want to be together this time. Tia is willing to put in the work, but first she has to convince Andrew to stop running away and lean on each other when things get hard.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this author.

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Blog Tour: GIVE LOVE A CHAI by Nanxi Wen

Give Love a Chai, an all-new charming second-chance romance from Nanxi Wen, is now available in Kindle Unlimited! 

Tia Wang’s Wedding Planning To-Do List:

1. Find the perfect dress

2. Win her future mother-in-law's approval

3. Divorce her not-so-ex husband, Andrew Parker

When she fell in love and married her childhood best friend on a whim in Vegas, Tia innocently thought love conquered all. Turns out, that was a crushing lie. Her world shattered as she and Andrew were torn apart by secrets and mistakes.

Ten years later, Tia has left the pain behind and carved out a new life with Mr. Perfect. The only thing standing between her and happily ever after? A divorce from Andrew.

It should have been easy for Andrew to sign his name on the dotted line. Independent, prickly, and always in control, Andrew has done everything to escape his past. But seeing Tia on his doorstep after all these years? He can’t help wondering what might have been. Andrew has never forgotten Tia and vows to fight for their relationship this time around. If he has to hold those divorce papers hostage to get his second chance, he will.

Feelings resurface, stronger and more complex than ever. But Tia and Andrew have more than Mr. Perfect between them. Can they overcome past mistakes to forge a future together, or will new threats ruin their second chance at forever?

'Give Love a Chai' is a full-length contemporary romance, and can be read as a standalone. Book #2 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe. 

You can see what I thought in my review here.

Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Audiobook: Coming later this year!

Excerpt

I didn’t care what Andrew Parker thought.

Not anymore.

Still, I put on some lip balm before I could think too much about why and opened the door. Andrew sat by the little island in his kitchen, hands gripping a beer.

Huh.

I had never seen him drink alcohol before. Unlike pretty much everyone that I knew, he had been very intentional about not engaging in underage drinking. It made me sad to think about all of the changes that I missed, moments that I had expected to be part of if he hadn’t pushed me away.

Now, I was getting angry. I held on to that anger. Anger was easy. Anger had carried me through the first few months after he had betrayed me, especially when I was railing against the world in those awful days in the hospital.

Oblivious to my anger, he looked up. “You still smell like those fruity Lip Smackers you used to love, Ting.” His gray eyes roamed over me. A single dimple flashed at me, as his lips tugged to one side.

I couldn’t believe he still remembered my fondness for Lip Smackers. I had been using them since I first immigrated to the United States from China and discovered them in the aisle of some supermarket. I was the only person over the age of ten that still used them, but I was loyal to what I liked. Unlike Mr. Cool in front of me. “I don’t go by Ting anymore. It’s Tia now.”

“When did you decide that?” Andrew asked, unfurling himself to standing. His six feet two inches of muscles towered over me. The large kitchen suddenly felt small. Andrew the man had a presence that overwhelmed me in a way that Andrew the boy had never.

“Almost ten years ago when I needed a fresh start. I wanted a name that helped me to fit in,” I said, daring him to say anything.

His only response was the tightening of his shoulders. I couldn’t tell if he was reacting to my dig about a fresh start, or to me changing my name after years of him encouraging me to keep my given name. When we first met twenty years ago, we had bonded over not fitting in. As much as he told me “screw them” when our classmates made fun of my foreign-sounding name, my faint accent, or squinted their eyes while saying “konnichiwa” despite my protests that I was from China, I had cared too much. My name was the part of me that was the easiest to change.

“Okay, Tia,” he started, letting my name roll over his tongue, as if testing how it felt. “Why are you here?”

I looked into his face, so achingly familiar that I could have drawn his features from memory. I let myself feel the full weight of sadness, bitterness, and regret wash over me. Andrew Parker was my past, an anchor that I hadn’t even realized was holding me back. I needed to move forward now.

In a voice that sounded stronger than I felt, I said, “I want a divorce.”

About Nanxi Wen

Nanxi Wen thought she was going to write the greatest historical novel. Turns out, her characters decided that they want to be in the 21st century with modern plumbing, online shopping, and reality TV shows. Her first book comes out in February 2021 – Give Love a Chai.

She lives in New England with her husband and two clingy monkeys (aka toddlers). When she is not despairing over word count, she enjoys reading, snacking, drinking coffee, sitting by the fireplace, hanging out with friends (far apart and with masks) and daydreaming.

Find Nanxi Wen online

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Blog Tour: MAD ABOUT EWE by Susannah Nix

Mad About Ewe, an all-new heartwarming second-chance romance from Susannah Nix, is now available in Kindle Unlimited! 

