Hidden Gems

Welcome to Hidden Gems hosted by KJ's Book Nook! Once a month I'll feature a new to me author that I've discovered and fell in love with their books. I'll share the author's bio, one of my favorite books of theirs and a review.

For this month's Hidden Gems I am going to choose...

Jules Barker

Jules Barker is a sweet romance writer with an M.Ed who loves quirky heroines, swoony heroes, and emotional thrills. She knew by eighth grade what she wanted to be when she grew up: an English teacher and a novelist. She’s been teaching secondary English for sixteen years and is thrilled to now be sharing her writing with the world. She still doesn’t feel like a grown up, though.

Jules was raised on a mountain making up stories about the towns in the valley below and singing at the top of her lungs thinking the neighbors couldn’t hear. Poor neighbors. She’s a Korean Drama addict, a mom of two beautifully goofy daughters, and a life-long “hopeful romantic”.

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I actually discovered Jules from Trish LeBaron. You see, there's a group of friends who decided to come together and create the magical world of Moonrise Cove. I loved my visit there so much that I just HAD to keep going back for visits!

Sometimes it's hard to decide which book of an author's I'm going to feature. But the moment I started working on this post I knew it just HAD to be Melt my Heart! Why? Well, there's this epic kiss that had me swooning like there was no tomorrow! Y'all. It. Was. Amazing! And that's all I'm going to say about it because a kiss like that needs to be experienced on your own! 😉 Hehe.

Vera Penwythe never thought she’d go for another relationship so soon, and certainly not a fake one. She’s moved back in with her Gran for the holidays after a humiliating break up left her in debt to her two-timing ex. But when a charming neighbor begs her to pretend to be his girlfriend until his mom recovers from heart surgery, she can’t resist. She yearns to feel needed and be part of something, even if it is all fake. Besides, this way she’ll get the benefits of companionship without the expectations and heartbreak of a real relationship. Vera may have the power to create frost with her hands, but she wishes she could freeze her heart to keep it safe.

Harry Levine never thought lying to his mom would lead to the best mistake of his life. But when his parents’ excessive PDA and a tumbling tower of ice cream tubs lead his parents to assume that Vera is the long-term girlfriend they’ve never met, Harry begs her to go with it. He can’t bear to tell his sick mom that he’s broken up with his girlfriend. Instead, he enlists Vera’s help to keep up the ruse until his mom is on the mend. That just means a few family parties, shared shifts at his dad’s magic-themed ice cream parlor, and—oh yeah, passing Vera off as the picky girlfriend he’s told them about. But what do you do when the lie you started becomes the best thing that’s ever happened to you?

Vera doesn’t trust her bad-guy radar and she doesn’t trust love. But Christmas at Moonrise Cove has a way of working its magic and soon her walls begin to melt. Will she be able to risk her heart to believe that something fake could ever become something real?

You can check out my review here.

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!

Melt my Heart by Jules Barker

Synopsis:


Vera Penwythe never thought she’d go for another relationship so soon, and certainly not a fake one. She’s moved back in with her Gran for the holidays after a humiliating break up left her in debt to her two-timing ex. But when a charming neighbor begs her to pretend to be his girlfriend until his mom recovers from heart surgery, she can’t resist. She yearns to feel needed and be part of something, even if it is all fake. Besides, this way she’ll get the benefits of companionship without the expectations and heartbreak of a real relationship. Vera may have the power to create frost with her hands, but she wishes she could freeze her heart to keep it safe.

Harry Levine never thought lying to his mom would lead to the best mistake of his life. But when his parents’ excessive PDA and a tumbling tower of ice cream tubs lead his parents to assume that Vera is the long-term girlfriend they’ve never met, Harry begs her to go with it. He can’t bear to tell his sick mom that he’s broken up with his girlfriend. Instead, he enlists Vera’s help to keep up the ruse until his mom is on the mend. That just means a few family parties, shared shifts at his dad’s magic-themed ice cream parlor, and—oh yeah, passing Vera off as the picky girlfriend he’s told them about. But what do you do when the lie you started becomes the best thing that’s ever happened to you?

Vera doesn’t trust her bad-guy radar and she doesn’t trust love. But Christmas at Moonrise Cove has a way of working its magic and soon her walls begin to melt. Will she be able to risk her heart to believe that something fake could ever become something real?

My Review: 5 Stars

I’m a sucker when it comes to Christmas romance. I love to immerse myself in as many as I can this time of year. If I could take the entire month of December off work every year to just read Christmas romances, I totally would. There’s just something about them that makes this girl swoon and let out all the little dreamy sighs.

