Michelle Lindo-Rice

This was an enjoyable romance. I bought this at a local store and I voluntarily chose to review this story. I've given it a 4.5* rating. It is not for the under 18 readers. The hero and the heroine are on a talk radio show that's trying to get their ratings up. They took listeners messages for part of their show. The question for the day was, "Do you or do you not look forward to Valentines Day?" It snowballs from there. There is lots to like or consider in this story. So keep an open mind as you open this book.… (mehr)

Good friends to lovers story. Selena is a hard-working therapist who also partners with Trent on a radio talk show. When one of their listeners shares how much they hate Valentine's Day, it sets off a firestorm of responses. Even Selena and Trent share their Valentine's woes and why they don't do relationships. As a result, the Valentine's Mingle for Singles Ball was born.

I liked both Trent and Selena. Trent has been a radio host for a long time. He has a reputation as a ladies' man who doesn't get serious about anyone. He has a bad relationship in his past and has no plans to risk his heart again. Trent also has custody of his younger sister, who has Downs Syndrome. He's very protective of her and sometimes takes it too seriously. He also has a good heart, which is evident in his behind-the-scenes actions.

Selena is a woman who likes helping others which is why she is such a terrific therapist. She applies that same heart to the people who call in to the radio show. Her beef with Valentine's Day stems from her father's desertion of her and her mother. Part of the book deals with Selena and her relationship with her mother.

The relationship that develops between Trent and Selena is a slow burn. It begins in November with a letter from a listener who talks about the effects of the holidays on single people. Their chemistry is evident during their show, but previously all of their interactions were work-related. Though there are sparks between them, Trent keeps his personal and professional lives separate. As they spend time together planning the Valentine's event, those lines begin to blur. The sparks between them continue to grow until they can't resist giving in to them. However, the more they are together, feelings past the attraction have them wanting more. When Selena gets spooked by those feelings and pulls away, Trent must convince her to take a chance. I loved the ending and seeing each overcome their fears and look to a future together.

I also liked the secondary characters. Selena's friend Nadine does a terrific job of giving her a kick in the pants when she needs it. I'd like to see her get a story of her own, maybe with Trent's friend. Trent's two buddies, James and Dontae, were fantastic at giving Trent support when he needed it and pushing when he was too cautious. I'd like to see them get happy endings, too. My favorite of these characters was Trent's sister Pammie. She's sweet and caring, and I loved her enthusiasm. I liked how she immediately connected with Selena. Watching her stand up to Trent when he was too protective made me proud of her. She also had great advice for him at the end of the book.

#netgalley… (mehr)

Good book. After reading the beginning of this book, I wasn't sure how Axel would redeem himself. He is a Hollywood heartthrob who is all about what he wants, no matter if it inconveniences someone else. The person he most inconveniences is his personal assistant, Maddie. Both characters frustrated me at the start.

Alex thinks nothing of dragging Maddie into whatever he thinks he needs, from mattress shopping to buying gifts. She was hired to manage his schedule and other career-related activities, yet he always manages to make any request about his career to get around her objections. She is on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Maddie lost any romantic ideas about Axel early in her career with him. She's frustrated by his thoughtlessness and lack of respect for her time. She is ready to leave on a long-planned and awaited vacation, during which he's promised not to contact her. When he gets into trouble, the next thing Maddie knows, he is on her doorstep, begging to stay with her, completely blowing off his promise. Maddie did what she always does - caved in and gave him what he wanted.

After a few days, Maddie finally has enough. I loved seeing her stand up to Axel and tell him she quit. He has two weeks to find another assistant. In the meantime, his brother Lynx (Rivals at Love Creek) asks Axel to fill in as the drama teacher at his school for a couple of weeks. I enjoyed this segment. Axel and Maddie are great with the kids, and Axel gets a taste of "normal" life. He also begins to see Maddie in a new light after hearing his brothers talk about her. At the same time, Maddie sees a different side of Axel, one that she likes. I liked seeing them grow closer, though both fought against putting a name to their feelings.

