2 in 1 novellas: Touch Wood by Jenika Snow & The Boy Next Door by Stevie J. Cole

Author: Jenika Snow
Publisher: Carina Press
Date of publication:June 2018

I’ve been celibate for years, by choice. No woman has held my interest long enough to be worth sacrificing time spent at Ash Lumber, energy spent building the family business.

All that changed when a feisty redhead walked into our job-site trailer.

Andra.

Her skirts drive me crazy and her trying so hard to flat-out ignore me does the rest. Her flushed cheeks when we flirt are enough to send me to bed for a week.

Andra might be supervising this development deal, but there’s no way we’re going to be able to keep things professional around here. My celibate streak is over, and I owe it all to her. 

Touch Wood is the final book in the trilogy featuring the Ash Brothers. Out of the three, I liked this one the least. There had been hints of the tension between Andra and Liam in the other novellas. While their chemistry was good, there was too much time spent in the short story telling the reader they want each other. I never thought I would say this about a novella, but it actually dragged a bit. I also thought the I love yous came too fast.


Author: Stevie J. Cole

Publisher: Carina Press
Date of publication: September 10, 2018 

That part is real. But nothing else they say about me is true. 

The way she looks at me from across the room, how she makes my old T-shirts look good, how perfect she feels when she’s in my arms. That’s what I want to picture when I think about Emma. Not a crazy auction where she gives it up to some random creep. 

I can’t let it happen. I won’t let it happen.

Despite the tattoos, despite the rumors, despite my reputation as a class-A player—there’s never been anyone else. In my bed or in my heart.

It’s always been Emma.

I love friends to lovers stories, so I knew The Boy Next Door was going to be fun.  And it was ...to a point.  I loved Emma and Evan's relationship.  I could understand the reluctance to admit their feelings for each other.  The chemistry was off the charts.  Despite being a novella, there was a cute epilogue.  What I didn't care for was the virginity auction.  I found it pretty callus and disturbing.  I didn't like that scenario, so that made me take a point off.