Last Summer, back when we were still mingling freely, I bought a couple of mystery boxes at a nearly Car Boot Sale.  I knew they were all Mills & Boon but didn't bother to check them all as the seller only wanted £5 a box.  I'll have 2 please and thank you!   Almost 200 books for a tenner...yeah, go on then!

How many of those books have I read so far?  Zero. Count them.  NONE! 

Fast forward several months and I see a post here from Portable Magic about this book and it got me itching to see what was in my boxes.  Turns out it's a lot of cringe but I'll work through them and am looking forward to it.  I've barely lifted a book for months, whether it be print, kindle or audible, so I'm looking forward to whatever the box gives me. 

Have only found one of the boxes so far and can't remember where I stashed the other one but this one is enough to be getting on with as there are 75 books in it.

Bring on the cringe!!

Gorgeous Scottish afternoon in the garden with a glass TUMBLER of G&T in hand and I've picked the top one to be starting with.  I'm going in! 

The Playboy Firefighter's Proposal by Emily Forbes

Well, I was out of the loop for a looong time on BL but after 6 weeks (so far) of lockdown (week 4 of Government and 2 prior to that when I saw the potential for a SHTF event and got the fear...plus the hospital made a suggestion for me to shield and self isolate ) I feel like I've been reading more and want to update my lists again.  Not sure how many of them will be reviewed but now that every home upgrade/remodel chore has been tackled, the garden has been given a tidy and makeover and every cupboard and drawer in the house has been cleared of detritus I'm dippin' my toe in the BL pool again. 

I've seen a few ideas on the blogs here of what I'd like to use to motivate me to get back in the habit of posting and not least of all is Wanda's Pandemic Cusine!  Fab idea and I'm going to have to start posting pics of what I can cobble together from the offerings that hubby brings back from his forays into unassisted food shopping.

My mystery box of Mills & Boon is getting dug out to delve into and likewise my LBD (Little Black Dress) collection is due a start at least after 5 years in the making.

My audible is overflowing so I hope to make a dent in those...

My JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction) books are similarly buckling the shelves so hopefully a few of them will see the light of day too.

So many things I'd like to do and I may or may not get to them all but ThemisAthena posted a comment on one of my posts yesterday that tugged on my heartstrings a bit and it reminded me of what a wonderful community Booklikes has and how much I've missed that.  I hate that there are still so many glitches and faults here - that was the reason I slipped away originally - but maybe if I lurk a bit I'll get my mojo back.  Fingers are crossed.

She's going to take her life back... one sizzling night at a time! It used to be Nicky Sinclair's nightmares which kept her up all night; those 3 am silences were her worst enemy. So now she's following doctor's orders – rest, relaxation and plenty of therapeutic Spanish sunshine. Only she hasn't counted on sharing her tranquil retreat with her best friend's brother Rafael, whose presence is anything but peaceful! With his beguiling eyes and smoldering smile, he quickly becomes a very welcome distraction. After all, if she's struggling to sleep, why not find something else to do with her time..?! 

Goodreads.com

On doctor's orders, 29 year old Nicky Sinclair, photojournalist and creative, adventurous, globetrotter type, takes a trip to Spain to try to relax and hopefully experience a break from her insomnia troubles of late. With help from her best friend, she lands a nice place to stay. Just as she's getting comfy though, there appears to be a second, unexpected tenant ... Rafael, the brother of Nicky's best friend!

After a misunderstanding involving a pan swung at Rafael's head and some expected arguing back and forth about who has rights to the vacation spot, they settle on a way to share the place. No surprise, Rafael has a flirty side to him that he just can't help but shift into. He has a corporate job he takes very seriously, but having casual hookups with pretty ladies is how he lets off steam on his off-time.

Nicky admits she appreciates the look of him, but claims her sex drive has puttered out. Rafael claims he sees her as a sexy siren but she snaps back she's "about as attractive as a sack of potatoes". If that doesn't dissuade him, she has her grandmotherly way of speaking that ought to seal the deal ... "Heavens!" "My goodness, me!" When she really lets her true emotions fly, Nicky admits she did "ogle his bottom". The minx! LOL

There's a period where Rafael seems confused with what to think of her or how to act, claiming "should've realized there was something not quite right with her", even going so far at one point as to call his lust for her an "aberration".

Odd pairing, these two, for sure. But not in a cutesy, "isn't it great when opposites attract" way... this reader just did not click with this pairing. They had the ideal setting, just not that great a story or character development between them. The dialogue was also pretty cliche for much of the book, which distracted from the plot's potential momentum. It had its fun moments, but Rafael came on pretty strong and Nicky flip flops on what she thinks she wants.... that dynamic sometimes works in romance stories but here the balance felt constantly off just a hair... enough to make the whole thing a bit of a flop.

It's decent for a light and breezy poolside read, but don't expect too much more from this one.

The perfect business arrangement? 

When entrepreneur Ricky Langley offers Eloise Vaughn the help she needs, in exchange for her attending twelve Christmas parties as his date, she can't refuse. Yes, Ricky's handsome, and devastatingly charming, but this is about business. If only her racing heart would get the message! 

Ricky has his own reasons for hating Christmas. But with each date that passes Eloise opens his eyes to the spirit of the season…and opens his heart to a totally different future….

Amazon.com

Super successful entrepreneur Ricky Langley bumps into Eloise Vaughn at a business function, gets to talking with her for awhile before offering her a ride home after she's had an upsetting day. Talking with her and hearing of her struggle to find decent job prospects, he sees something of his earlier less successful self and offers to help. He offers to use his business contacts to get her interviews with some of the best companies in the city. In return, Ricky asks Eloise to pose as his date for twelve parties / functions he's expected to be at over the course of the holiday season. 

Not long ago, Ricky suffered a tragedy. Since then, he's had to navigate the pity of friends and business associates, many who now want to see him get back in the game but hesitate to bring up the subject. He's hoping the presence of Eloise will shift the focus off of him. Eloise is hesitant to agree to the plan, not wanting to be perceived as a charity case... but being desperate for employment has a way of making the ego step aside. 

Once the "dates" start, each time proves an opportunity for Eloise to show off her secret fashion designer skills. She crafts amazing creations out of secondhand finds that secretly leave Ricky breathless (you'll notice the girl loves herself an open back look). Eloise has her hands full making their coupledom seem realistic during the holidays. Ricky has his reasons for hating the Christmas season. But the more time they spend together -- no surprise, this being a romance --- she has a way of turning his heart. 

Ricky is able to get Eloise to divulge her secrets but remains resolutely tight lipped about his own. The more he learns about who Eloise is, the real her, the more he comes to respect her. His resolve to not actually get involved with her emotionally begins to break down. Though Eloise has plenty of fun during her time with Ricky, tensions rise between them as it dawns on her that several dates have passed and Ricky has done virtually nothing to help her job prospects as he promised. Naturally, there's a calling-out scene where she brings this to his attention. He's defensive about it at first, but eventually acknowledges he's dropped the ball. When he does start to put focus on getting interviews lined up for her as promised, he hits a wall himself. He begins to understand her struggle. Ricky also sees how cold and short-tempered he's been with his own staff, dismissing his own unnecessarily harsh behavior as "professionalism".

It's a clean romance for the most part -- 200 pages to get to a first kiss, no sex whatsoever. It took a little time for the plot to really get going, most of the fun happening after the tequila shots scene (always the way, isn't it LOL). There's a surprising amount of honest self-reflection among these characters, set in realistic situations of struggle, which I appreciated. Definitely a fun one for the holidays without being overdosed on holiday sap.