Review: The Fiancé by Stefanie London

The Fiancé by Stefanie London
Series: Close Quarters, Book 4
Publisher: Harlequin Dare
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780369702319
Release Date: January 1, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Harlequin

I may be a barely employed, soon-to-be-homeless teacher/waitress, but that doesn’t mean I’ll marry any creep my mum brings around. Some guys like short and curvy! And I haven’t given up on the dream—the love of a man who makes me hotter than a Melbourne summer night.

Getting caught in a supply closet with CEO Daniel Moretti is the cherry on top of my day from hell…until the heat in his dark eyes makes me want to rip off my spaghetti-sauce-stained catering uniform. Daniel can’t risk more salacious rumors, so he proposes a deal—I agree to be his fake fiancée and he’ll help me get back on my feet.

Moving in to Daniel’s luxurious loft puts us in close quarters. And it’s not long before we’re saying yes all night long! But Daniel wants nothing to do with passionate love, and I won’t settle for anything less. Could a fake engagement lead to true love…or am I only fooling myself?

The Fiancé is sexy, fun, and a truly enjoyable romance to be swept away by for a few hours. I love a wound-tight hero who is undone by a straight-shooting heroine and Daniel and Ava gave that in spades.

Ava is a teacher who has had a run of bad luck. She isn’t able to land a permanent job as a teacher, has to work at night for a catering company, and now her apartment is being sold and there’s no way she can find a place like it at a rate she can afford. It seems like the cherry on top of a s--- sundae when she’s caught in the supply closet with Daniel Moretti. She can’t afford to lose her job if her boss thinks she’s hitting up supply closets with clients, but Daniel offers an interesting proposition: he’ll help her get back on her feet if she agrees to pose as his fiancée. Ava is a kindhearted, hardworking woman who can’t catch a break and I felt for her. There are elements of Cinderella as she’s swept away by Daniel and finds herself living a life so far from her normal. And Daniel is a Prince Charming…just a flawed, emotionally scarred one. Daniel knows image is everything and he needs Ava’s help to stave off false rumors that are threatening his company and his relationship with his brother. Daniel has seen firsthand the toxic side of love. His parents’ marriage was a disaster – to put it mildly – and he’s scarred and afraid to open up because of it. He keeps himself apart from everyone, but Ava isn’t about to let him hide behind his walls.

A fake relationship becomes all-too-real almost immediately thanks to the irresistible pull between Ava and Daniel. Their chemistry is fantastic and Stefanie London cranks the heat on high to devastatingly sexy effect. I love the heat and the heart as Ava and Daniel become more and more intertwined. So if you’re looking for a sexy Cinderella story where things only get better after midnight, The Fiancé is the perfect read for you.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Kissing Lessons by Stefanie London

Kissing Lessons by Stefanie London
Series: Kissing Creek, Book 1
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781649370846
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Entangled

Welcome to Kissing Creek, where everything has a romance-themed pun for a name and love is lurking around every corner…

Audrey Miller doesn’t believe in happily-ever-after, so she is definitely living in the wrong town. But she’s never getting out of Kissing Creek, because playing pseudo-mom for her younger siblings doesn’t leave time for much else. She’ll do anything to make sure they don’t end up stuck like she is, working as a barista in a college town, serving Pink Passion mochas with Chocolate Smooch donuts.

Then Ronan Walsh, a new young professor and walking cliché, right down to the elbow patches on his blazer, steps in for a coffee and into her life. She knows his type—intelligent and charming, yet sweet as a cinnamon roll, the sort of man she’s inevitably attracted to but is always out of her league. So why does someone like him have any interest in a worker bee with no future?

Her bland-as-oatmeal existence has nothing to offer, but Ronan’s temporary teaching position is only a stepping stone on his way to somewhere else. He isn’t here to put down roots, Audrey’s roots are firmly planted—neither of them is looking for love. And maybe that’s just perfect.

But in a small town called Kissing Creek, sometimes love can be impossible to avoid…

A hero and heroine with sizeable emotional baggage and an aversion to romantic commitment have no chance against love when they live in a town called Kissing Creek. Author Stefanie London ups the charm with this cute small town without becoming cloying, but don’t expect all fluff just because Kissing Lessons takes place at locations like the Kisspresso Café.

