I Loved You First Anthology by Molly Harper, Suzanne Enoch, Karen Hawkins

Take Two by Suzanne Enoch

Eleanor Ross has it all: Fame, fortune - and Brian MacCafferty, the perfect combo of bodyguard and assistant who makes every day a breeze. MacCafferty anticipates her needs, puts out her fires, and - once upon a time - nearly put a ring on her finger.

And when a scandal erupts that could ruin El, it’s Brian who rushes to the rescue and joins her in hiding. Will El discover there’s no hiding from true love? And is she finally ready to take a second chance for her own, real life happily-ever-after?

Pasties and Poor Decisions by Molly Harper

Anastasia Villiers has hit rock bottom. And that rock is named Espoir Island.

Abandoned by her disgraced investment banker husband who liquidated all of their assets and fled the country, Anastasia is left with nothing - except for Fishscale House, a broken-down Queen Anne in the Michigan hometown she swore she’d left for good.

If Ana quickly renovates and flips the dilapidated building, she can get back to Manhattan and salvage her life. The problem? The only person on the island with historical renovation cred is Ned Fitzroy - Ana’s first love - who insists she help him with the labor herself. As Ana gets reacquainted with Ned, and her hometown, she realizes home may be just what she’s always wanted.

Last Chance Motel by Karen Hawkins

Every big romance deserves a second chance. But Evan and Jessica Cho Graham are looking at the last chance: More specifically, The Last Chance Motel in Dove Pond, NC where Jessica has escaped to start a happily independent life, separate from her smart, sexy, but driven husband.

Evan has been wildly successful in every endeavor, except keeping the heart of the one woman he loves more than anything. If he’s going to repair this mess, he’s going to need all the help he can get - even if it's from the crankiest handyman in B&B history - to turn his second chance with Jess into a perfect storybook happy ending.

 Series: | Publisher: Audible  | Narrator:  Amanda Ronconi | Length: 8hrs 19 mins | Genre: Contemporary Romance  | Source: Publisher  

Challenges Read For:  - Audiobook Challenge -

It’s been a minute since I’ve listened to romance on audio and this anthology was just the things I needed to remind me how much I love a good romance read.

Take Two by Suzanne Enoch Rating: 2.5 Cups

My Thoughts:  Okay, so this one wasn’t my favorite. There’s a history between Eleanor and Will. When they were dating, she found him overbearing and annoying but now she says those are the qualities that make him ‘the perfect assistant’.

I wasn’t a fan of Eleanor; she was selfish, rather rude to Will who was bending over backwards for her, and I couldn’t really see much change in her. Will was a decent guy but I really can’t see/understand why he just didn’t leave Eleanor on her own and find someone who actually cared about him.

Pasties and Poor Decisions by Molly Harper Rating: 4 Cups

My thoughts: It’s been a while since I’ve read something by Molly Harper that wasn’t paranormal and, I have to say, I forgot how good her contemporary romances are.

Ana’s life’s been turned upside down and now she’s moved back to her hometown and finds herself having to deal with Ned, the guy she left behind. As they work together to restore her family’s home, there’s no denying the flame’s still there but can Ned forgive her for leaving? And will Ana stay this time?

This was just a super cute, second chance romance featuring older characters that have it a little more together than most of the other characters I see in romance novels. It was funny, snarky, and a good time read.

Last Chance Motel by Karen Hawkins Rating: 4.5 Cups

My thoughts: This was yet another cute and charming second chance romance.

Jessica has had enough of Evan being married to his work and has decided to move back to her hometown to open a B&B. Not wanting to give up on his marriage, Evan decides to go to Dove Pond and attempt to win Jessica back. While he had meant it to be a quick trip, car issues and a cranky handyman have him taking up residence in the Last Chance Motel. While Jessica starts to see the man she fell in love with, Evan still seems consumed by his work. Will Evan be able to ignore the call of work and make Jessica a priority?

I’ve been really enjoying the Dove Pond series and it was nice to get a short story from this charming little town. Evan and Jessica have some things they need to work on and it was interesting watching how she coped with having him back in her life as she worked on restoring and opening this B&B. There’s also the handyman who added a bit of insight and amusement (I won’t give it away, but you’ll love the handyman and enjoy seeing him turn up again).

Overall, I enjoyed two out of three of the novellas. I wasn’t really surprised that I didn’t like the first one as I often struggle with Suzanne Enoch’s contemporary romances (although I love her historicals) but the other two were stellar reads

Of course, Amanda Ronconi rocked this narration as always.