Michelle Lindo-Rice

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 show more 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. show less

Widowed and pregnant, Courtney caught my attention from the first page. After overhearing her in-laws plotting to seize custody of her baby, she sneaked away from their home in the wee hours of the morning. Her destination - her sister's apartment in Ft. Lauderdale. Unfortunately, her car broke down on the way, stranding her on the side of the road. She's rescued by police officer Brigg Harrington, who shelters her in his home.

I enjoyed watching Courtney and Brigg's relationship develop. show more There is no way Brigg can abandon the pregnant beauty. What he doesn't expect is the compulsion he feels to watch over her or the intense attraction when she is near. At the same time, Courtney tries to bury the feelings Brigg stirs in her. The last thing she wants is to fall for another man with a dangerous job.

They cannot deny the connection they feel from the beginning, nor their fast friendship. But Courtney is still determined to continue to her sister's place. However, the baby's early arrival keeps her in town longer than planned. Brigg shows Courtney that he is interested in seeing where their relationship is going, but she is wary of risking her heart again. Brigg's plan for twenty-eight dates while they wait for Jayson to get out of the hospital is a clever way for them to get to know each other better. I loved seeing Brigg fall under the baby's spell.

A tense situation that put Brigg in danger resurrected Courtney's fears, driving a wedge between them. I ached for both as they faced the future without each other. I loved seeing their loved ones help them see past the obstacles keeping them apart with some well-placed advice. The conclusion was sweet and emotional.

I liked spending more time with the Harrington family. The dynamics between the brothers are fun - lots of teasing but all the support needed when things get tough. It was fun to see the couples from the earlier books, especially watching the brothers give advice to Brigg. show less

Good second chance story. Kaylin and Ethan met when her sister married his brother. The sparks between them were instant and intense, and they had a good time giving in to them. Neither is interested in anything permanent. Ethan isn't ready to give up his bachelor ways, and Kaylin's childhood left her determined not to depend on anyone other than herself. But when Kaylin realized Ethan occupied her thoughts more than she liked, she broke things off to protect her heart.

Back on the cruise show more ship where she works as an assistant manager, Kaylin learns that she was passed over for the promotion she wanted. Disappointed, she takes a well-deserved vacation, a cruise to Alaska. Meanwhile, back in Florida, Ethan hasn't been able to forget his time with Kaylin. When he hears about her disappointment and her cruise plans, he decides to show up on the cruise and see if they can pick up where they left off.

Kaylin is not exactly pleased by Ethan's arrival. She has buried herself in work, trying to drive him from her thoughts. Unexpected circumstances result in them sharing a suite on the ship, and Ethan convinces her to participate in excursions with him. One excursion results in them missing the boat and being stranded in a small town. Matters get complicated when the only available inn requires couples to be married if they share a room. (Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but it was a cute concept). Unfortunately, the wedding they thought was pretend for appearances was legit. Now what?

Though they plan a quick divorce after the trip, they spend the rest of their time in Alaska playing newlyweds in all ways. After the "honeymoon" ends, they are in no rush to end things. I enjoyed seeing them grow closer and eventually admit their feelings for each other. But Kaylin's insecurities flare up over career decisions. There is trouble in paradise when her needs run into Ethan's pride. I understood Kaylin's decision and wanted to shake Ethan for being so blind. I loved the ending and seeing both realize their mistakes. Their reunion was sweet and emotional, with a nice little surprise.

Family is a big theme in this book. Kaylin and her sister Courtney had an awful childhood, and their bond is undeniable. They have had only one another to depend on for most of their lives. I loved how they supported each other through good and bad times. Ethan's family of seven brothers are also very close. Their interactions are terrific, whether they are teasing each other or providing support. show less

This book gives adult Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants friendship vibes.

Celeste, Toni, Leslie, and Yasmeen are a close knit group of friends in Delaware whose friendship is centered around their monthly book club. Now, as they make moves to open their own Bookshop together, each of them has major drama unfold that may threaten their collective dream.

I grew quite attached to the diverse group of characters but I gotta admit, I also had a fair bit of secondhand anxiety as I spent a lot of show more time mentally screaming at each of them to stop making stupid choices at various points in the book 😅 show less