I have vivid memories of watching the beautiful movie, Romeo and Juliet (1968). I remember falling in love with the actors and the beauty of the production by Franco Zeffirelli. Olivia Hussey was the actress playing Juliet and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen! This is her story and she explains how she became an international star overnight at the tender age of seventeen. Olivia tells all about her marriages, (one to Dean Martin’s son, Dino) her acquaintances, (Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul McCartney and many more!!) her guru, her breast cancer and agoraphobia. Interesting book and big-name characters kept me reading long into the night!

The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey will be available July 31, 2018 from Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

A terrific historical romance set in San Francisco in the 1870’s. I loved the sweet story of Belle, a beautiful Southern lady trying to get away from the aftermath of the Civil War. Her travels lead her to the handsome Yankee captain, Yancy, during an adventurous train ride to the west coast. This story has it all, a great plot, endearing characters and lots of romance. Excellent addition to historical American romance. Romantic heat level is low and sweet.

Bay City Belle by Shirley Kennedy will be available July 17, 2018 from Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

London Watson has had it all! Tony Award winning actress and star for years but she still is lost in one department, true love. After a debilitating accident, London meets her parent’s attorney, Finn Cavanaugh, and is furious when he asks her out. Time goes by and they meet again on Martha’s Vineyard and become better acquainted. Kristen Proby once again shows off her storytelling prowess in this catchy and heartwarming story. The characters are engaging and real as the story progresses to a great surprise ending. I enjoy a good story and this is surely one. Romantic heat is spicy to “take a cold shower”!

All the Way by Kristen Proby will be available August 21, 2018 from William Morrow Paperbacks, an imprint of HarperCollins. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Handsome bronco rider, Luke Ellison, comes riding into Lily’s life as she is getting over a divorce. Sure, Luke had been rude and unfriendly to her for the past three years. To make things worse, he’s also her ex’s best friend but she still finds him hard to resist. Lily and Luke are darlings and get mixed up in plenty of misunderstandings and sticky situations. I guarantee that this story has an ending that all readers of contemporary romance will love! Romantic Heat level of this book is moderate to hot!

Tough Luck Cowboy by A.J. Pine will be available August 28, 2018 from Forever, an imprint of Hatchette Book Group. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

A woman is swept up on the coast of Spain after a shipwreck and is found by a lonely painter. Later, she becomes a muse for the nameless artist. The series of portraits from this artist are known as the “Siren Series” to the present-day art world. Esteemed professor of sociology, Dr. Brenna Anderson has done much research on the Siren collection. She immediately begins a new quest for information on the collection because a new painting is found in a location in Paris, France. The only problem is that the well-known art hunter, Fitch Wilder is also looking for a new Siren painting. He’s been a big problem in the eyes of Brenna but a new understanding begins between the two as they rush to find information on the Siren. A well-written and interesting story that has adventure, love and a bit of mystery. I enjoyed the story going from past to present and reading about this mysterious beauty. A good read for a summer’s day.

Breathless by Celeste Bradley is available from St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

In this book for middle graders, She Loves You Yeah, Yeah, Yeah by Ann Hood, Trudy Mixer is a junior high student who is growing up in the early 1960’s. Trudy is a huge Beatles fan and starts a fan club at her school. The author gives little tidbits of information about important happenings during that time like President Kennedy’s assassination and the Vietnam War. Trudy decides to go to a Beatles concert and hopes to meet Paul McCartney. Being a retired elementary librarian, I appreciate the author wanting to tell about that time in America, however, I really can’t imagine this book appealing to a large audience of middle grade students. It is witty and charming and of course I enjoyed it because I am about the same age as Trudy Mixer!

She Love you (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah) by Ann Hood is being published by Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review

Young Abbie and Garrett meet at age eighteen, fall in love and have frequent liaisons before she leaves to go home. Garrett rejects his love for Abbie and sends her away not knowing that she is with child. Years later they see each other again and Abbie must decide if Garrett is able to give the love that she so desperately wants. An average story with big characters and the typical plot of the cat and mouse, he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not-love story. This one was average and did not peak my interest.

Scandal with a Sinful Scot by Karyn Gerrard is available from Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.