Annabella MichaelsI am married to my high school sweetheart who let’s face it, is a saint for putting up with me all of these years. Together we have been blessed with two amazing children and one unbelievably cute German Shepherd. I am an obsessive reader who is a complete sucker for a good love story, but loves to feel a broad range of emotions throughout a book. I think real life is hard enough so my books offer twists and turns, but always with a happy ending.
Summary:
Once Upon a Holiday Story
One Bed, Two Best Friends.
Easton Beckett has always cherished the Christmas season, but this year, his parents are off to help his aunt in Wyoming, leaving him to celebrate alone. But his best friend, Weston Holt—his outgoing and popular opposite—has a surprise: tickets to an all-expense-paid Holiday Cruise he won through a local radio station.
Excitement builds as they leave for a week in the Caribbean, celebrating Christmas at sea and stopping in the Bahamas. Their adventure takes a turn, however, when they discover they’ve been assigned to the honeymoon suite. Easton is about to correct the misunderstanding when Weston convinces him to pretend they’re a couple.
As they navigate their week together, the tension between them grows palpable—each stolen glance and playful touch igniting a longing that neither dares to acknowledge. With only one bed and mounting emotions, both grapple with their feelings. As New Year’s Eve approaches, will they find the courage to admit their true feelings, or will fear keep them apart?
Once Upon A Holiday Vacation is part of a multi-author series, Once Upon A Holiday Story. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Hook's Book Nook Traveling Library, a library on wheels owned by two old ladies in love.
Summary:
Souls of Chicago #1
His rules are simple: No names. No repeats.
After yet another devastating loss, Giovanni Romero has come up with a sure-fire way to protect his heart: never exchange names and absolutely no repeat performances. He’s finally realized his dream of owning a successful restaurant and there’s zero room in his life for anything or anyone else. Until he meets a man he can’t forget.
Caleb Greene is back home after traveling the world, working with some of the world’s top chefs. His focus is on reconnecting with his family and a new job as head chef of a prestigious Italian restaurant. A night of celebration ends with Caleb in a stranger’s bed, only for him to learn that the man who insisted on one night and no names is now his boss.
Their close proximity threatens all of Giovanni’s carefully constructed boundaries. It’s impossible to pretend he’s immune when he’s intimately familiar with Caleb’s taste and touch. And as they grow closer, he finds himself in uncharted territory, wanting all the things he could’ve sworn he didn’t. He could have it, if he’s brave enough to take a chance and let Caleb love him.
Summary:
Dad Habits #1
Bryson-
What were they thinking?
I thought I had my life all figured out—five-year career plan, ten-year personal plan. But all that shatters when my best friend and her husband die in a car accident. When I agreed to be the guardian for their baby, I never imagined I’d become a single dad to a six-month old. I’m supposed to be the one who spoils her rotten and sends her home, not the one responsible for raising her. I love my goddaughter, but I don’t know the first thing about babies.
Worse? I’m not Chloe’s only guardian. Her Uncle Tucker is my complete opposite, but the terms of the will are clear: we have joint guardianship. How am I supposed to navigate the chaos of caring for a baby with a free-spirited world traveler who thinks I’m a stick in the mud?
Seriously, what were they thinking?
Raising a baby wasn’t part of the plan, but now we’re both determined to raise Chloe to the best of our abilities. Unfortunately, our talents aren’t at all aligned, and we’re both in way over our heads. Not to mention this pesky attraction to Tucker I’m trying my best to fight.
Dad News is a small town, single dad(s), opposites attract, terms of the will MM romance.
Summary:
The Swap #1
When their daughter goes off to college, Samuel and his wife Gayle begin to take stock of their lives. Realizing they’re best friends and not in love with one another, the two agree to an amicable split. Nervous about jumping back into the dating world, they accept a friend’s invitation to attend a swap party. Tossing their keys into a bowl and leaving it up to fate to decide who they’re paired with is too tempting to resist. But when Samuel is faced with an audacious young man who strikes up a conversation, the attraction to men he’s kept buried for so long comes rushing back. At twenty-two years old, Oliver Hughes is one of the most sought after male models in the world. Sassy and bold, with a penchant for wearing high heels and a touch of makeup, Oliver’s life is what he always dreamed it could be. Except for one thing… Yearning to fall in love and settle down, Oliver’s grown bored of meaningless hookups with shallow, fame seeking guys. While attending a swap party, his last-ditch effort to find someone who doesn’t know who he is when they meet, Oliver finds himself drawn to a handsome, older man. One who’s endearingly unaware of his own appeal. As their relationship grows, something sinister and dark threatens what they’ve managed to build. What will it take for Oliver and Samuel to survive, and is their happily ever after doomed from the start?
Summary:
There’s no rule against falling in love… unless it’s with your best friend’s dad.
When a scorching heat wave hits New York City, Adam Ramsey's summer plans melt away. With temperatures soaring and his apartment air conditioning broken, his college roommate’s family cabin seems like the perfect escape. But the last person he expects to spend his summer break with is Griffin Price, his best friend’s father. Wealthy, single, and dangerously attractive, Griffin is a tantalizing distraction Adam never saw coming.
Nearing burnout from years of tireless work, Griffin heads to his Smoky Mountain cabin for a little R&R only to find the cabin already occupied by his son's best friend. But Adam’s presence sparks something within him that he thought was long gone.
As they navigate awkward small talk that quickly deepens into meaningful conversations, the simmering tension between them becomes impossible to ignore. One heated kiss ignites a passionate affair that neither of them can resist—a connection that feels so real yet so forbidden.
They know they're playing with fire, but walking away might hurt more than the fiery desire that pulls them together. Still, there is one question hanging over both of their heads. What would Dalton say if he found out?
Once Upon a Holiday Vacation
Feeding the Soul
KOBO / WEBSITE / GOODREADS TBR
Dad News
The Swap
One Hot Summer
KOBO / iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
