Remarkable Reads for 2018, Part Two

I managed to read four more books toward my goal of 50 reads for the year. Three of the four are from series. Sometimes I’ll continue a series because my first taste is so good it makes me want to continue. Other times I’ll keep reading because my first experience is disappointing, and I’m hopeful that things get better. I had a little of both this month:

 

Acting Married by Victorine E. Lieske
Victorine is an administrator in one of the Facebook author promotion groups I belong to. When she announced a new release, I downloaded and read it. This is Book 5 in Victorine’s Married Series, and it’s a Cinderella story. Tara is down on her luck. After her actor husband leaves her, she gets a job working as a maid for another actor. Rick Shade has had success, but his drinking has him needing to do something to repair his reputation. He makes Tara an offer she can’t refuse – marry him, and after a year he’ll give her more than enough to get out of debt and move back to her native Iowa. I liked both main characters, but I had difficulty understanding how and why they would both agree to the arrangement. Still, the story was well-written, so I decided I would look for others in the series.

Accidentally Married by Victorine E. Lieske
After reading Book 5 in The Married Series, I found that Book 1 was offered free, so I downloaded and read it. In this one, the premise is more believable, but I had a difficult time believing that the two protagonists could actually build a loving, lasting relationship. Jared Jameson decides to hire someone to act as his date for a family gathering, and Madison, an aspiring actress, happens to walk in at the right time. While the idea of hiring a date is plausible, Madison’s actions, especially when provoked, seemed over the top and it was hard to see why Jared would fall in love with her. And Jared, though he was described as a hard-working successful businessman, apparently had no trouble stepping away from that business for days at a time, which I found odd.

Size Matters by J. L. Salter
Waaaaaaaay back when I was in elementary school, I spent a lot of time playing with what used to be called “fashion dolls.” My mom taught me to sew clothes by helping me make clothing for my doll. I often thought it would be cool to have her wardrobe (and her other accessories, like the car), but I never imagined being her size. Emma Hobby actually experiences standing face-to-face with the dolls in her shop, thanks to her mad-scientist cousin. Assisted by her over-excitable neighbor, her theatrical clerk, and her not-quite-boyfriend, she sets out to solve the mystery of what happened to crazy cousin Ralph, and the ride is a doozy. Though the premise sounds whacky, the story is fun, and I highly recommend it.

High on You by Mysti Parker and M J Post
I read the first book in the City Meets Country series as soon as it was released, and loved it so much I needed to read the rest of the stories! High on You is the second in this delightful set, the connecting thread being one partner is from Brooklyn, the other from Kentucky. While the contrast between tough, loud, and in-your-face city girl and old-fashioned country gentleman is cute, it was the story line that kept me reading until I finished. Both main characters grew up in dysfunctional families and are determined to be different from their parents. And both find themselves unable to fight their sizzling attraction for each other. I’ve already pre-ordered Book Three!

What have you read lately?