Isn't It Romantic?

Can't Escape Love
Alyssa Cole
Series: Reluctant Royals, #3.5
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Avon Impluse
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Regina Hobbs is nerdy by nature, businesswoman by nurture. She's finally taking her pop culture-centered media enterprise, Girls with Glasses, to the next level, but the stress is forcing her to face a familiar supervillain: insomnia. The only thing that helps her sleep when things get this bad is the deep, soothing voice of puzzle-obsessed live streamer Gustave Nguyen. The problem? His archive has been deleted.

Gus has been tasked with creating an escape room themed around a romance anime…except he knows nothing about romance or anime. Then mega-nerd and anime expert Reggie comes calling, and they make a trade: his voice for her knowledge. But when their online friendship has IRL chemistry, will they be able to escape love?

I am not a huge novella reader, but Alyssa Cole has crafted a cast filled with such wonderful and interesting characters, that I found myself squealing with joy at the announcement of Reggie's book.

I wanted to know more about Reggie, because she was Portia's twin sister and the creator of Girls with Glasses. She was fiercely independent, a go-getter, empowered, and a fantastically fabulous geek girl. I not only wanted her to get her HEA, I wanted to be her friend.

And Gus, dear sweet Gus. I was so intrigued by him, and it warmed my heart that he was able to find someone, who could appreciate him and all his amazingness.

Cole gave these two a fun set up, and sweetened the deal with the whole anime escape room thing. I loved their history and the way they interacted with each other. It was fun spending time with them - Gus with his puzzles and Reggie with her love all things geek. They had chemistry and banter and the way they played off each other was fantastic.

One of the reasons I often stay away from novellas is because they tend to leave me wanting. Cole, however, gave me a story, that felt complete and left me satisfied.

Overall: File that under made-me-smile-excessively, because this book was sweet, fun, sexy, and wonderful! A fantastic addition to a delightful series, which just seems to get better and better with each book.

Play to Win
Kelly Jamieson
Series: Wynn Hockey, #1
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Loveswept
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Meet the Wynns—a hockey dynasty built on family, money, and drama. From USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson, the first novel in a new series is a total win-win.

“Kelly Jamieson is an auto-buy for me.”—Carly Phillips

After an injury forced Théo Wynn to give up professional hockey, he turned to his second love: numbers. Now, as the general manager of his grandfather’s NHL team, the Los Angeles Condors, Théo is dying to prove to the rest of his family—especially the brother who betrayed him—that he’s just as successful as the rest of them. If only Théo had a gorgeous woman on his arm to complete the picture. . . .

Lacey Olson needs to get out of Las Vegas right now, thanks to her no-good, crooked brother. When a handsome stranger who’s out partying with friends comes to her rescue in the cocktail lounge where she works, they strike up a conversation that leads to a crazy plan: her leaving with Théo for L.A. tomorrow. A few drinks later, the idea gets even crazier: a quickie marriage that works for both of them.

But back in California, Lacey immediately turns Théo’s precise, well-ordered life into one big beach party. And before long, she’s tempting him with her smart mouth, sexy body, and sunny charm. The last thing Théo needs is a real relationship to distract him. Because he only plays to win. . . .

I was really sad when Jamieson's Aces Hockey series ended, but am quite excited that it cleared a path for her new series. We are still in the world of professional hockey, but now we get to see from the point of view of players, coaches, owners, and management. In addition to that, we have the Wynn family, and let me tell you, this family rivals the Ewings of Dallas fame when it comes to delicious family drama.

The stars of this book are Théo Wynn, who in taking the job as GM of his grandfather's team, re-enters the dysfunctional world of the Wynns, and Lacey Olson, who was in over her head thanks to her gambling addict brother. Both Théo and Lacey had suffered a few tough years filled with many losses. Therefore, they could connect to one another in more than a physical way. Though there were sparks galore between the two, it was easy to see this paring had some substance.

The marriage of convenience trope is one I enjoy, and the union between these two started in a classic  Vegas way. A fun start and a genuine effort to get to know each other plus great chemistry made me buy into this coupling. They were good together, and Lacey was able to easily slide into Théo's world. They just fit together really well, and I know I was rooting for this fauxmance to turn into the real thing.

Both Lacey and Théo were great characters too. I was so happy to see Lacey getting to finally live. She spent so many years caring for her sick mother and addict brother, that she had to give up on her own dreams and enjoyment. With Théo, she was able to chase an actual career, make friends, and have some fun. And, Théo. He was such an interesting hero. He had the body of a professional athlete, but was a nerdy numbers guy. What a perfect combination. And, I must admit, I found him even more attractive, when he was in his element, crunching numbers and negotiating trades.

As this was the first book in a family-centered series, a lot of time was dedicated to catching us up on all the family entanglements. And, wow! This was one really complicated family. I totally appreciated the family tree Jamieson supplied us with, because it helped me get some things straight before everyone made an appearance in the story. The bits and pieces of the background conflicts piqued my interest and have me looking forward to getting the full story.

Overall: A solid start to a series filled with compelling characters, messy entanglements, and LOTS of delectable family drama.

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Have you ever been to an escape room?

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