Dawn Botstein is doing just fine after her divorce, thank you very much.

She’s got her yarn store to run, her house to herself for the first time in her life, and no use for men anymore. That is until the hottie silver fox who walks into her store turns out to be her old high school crush—the guy who rejected her 30 years ago.

No way is she going to lose her head over him this time, no matter how well he wears that salt-and-pepper lumberjack beard. Okay, so he’s the opposite of her ex in every way, and his attention gives her a thrill she thought she’d never feel again. She’s not risking her heart again.

Mike Pilota is having a mid-life crisis.

Only instead of buying a red sports car he can’t afford and dressing like a 25-year-old who’s time-traveled from the 1990s, he quit his job after his second divorce to move closer to his recently widowed mother.

He didn’t expect to run into Dawn again, but as soon as he lays eyes on her he’s utterly smitten. So he sets out to make up for past mistakes and prove he can be the kind of man she deserves.

But is it too late for second chances? Or will these two lonely hearts find a way back to each other?

'Mad About Ewe' is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #1 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.  

Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Audiobook: Coming later this year! 

Excerpt

Mike Pilota sent you a friend request.

I’d received the notification a week ago but still hadn’t responded. I’d just left it hanging there, unanswered. Ignored.

Out of spite? Perhaps a little. After he’d rejected me yet again, I had to admit I enjoyed the thought of Mike getting a taste of that same rejection for once. I liked to picture him sitting at home, futilely checking his notifications day after day, waiting for a reply that would never come.

I wanted him to know that I wasn’t desperate for his attention and would not be begging for treats like a pet Labrador. I couldn’t care less whether I ever spoke to Mike again.

Of course, it was just as likely he’d forgotten he even sent the request by now. There was no reason to assume he was in any way invested in my response.

I couldn’t imagine why he’d sent it in the first place. Why now? Why would you send a friend request to someone you’d brushed off?

I hadn’t even realized Mike was active on Facebook, which was probably just as well. It had saved me from years of pathetic cyberstalking. And it would be pathetic to be hung up on a man you’d had a childish crush on thirty years ago.

Good thing I wasn’t.

I’d meant what I’d said about being done with Mike Pilota. Finito. Over and out. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

So it was annoying in the extreme when I walked into The Old House Pub and saw him sitting next to Angie. My steps, which had been confident and quick as I entered the bar, faltered as I recognized him.

How? Why? What the blazing hell was Mike doing here?

My eyes narrowed as they homed in on my best friend, the obvious answer to all my questions. She must have recruited Mike for her reunion committee. And I could guess why.

It was clearly some misguided attempt to force another reunion between me and Mike in the hopes that, against all odds, this time sparks would finally fly, and he’d realize his secret attraction to me which he’d been repressing all these years.

Did I mention Angie was a bit of a fantasist?

Obviously, there was no way any of that would happen. The far more likely scenario was that Mike and I would try our level best to ignore each other’s existence while pretending there was no lingering awkwardness between us.

That was my game plan anyway. Mike could do what he liked.

Gathering a deep breath, I forced my feet to carry me to the table where Mike and Angie were seated. There were six chairs, and I set my sights on the one farthest from Mike.

Angie spotted my approach immediately and called out a greeting. Mike looked up, and our eyes caught and held for a charged second before I forcibly tore my gaze away to pin my best friend with an accusatory glare. Angie grinned back at me and shrugged, as if she knew exactly what she’d done wrong and didn’t care one bit.

Before I could claim the chair diagonally across from Mike, he leapt to his feet. “Here, you probably want to sit next to Angie,” he said, and held his own chair out for me.

I had no choice but to accept his offer at that point without looking like an ill-mannered ingrate. Mumbling my thanks, I draped my purse over the back of the chair and sat down.

To my consternation, Mike took the seat right next to me at the head of the table. He was so close our knees brushed as he scooted his chair forward, and I jerked my legs away from him as if I’d been zapped with electricity.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said in that warm, gravelly voice that used to make my limbs quiver like a gelatin mold on a mechanical bull. Fortunately, I was completely over my childish infatuation with him, and therefore impervious to his sexy man voice.

I looked up to find him smiling at me, his lips curved invitingly and framed by his neatly trimmed beard, and my heart gave a little involuntary jump in my chest.

Well, crud.

Perhaps I wasn’t quite as over Mike as I’d hoped. 

About Susannah Nix

Susannah Nix is an award-winning author of contemporary romances featuring smart women and swoony men, including the Chemistry Lessons series of romcoms about women who work in STEM fields and the Starstruck series of movie star romances. 

Susannah resides in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching stupid amounts of television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a powerlifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.

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