Review: It Had To Be You by Jill Shalvis

Ali Winters is not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern....

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

Ali's bad day goes off the rails in a hurry.  She's attempting to start over in Lucky Harbor without the shadow of her mother's misdemeanor past and her sister's questionable tastes affecting her.  So when her boyfriend dumps her via text message, she's accused of stealing, and is on the cusp of losing her rental house, she meets Luke Hanover.  

Luke agrees to let Ali continue to live in the house -- while he lives there too.   Luke feels responsible for Ali, but Ali cannot trust men just yet.  Their living situation makes for some interesting sexual tension.  Luke is a "fixer" but he also has his own issues.  I think he and Ali make a very realistic couple.  It Had to Be You is a great addition to the Lucky Harbor series.  

(A very special thank you to Forever Romance, Hachette Book Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of It Had to Be You.)

Review: The Wedding Dress Diaries by Aimee Carson

Get in the bridal spirit with this prequel novella to the fabulous new Harlequin KISS contemporary romance series, The Wedding Season!

Bridal shop owner Amber Davis dreaded the moment she'd run in to Parker Robinson while working on his sister's wedding. She'd spent every summer in the Hamptons with his family as a kid, fantasizing about kissing him. But she's shocked to discover that the confident boy who'd given Amber her first taste of love has become a man who mocks its very existence.

Parker can't believe the girl who used to follow him around has grown into a beautiful woman—one with some very naughty ideas when she fits him for his tux. But Amber also knows why he's shut everyone out of his life. She's not the kind of woman Parker gets involved with…even if he can't keep his hands off her.

Amber doesn't do one-night stands or casual hookups, but she's wanted Parker long enough to make him an exception—especially if she can convince him he needs love in his life, too.

A free ebook to start off this series.  Ms. Carson also wrote the first book of the series, The Unexpected Wedding Guest, as well.  

Amber Davis is a childhood friend from the wrong side of the tracks to Reese Michael.  Reese is getting married, and Amber is helping her plan and organize the wedding.  One of the jobs Reese has tasked Amber with -- though I think Amber actually has decided to take this upon herself -- is to invite Reese's half-brother, Parker, to the wedding.  Amber had a crush on Parker while growing up, so reconnecting with him won't be a hardship for her.  

There is a slight case of InstaLove, which I didn't necessarily buy, considering Amber hasn't seen Parker in ten years or so.  Parker is a brooding hero, though, a cop who seems to be the polar opposite of Reese's Park Avenue Princess.  This novella gives the backstory to the reason behind Amber's reaction when Reese mentions Parker in The Unexpected Wedding Guest.