Audrey has had a difficult life, but she maintains (outwardly at least) a positive disposition. After her mother’s death and her father’s downward spiral, Audrey dropped out of high school to raise her siblings. She’s put her dreams on hold for over a decade, worked multiple jobs, and stretches herself to the limits in order to give her four siblings a chance to grow, thrive, and eventually leave Kissing Creek. The only thing she does for herself is secretly take a night class at the local college. Audrey’s love of learning, the joy she takes in it purely for its own sake, made her sparkle. But otherwise it just plain broke my heart watching her struggle and sacrifice. To make matters worse, her father is abusive and Audrey has to shield and protect her siblings. She’s seen what love and loss can do to a person and has no interest in it. But Ronan Walsh knocks Audrey off her carefully-trod path when he first walks into Kisspresso Café. The handsome, young professor is Audrey’s idea of a perfect guy. Too bad she has no time to date…and that’s before the fact that dating her new professor would be strictly off-limits.

Ronan is on a fast-track to success and has his eyes on the prize of a teaching position at an Ivy League school. Kissing Creek is just a temporary stop so he can be near his family after his grandmother takes a bad fall. Sparks fly between Ronan and Audrey from the first, but he too has had an upbringing that makes him wary of opening his heart. All the odds are stacked against these two, and yet they can’t keep from being drawn to one another. I enjoyed Audrey and Ronan together; their shared love of learning alone could easily endear me to them. Though there are a number of heavy topics in this book, there’s a brightness to the romance (and some of the situations they find themselves in) that lifted the story up. The trivia they traded back and forth made me smile and on the whole I found their romance satisfying.

Kissing Lessons is a tough book for me to rate. I really liked Audrey and Ronan and I always enjoy Ms. London’s writing. Still, the book was slow at times and not all the heavier issues were resolved in a satisfying manner. I can’t quite put my finger on why the story dragged at times, but it wasn’t as engaging as Ms. London’s books usually are. There are ups and downs in the love story and the arguments that occurred felt natural to the characters, their histories, and their fears. All in all, I liked the main characters a lot and the more humorous moments in this story ensure that I’ll be back for more Kissing Creek romances.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London

Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London
Series: Bad Bachelors, Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781728213774
Paperback Reissue Date: March 3, 2020
Source: Publisher/Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Everybody's talking about the hot new app reviewing New York's most eligible bachelors. But why focus on prince charming when you can read the latest dirt on the lowest-ranked "Bad Bachelors"—NYC's most notorious bad boys.

If one more person mentions Bad Bachelors to Reed McMahon, someone's gonna get hurt. A PR whiz, Reed is known as an 'image fixer' but his womanizing ways have caught up with him. What he needs is a PR miracle of his own.

When Reed strolls into Darcy Greer's workplace offering to help save the struggling library, she isn't buying it. The prickly Brooklynite knows Reed is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid. But the library does need his help. But as she reluctantly works with Reed, she realizes there's more to a man than his reputation. Maybe, just maybe Bad Bachelor #1 is THE one for her.

Bad Bachelor is the kind of book I hate to stick a rating on. I absolutely loved the main characters, the romance, and Stefanie London’s writing. But the story also had some big drawbacks that kept me from falling in love with the book overall.

Let’s start with the good, shall we? I adored Reed and Darcy. Darcy is a librarian and the black sheep of her family. She’s hardworking and cares so much, which I absolutely loved. She’s also incredibly vulnerable between the contentious relationship with her mother and the way her engagement ended the day before she was supposed to be married. She has walls a mile high, but that’s nothing compared the walls Reed has around his heart. Reed is rich, polished, and a PR whiz. But no one sees the man beneath the glossy exterior…until Darcy. Reed has seriously deep old wounds he doesn’t allow anyone to see and they make him unwilling to open his heart and trust any woman. He’s dedicated to his job and being the best, not because of ego, but because the money allows him to care for his ailing father. Aside from wanting to push people away, Reed’s pretty much the perfect hero. He and Darcy are dynamite together and I loved watching them put together a fundraiser for her library. They’re a perfect match even though on the surface they seem nothing alike. The fact that they outwardly seem so different but inwardly have a lot in common is what makes them such an appealing couple. Their love story is easy to fall into and Ms. London makes it impossible not to root for them.

