New Release Reviews and one from the TBR pile

Heart of Dixie by Ruthie Henrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If I needed a reminder about why Friends to Lovers and 2nd chance romance stories are some of my favorites in the romance genre, the Heart of Dixie is it!
When we first meet Dixie, she is returning to her home town after being gone for 10 years to bury the father she hasn't seen or talked to since she left. She returns to some baggage she expects and some, in terms of her first love, that she didn't.
The re-connection between Deke and Dixie is sweet and electric from the word go. I appreciated the fact that they needed to put some of their history behind them, but they did so in a way that allowed the present day romance to blossom as well.
As much as this is a story about Dixie reconnecting with her first love, it's also about her connecting with who she really is and what she wants from life. Heart of Dixie is a well written and fun, but also emotional and leaves the reader with a solid warm & fuzzy feeling at the end of the day. This is my first book by Ms. Henrick, but it won't be the last!

Amazon


 Rebel Heart by J.C. Hannigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

J. C. Hannigan's Rebel Heart is part stand alone and part continuation of the story told in Rebel Soul. The cast of characters is basically the same, but this time the focus is on Elle and Braden, who were prominent secondary characters in the first book.
We are four years in the future from when we first met these two and they haven't seen each other in that time. The intense relationship these two had ended in a whimper and it left Elle with a broken heart and Braden with a load of regret. The wedding of Elle's best friend, Tessa, to Braden's brother, Brock, brings them and their unresolved feelings back together.
Ms. Hannigan does an excellent job of reintroducing Elle and Braden and not making it easy for either of them. At 22/23 years old they have the expected angsty initial reconnection and I honestly liked the fact that Elle let Braden in little bits at a time without being a doormat.
There are no real surprises in Rebel Heart. Where these two people belong is pretty clear from the beginning, but their journey is well written and has Hannigan's hallmark of opportunities for reflection.
As with Rebel Soul, the secondary cast features heavily in Rebel Heart. We see a lot of Brock and Tessa and get to know the third Miller sibling, Becky, a little bit better. If you have read Rebel Soul, you will definitely enjoy this installment of the series. If you are new to Ms. Hannigan's work, you can definitely start with this book, but I think the back story contained in book 1 would be helpful.

Amazon

Thrill of the Chase by Layla Nash
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun quick read involving wealthy lion shifter brothers. Logan is the alpha of his small pride and worried about their future when he meets Natalia.
Instant attraction ensues and all is going well until he is forced to reveal what he is unexpectedly.
Well written and entertaining, I am curious to see the stories of the other brothers.

Amazon


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