Add in one of those goofy grins and that’s exactly what happened while reading this book. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I adored Vera and Harry!

From the moment Vera and Harry met, sparks start flying, and, try as they may, there was no denying the chemistry and the feeling of rightness they had when they were together. I loved watching their relationship go from fake dating to friendship to love. They balanced each other out and fit perfectly together. They quickly became favorites of mine.

I loved meeting both of their families and getting to know them. Y’all. I think Morgan is my favorite! She seriously rocks! Merlin and Dori are pretty perfect too. I loved how they weren’t afraid to show everyone how much they love each other. They have got to be the sweetest couple ever!

Oh, how I wish I lived in Moonrise Cove! I love every little thing about it. From Rainbow Beach to the Frost Fairies to all the fun little shops to the townsfolk. Y’all! This place is magical! I can’t wait to go back there again!

Ms. Barker has officially been added to my favorite author's list. Anyone who can capture me from the very beginning, keep me up reading way past my bedtime, and then waking up extra early just to see what happens next, definitely deserves to be on that list. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

As for my casting… *dreamy sigh* Aren’t they perfect?!

Magic in the Moonlight by Jules Barker

 

Synopsis:

After an awkward-almost kiss ten years ago, her older brother's best friend is back and more distracting than ever.

Laurel tried to kiss Nate when they were teenagers, and he flat-out rejected her. Then he left the island and never came back. Okay, so it was because of family drama and not because he was horrified his best friend’s little sister tried to lock lips with him. But Laurel can’t help re-living that embarrassment when Nate returns to the island grown up and gorgeous.

Laurel certainly hasn’t been pining for him this whole time. She’s been busy running her small boutique, collecting a fabulous vintage wardrobe, and mastering her magical ability to read the emotional energy of objects. No time for worrying about the past.

Except, suddenly, Nate is everywhere. Family dinner. Stopping by with her favorite treats. Getting hired by Gran to renovate Laurel’s cottage. It’s awfully hard to prove you’re a competent, fully-grown woman who’s so over a man when he’s your personal handyman tearing down your walls. If only she could tear down his image of her as the lonely little tagalong from his teen years. Having the confidence to make a move is even harder when she discovers he may already have feelings for someone else.

Laurel’s Gift is reading the emotional past of objects, so why is it so hard to understand her emotional present?

My Review: 4 Stars

One of my favorite genres is urban fantasy. Sadly, I have the hardest time trying to find books in this genre. The majority of them are either geared towards YA or are simply not clean. Y'all. I was SO excited to discover the Magic of Moonrise Cove series. It has swept me away and has given me that much needed break from reality. I am so glad that I don't have to leave Moonrise Cove anytime soon! This place is... well... magical! 😍

Confession time. The "Brother's Best Friend" trope is usually a hit or a miss for me. It has never been in between and there's been more misses than hits. Thankfully this one was a hit! *whew* Haha. Don't ya just love when that happens?

Laurel and Nate have known each other since they were kids. She's had a crush on him for years but, for Nate, she's always been "Simon's Little Sister". It's been 10 years since Nate left the island and now that he's back, Laurel isn't quite sure how to handle it. All she wants to do is avoid him as long as possible. But between a handsy scarf and her Gran, avoidance doesn't last very long. Things were a bit awkward between Laurel and Nate in the beginning. But it doesn't take long for them to pick up where they left off all those years ago. 

I enjoyed their journey from friendship to something more. They were so good together. I loved watching Nate take care of and support Laurel when she needed it the most. Y'all. That man deserves a medal! Laurel was a bit slow on the uptake and there were a few times I wanted to shake her and say "Wake up woman! How can you not see what's in front of your face?!" 😂 Thankfully she figures it out before it's too late.

While I really enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down, there was one thing that kept me from giving it the full 5 stars I wanted to. What is that one thing? Kisses. I needed more kisses. I missed melting into a big ol' pile of gooey goodness and letting out all the dreamy sighs. Now don't get me wrong. There were some definite dreamy sighs escaping while reading the book, but I just wanted a bit more.  

I am absolutely loving this series! It is SO fun! I find myself wanting to devour all of the books as fast as I can but then I want to read them slowly so I can savor every minute of them. The struggle is real y'all! 😂

Ms. Barker has officially added herself to my "authors to watch" list. She had me staying up way past my bedtime because I just had to know what happened next! I can say, without a doubt, I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books by her! 

And you guys know no review of mine would be complete without a casting. I have one word for these two. Perfection! What do you think?