Category Archives: Stephanie Bond

Baby, Don’t Go by Stephanie Bond

Title: Baby, Don’t Go by Stephanie Bond
Southern Road Series Book 3
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Southern town seeks single women.

Though they’re nothing but trouble…

The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado–ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They’ve got the means, they’ve got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a Northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to arrive…

Eldest brother Marcus Armstrong considers the estrogen–influx an irritating distraction. He’s running a town, not a dating service!

Reporter Alicia Randall thinks the Armstrong brothers are running a scam and she intends to prove it—even if it means seducing oh–so–sexy Marcus in the process. Sizzling sex and a hot story? Win–win!

At least it is, until she falls for the guy. Will love trump betrayal when the truth comes out?

The Review:

Baby, Don’t Go is the final installment in Stephanie Bond’s captivating Southern Roads trilogy. Oldest brother Marcus Armstrong has poured his heart and soul into rebuilding his hometown of Sweetness, GA. With his woman hating reputation preceding him, he meets his match in undercover reporter Alicia Randall.

It would have been easy to dislike Alicia Randall. She is deceiving the entire town by concealing her true identity. She comes to Sweetness convinced the Armstrong brothers are running a scam on the women who answered their newspaper ad. Her arrival in town certainly seems to back up her suspicions when she discovers the distinctly old fashioned values embraced by the townspeople. Men and women live in separate quarters and jobs are divided by gender. But Alicia is beautifully redeemed as she comes to appreciate all that Sweetness (and Marcus) has to offer.

Of the three brothers, Marcus is the most serious and he is definitely the man in charge. In Baby, Don’t Go we finally learn why he is so focused and determined to rebuild Sweetness. Throughout much of the novel, Marcus is carrying a heavy burden of responsibility, and it was a huge relief when he finally decides to share his fears and concerns.

Baby, Don’t Go is a fun and sexy read with a few unexpected and surprising plot twists. There are many laugh out loud moments in this fast paced and engaging novel. A wonderful epilogue puts the final touches on this charming couple’s road to happily ever after.

Stephanie Bond wraps up all of the loose ends in Baby, Don’t Go. Marcus and Alicia’s delightful romance is the perfect ending for the Southern Roads trilogy.

Read my review of Baby, Drive South, Book One of the Southern Roads trilogy, here.

Read my review of Baby, Come Home, Book Two of the Southern Roads trilogy, here.

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Filed under Baby Don't Go, Contemporary, Harlequin, Mira, Rated B+, Romance, Southern Roads Series, Stephanie Bond

Baby, Come Home by Stephanie Bond

Title: Baby, Come Home by Stephanie Bond
Southern Roads Book 2
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They’ve got the means, they’ve got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a Northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to arrive.…

Sensible yet sexy middle brother Kendall Armstrong penned that ad himself—but there’s just one woman he really wants to answer the call.…

Civil engineer Amy Bradshaw—Kendall’s ex-fiancée—fled Sweetness years ago, taking a precious souvenir with her. She’s back
now…but only on a professional level. Really.

Little does she know that old flames always burn the hottest.…

The Review:

Baby, Come Home by Stephanie Bond is the second installment of the Southern Roads series. It picks up a few months after Baby, Drive South ends and a great deal of progress has been made in Sweetness. The town is growing by leaps and bounds as the families and children of the transplanted women have arrived in Sweetness. Marcus Armstrong decides to play matchmaker for his brother Kendall when he hires Kendall’s ex-girlfriend Amy Bradshaw to rebuild the town’s old-fashioned covered bridge. Passion still burns between Amy and Kendall but past secrets and misunderstandings threaten their future.

Amy is still drawn to Kendall despite her bitterness over their breakup twelve years earlier. She has some self-esteem issues that skew her viewpoint of her relationship with Kendall and the town of Sweetness. Although she is self-assured and confident in her career, her return to her childhood town brings her feelings of inadequacy back to life. And the fact that she is hiding a secret from Kendall causes her to try to keep him at arm’s length.

Kendall is the levelheaded brother who often finds himself in the role of peacemaker between his two brothers. He has never gotten over Amy, his first love, and he is beyond disappointed that she is not one of the women who relocates to Sweetness in response to his newspaper ad. Kendall’s abysmal communication skills lead to heartache along with many past and present misunderstandings with Amy.

While Baby, Come Home is an enjoyable read, be warned there are some exasperating and predictable plot points. The problems between Amy and Kendall are a direct result of a severe lack of communication and both characters are guilty of poor communication skills. Amy’s low self-esteem and dislike of small town living becomes repetitive.

Despite these few frustrating issues, Baby, Come Home by Stephanie Bond is a fast-paced and entertaining novel. It will be interesting to see the growth that Sweetness makes in the next novel of the Southern Roads series. And I have to admit that I am dying to see what Ms Bond has in store for Marcus in the final book of this charming trilogy.

My review of Book one of the Southern Roads series, Baby, Drive South, can be found HERE

This review was originally posted at The Readers Roundtable

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Filed under Baby Come Home, Contemporary, Harlequin, Mira, Rated B, Romance, Southern Roads Series, Stephanie Bond

Baby, Drive South by Stephanie Bond

Title: Baby, Drive South by Stephanie Bond
Southern Roads Book 1
Publisher: Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 336 pges
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They’ve got the means, they’ve got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to answer their call….

Porter, the youngest Armstrong, is all for importing women. Still, he’s so blown away by the sheer numbers, he falls off the water tower. Luckily there’s a doctor among the newcomers—sweet and sexy Dr. Nikki Salinger.
And Porter has every intention of checking out her bedside manner….

The Review:

Baby, Drive South is an utterly delightful romance and the first book in Stephanie Bond’s promising new series Southern Roads.

An impulsive decision leads Dr. Nikki Salinger to Sweetness, and while she feels out of her element, she is drawn to the sinfully sexy Porter Armstrong. Nikki is secure in her skills as a doctor, but on a personal level? Her self-esteem is at an all time low. Watching this wonderful woman discover her self-confidence is a sheer joy and her romance with Porter is just the icing the cake.

Porter Armstrong is cocky and self-assured but he does not know what hits him when he finds himself attracted to Nikki. He comes off as kind of a jerk early in the book, but do not despair. Ms. Bond wonderfully redeems him and turns him into perfect hero material.

Baby, Drive South is an entertaining novel that is fast paced and laced with humor. Stephanie Bond perfectly captures Southern life in a small town, and her engaging writing style quickly pulls the reader into the story. Ms. Bond’s intriguing glimpses of Porter’s brothers Marcus and Kendall leaves her readers eagerly anticipating the next installment of this refreshing and unique series.

My review was originally posted at The Readers Roundtable

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Filed under Contemporary, Drive South, Mira, Rated B+, Romance, Southern Roads Series, Stephanie Bond