I adored Darcy and Reed so much that I hate to say anything bad about Bad Bachelor. However…the Bad Bachelors app plot was beyond aggravating. The Bad Bachelors app is – in essence – a Yelp review site of New York City’s bachelors. In a place as big as NYC, the number one “Bad Bachelor” isn’t a predator, criminal, abuser, liar, user, addict, cheater, or even someone who doesn’t tip well. No, it’s – brace yourself for the horror – a man who doesn’t want to commit. It’s necessary to roll with this premise or the entire book falls apart, so I knowingly went into this willing to suspend disbelief. The problem is, the more I saw Reed’s hard work being torn apart, his personal and professional reputation being shredded by this popular app, the more sour the taste in my mouth. The more the popularity of the app grew, the more it was like watching a good person be repeatedly kicked in the face not just by bitter and shallow exes, but workplace rivals and possibly internet trolls. The last bit is not altogether implausible, which makes it all the more depressing.

Bad Bachelor has good characters, an engaging and sexy romance, and a background plot that just left a bad taste in my mouth. Darcy’s two best friends, Remi and Annie, are featured in the next two Bad Bachelors books. I loathed Annie and will likely pass on her story, but I adored Remi and I love Ms. London’s writing so I will definitely be reading the next book in the Bad Bachelors series, Bad Reputation.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: How to Lose a Fiancé by Stefanie London

How to Lose a Fiancé by Stefanie London
Series: Greek Billionaires, Book 2
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781640637856
Release Date: June 17, 2019
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Entangled

Sophia Andreou has always been the “good daughter” who tried to keep her domineering father happy. She followed the rules and did everything that was asked of her. But this time, her father is asking too much. The family company is crumbling, and her father has arranged a marriage to a Greek billionaire who can save their property business. What?! Umm no thank you. If Cinderella can dress up to win a prince, surely Sophia can do the opposite and ditch hers...

Dion Kourakis has come a long way from being an orphan with only a single friend to his name. Now he runs a billion-dollar investment company and has the respect of everyone in Europe. His charming personality covers a lot of emotional scars, including his desire to make his mentor proud. Dion doesn’t exactly want a bride to go along with his next business deal, and he plans on letting the lass down gently when they meet…

Only, his future bride has turned out to be nothing like what he thought she’d be. She’s quirky and has a habit of turning up to social events in strange outfits. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what she’s up to, but the harder she tries to convince him she’d be an awful wife, the more he wants to convince her they’d be perfect together.

A Greek billionaire meets his match in How to Lose a Fiancé. I’m generally not one for billionaire romances, but how could I resist one where the heroine pulls a reverse Ugly Duckling and is armed with a taxidermy fox? Author Stefanie London does a good job of mixing humor and heart in this story.

All her life, Sophia Andreou has worked to keep her father happy. She’s so close to getting her freedom when the man pulls the rug out from under her and says he’s arranged a marriage for Sophia. Marriage to a Greek billionaire may sound like a dream to some, but Sophia has no desire to be controlled by anyone ever again. She can’t refuse for fear of what might happen to her mother, so she’s determined to drive Dion Kourakis away with eccentric outfits and a few unique interests (see aforementioned fox). Sophia is a kind, likeable heroine who’s been put in a hard spot and won’t let herself be walked over. I liked her spirit and found her easy to root for. As for Dion, the man has a great deal of patience. He has a heartbreaking past that drives his present and really made me feel for him. I enjoyed watching him roll with the punches and handle whatever Sophia threw at him. I won’t spoil his reasons for agreeing to the arranged marriage in the first place, but suffice it to say they make sense for his character. Dion is pretty much perfect book boyfriend material, so I was eager to see he and Sophia fall in love once he got to see the real her. The two of them are well-suited and there isn’t any false drama, which I greatly appreciated.