Maddie has some self-esteem issues because of what she perceives as her model mother's disappointment in her "plain, ordinary" daughter. There is no way she can believe that Axel would be interested in her. But Axel has deep-seated fears about committed relationships, thanks to his birth father. Maddie and Axel move on when the two weeks are up, each pursuing new career opportunities after sharing a fantastic night. I loved seeing Maddie come into her own, doing what she loves with a boss/mentor who appreciates her. I loved the boost to her confidence and what came out of it.

Meanwhile, Axel gets caught in the manipulative claws of his ex-girlfriend. I understood why he caved in to her blackmail, but the effect on Maddie was devastating. I liked the support Maddie received from her friends, family, and Axel's family. I rooted for Axel to find a way to free himself. The ending was well done. Axel's emotional conversation with his adoptive father opened his eyes to the truth of his feelings for Maddie. I loved seeing them find their way back together. I look forward to seeing more of them in later books.

#netgalley… (mehr)

Good enemies to lovers story and start to the new series. Shanna is a high school principal with ambitions to become the next superintendent. Those plans hit a road bump when several students and teachers are caught cheating on the SATs. Though she had nothing to do with it, Shanna is under intense scrutiny while the investigation continues. This includes being placed under the supervision of rival principal Lynx Harrington. Not only is he her former high school boyfriend, but he is also in the running for the superintendent job.

Lynx is not happy to be in charge of Shanna. His memories of their high school breakup make it difficult for him to trust her. His attraction to her only complicates matters.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Shanna and Lynx develop. Their antipathy toward each other is evident in every word of their initial encounter, but they have no choice in working together. Lynx, who had plans to attend an out-of-state auction that week, invited Shanna to go along and make it a working vacation. Shanna was wary but willing to try. The trip started a little rough, with Lynx and Shanna sniping at each other until the subject of their high school relationship came up. They finally cleared up that misunderstanding, leaving Lynx to realize what a jerk he'd been. With that out of the way, the door is open for Shanna and Lynx to rekindle their friendship and maybe a little more.

I liked how Lynx helped Shanna see the benefits of a life/work balance by planning fun activities for when they weren't working. Not only did they get to know each other better, but their attraction also grew until they could no longer resist it. It is clear that their feelings for each other grow stronger. But the investigation hanging over Shanna's head raises some issues between them. Lynx is a fixer and wants to do anything he can to help her with her situation. Unfortunately, he tends to jump in with a solution instead of talking to Shanna about it. Shanna is intelligent, independent, and stubborn, and she sees his actions as a lack of trust or belief in her.

When Lynx takes his "fix it" attitude too far, Shanna is furious. Their relationship had been going well until then, with both thinking about a future together. This blow splits them apart. I ached for Shanna but felt she was being a bit unreasonable. A conversation with her best friend brought up some ideas Shanna hadn't considered. I liked that Shanna's self-examination showed her that Lynx wasn't the only person in the wrong. Meanwhile, Lynx misses Shanna. He's had an eye-opening conversation with his mother, showing him he has a lot to learn. I enjoyed seeing him search for the best way to show Shanna how he felt. I loved his solution - it was a beautiful expression of his feelings and understanding. The ending was terrific.

Family is an essential theme in this book. Shanna has her mother and her younger sister. Mom has dementia, and the scenes of Shanna's visits with her are heartbreaking. Shanna's biggest worries during this book are losing her job and being unable to provide for her mother. She also helps support her younger sister, Yanni, who is in college. I liked the closeness between Yanni and Shanna.

Lynx is part of a large family. When they were young, he and his brother Hawk were adopted by the Harringtons. Lynx and Hawk are white, and the Harringtons are Black, but that never made a difference when they were growing up. He is also close with his five other brothers. I enjoyed the scenes with the brothers together. There is a lot of teasing, but the support is unquestioning. I look forward to reading their stories.

There is a fair amount of time spent showing the issues Shanna faces as a Black woman in her profession. Her anger and hurt at her treatment are understandable. The incident at the convenience store was well-portrayed and disturbingly realistic. I was happy to see Lynx wanted to understand - his conversation with his mom was especially enlightening.… (mehr)