How to Lose a Fiancé is the second book in Ms. London’s Greek Billionaires series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed Sophia and Dion together, but I will admit I didn’t find them or their romance very memorable, which is a bit of a downside for me. Baroness Sasha Foxington III was definitely the breakout star of this book, a fairly impressive feat considering she’s stuffed. But even with this quibble, I still recommend How to Lose a Fiancé to anyone looking for an entertaining contemporary romance that’s fast-paced, warm-hearted, and fun.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Hard Deal by Stefanie London

Hard Deal by Stefanie London
Series: Melbourne After Dark, Book 2
Publisher: Harlequin Dare
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781488082658
Release Date: September 1, 2018
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

For one night only, Imogen Hargrove is a sexy spy. She’s donned a mask for the Carmina Masquerade Ball, where she hopes to catch her sister’s cheating fiancé, Daniel, in the act. But she’s the one who gets rumbled when she strays too close to her target—only to realize she’s been tailing the wrong man. A searing kiss makes her forget her mission altogether, and the mysterious stranger awakens something inside her: a burning passion she hasn’t felt since the brutal breakup of her last relationship.

Imogen is mortified to discover that the man behind the mask is her colleague, notorious womanizer Caleb Allbrook. He’s the last person she wants to get close to, and she doesn’t need another playboy in her life. But that kiss has her curious—besides, Caleb knows her sister’s fiancé and could prove very useful in digging up dirt.

She makes a deal: she’ll go on a date with Caleb in exchange for information on Daniel’s affair. But Caleb’s irresistible charm turns a casual conversation into a night of sultry seduction. Imogen knows Caleb is bad news—yet he makes her feel sexier than any man ever has. Can she pull herself away from yet another toxic relationship, or will Caleb prove there’s more to him than just sex appeal?

Hard Deal is so much fun to read. It’s both steamy and playful and the chemistry Caleb and Imogen have practically snaps and sizzles on the page.

To all the world, nothing can ruffle Imogen Hargrove. She’s smart, organized, and keeps her passionate nature tamped down. But beneath the surface is a woman who wants to live a more vibrant, sensual life. Imogen was badly hurt by her cheating ex-husband and it’s easy to see why the emotional scars she carries have heavily impacted her life. She’s a kind-hearted heroine who is easy to like, even when she makes mistakes to guard said heart. I really liked Imogen, so I was eager to see her come out of her shell. Caleb helps her do that by knocking her off her axis. He’s a swoon-worthy hero who is so much more than the playboy people know him as. Caleb is charming, good looking, and sexy as sin, but that’s only a small part of him. He made me smile with his rebellious socks and the way he could read people. But it tugged on my heartstrings to see the hidden, vulnerable part that feels unwanted and unloved by his father. He and Imogen both have ghosts in their pasts they have to overcome in order to open their hearts and have a shot at a real relationship. Yet while Imogen and Caleb have to work for their happily ever after, that doesn’t mean the road to it is lacking in fun – quite the contrary. Hard Deal is deliciously dirty and Imogen and Caleb are anything but shy when it comes to pleasure.

Hard Deal is the second book in Stefanie London’s Melbourne After Dark series but it can easily be read as a standalone. That being said, I will definitely go back and read Unmasked because I absolutely adore Ms. London’s writing. I’ve only read a few of her books, but the ones I’ve read are flirty, fun, and wholly addictive. Caleb and Imogen’s romance is no exception and I cannot wait to re-read it.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Best Books of 2017

2018 is here and with it comes a batch of highly anticipated reads. But before I fully dive into the new year looking for some new favorite books, it’s time to take a look back at the best books of 2017. I read 138 books last year, including quite a few re-reads that I fell in love with all over again. I tried 31 new (to me) authors and discovered some wonderful authors (like Rebecca Brooks, Santino Hassell, Stefanie London, and Heather McCollum) whose backlists I cannot wait to dive into. And finally, I participated in my eighth A to Z Reading Challenge, a fun challenge that usually leads me to at least a couple of books I might not have moved to the top of my TBR pile otherwise.

I read a number of excellent books in 2017, but I did manage to narrow the list down so I could spotlight my 17 favorites of '17 – the ten best new reads and the seven best re-reads.

Top Ten Books of 2017
Top Re-Reads of 2017

My Top Ten Books of 2017

Note: My picks weren’t all published in 2017 (one is even a 1930s classic), but all were new-to-me reads for the year.
Also note: The books are alphabetized by author as I love them all equally.

1. White Hot (Hidden Legacy, Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
My Review | Purchase Link

2. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Purchase Link

3. On Broken Wings (Wild Aces, Book 3) by Chanel Cleeton
My Review | Purchase Link

4. Illegal Contact (The Barons, Book 1) by Santino Hassell
My Review | Purchase Link

5. Fair Game (All’s Fair, Book 1) by Josh Lanyon
Purchase Link

6. Fair Play (All’s Fair, Book 2) by Josh Lanyon
Purchase Link

7. Fair Chance (All’s Fair, Book 3) by Josh Lanyon
My Review | Purchase Link

8. Trouble Next Door by Stefanie London
My Review | Purchase Link

9. The Wolf of Kisimul Castle (Highland Isles, Book 3) by Heather McCollum
My Review | Purchase Link

10. Silver Silence (Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 1) by Nalini Singh
My Review | Purchase Link

My Top Re-Reads of 2017

1. Rock Chick (Rock Chick, Book 1) by Kristen Ashley
Purchase Link

2. Quinn’s Hart by Cassandra Gold
My Review

3. Azagoth (Demonica Underworld, Book 1) by Larissa Ione
Purchase Link

4. Accidentally Compromising the Duke (Wedded by Scandal, Book 1) by Stacy Reid
My Review | Purchase Link

5. One Hot December (Men at Work, Book 3) by Tiffany Reisz
My Review | Purchase Link

6. Angels Fall by Nora Roberts
Purchase Link

7. High Noon by Nora Roberts
Purchase Link

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Review: Trouble Next Door by Stefanie London

Trouble Next Door by Stefanie London
Publisher: Entangled: Lovestruck
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781979435208
Release Date: November 13, 2017
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

McKenna Prescott is the queen of picking the wrong men. When her latest boyfriend dumps her, she decides to devote her time to “exploring herself” (read: drinking wine and ordering sex toys online) and starting her freelance makeup business. That is, until an embarrassing delivery mix-up puts her sexy, gruff neighbor in her path...

Beckett Walsh is married to his job...which is a deal-breaker for the woman he’s supposed to be marrying. Even worse, his would-be father-in-law has pulled support from Beckett's startup and now Beckett stands to lose everything. But the gorgeous, crazy makeup artist from down the hall has an equally crazy but mutually beneficial idea: if he convinces his sister to hire McKenna for her high-society wedding, McKenna will teach him about what women want so he can get his fiancée back.

All he has to do is make sure he doesn’t fall for the wrong girl.

From its hilarious beginning to the sexy and sweet ending, Trouble Next Door is So. Much. Fun! I had an absolute blast reading McKenna and Beckett’s romance – it was energetic, flirty, sexy, and even heartwarming at times.

Beckett is a serious hero in need of a shakeup. His childhood made him crave stability for himself and his family and he’s completely focused on making the app he’s working on a success. To launch said app, he needs funding and since his ex-fiancée’s father was his biggest investor… Well, things aren’t going too well for Beckett at the beginning of this book. I admired his intelligence and focus and the clear love he had for his family. Beckett definitely has his flaws, but at his core he’s a kind, loving man who is trying to do his best. His world is knocked off-kilter by McKenna, which made me grin more than once. She’s bright, sparkly, and has a larger-than-life personality that I absolutely loved. McKenna is stuck working the beauty counter until she can launch her career as a makeup artist. She’s got talent and determination, but after years of her family beating her down because she doesn’t fit their mold, she is somewhat vulnerable. Her passion for her work and her love of makeup shines and was actually one of my favorite things about Trouble Next Door. When an author really enjoys something and incorporates it into the story, it comes through, adding extra life to the book.

As individuals, McKenna and Beckett are great. As a couple, they’re dynamite. Even when they start out as friends, with McKenna trying to help him get his ex back, they have great chemistry. They’re supportive of one another, they actually listen to each other talk about their work and goals, and that’s fantastic. Add in sizzling chemistry that can’t be denied and it’s easy to see why I absolutely hated having to put Trouble Next Door down. The characters, the romance…there’s such a bright, popping personality to this book that I smile even just thinking about it.

Trouble Next Door is the first book I’ve read by Stefanie London but there’s no way it’ll be my last. I loved Ms. London’s writing; the humor, romance, and character growth was on point and I will definitely be glomming up her backlist. There are some books that just make you happy when you read them, and that’s what Trouble Next Door was for me.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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