AJ's Book ReMarks Follow

Melanie Moreland's A Simple Life is about a farmer, John James Elliott. He owns chickens and cows, but don't confuse him for a cowboy or a rancher—he's a proud farmer who lives in a small town where the sandwich shop he frequented has a new owner, Quinn Harper. Thelma Hopkins previously owned the shop; she was not just the owner but also a second mother to John, with her warm presence and comforting food always there for him. When she passed away, John had difficulty letting go and moving on. John's sister, Laura, runs his rental properties, and Laura's husband, Bob, helps with repairs and upkeep on the different properties and runs the hardware store in town. Laura and Bob's son, Cody, helps out by picking the chicken eggs from the coop, cleaning them, and selling them. It's a family affair; everyone pitches in and helps when needed. John meets Quinn at the Spring Fair with an awkward start, believing that she is married with a daughter, Abby.

I enjoy Melanie Moreland's stories; there's just something about a small-town romance. Do you like stories set in a small town? Would you like to live in one?

My Favorite Boss by Melanie Moreland is a delightful romantic comedy that follows the story of Mr. Alexander Bane, a demanding boss at Balanced Designs, and his assistant, Magnolia Myers. The book is filled with romantic tension, humor, and heartwarming moments that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

How do you feel about reading romantic comedies? Would you rather watch the story unfold on the big screen? In My Favorite Boss, I'm drawn into the intense romantic tension between the characters. I even started picturing the actors and actresses who would play which character. Owen Wilson plays Mr. Alexander Bane, Rachel McAdams plays Magnolia Myers, and Vince Vaughn plays Sam, reminiscent of Wedding Crashers.

At Balanced Designs, a dynamic landscaping architect firm, three men—Bane, Anderson, and Lawson—run the show. Mr. Bane struggles to find and keep an assistant, making him a bit of a Human Resources nightmare. But who has yet to have a boss like that? Bane makes a deal with the head of HR, Laura, to find an assistant who wouldn't mind getting him coffee and a sandwich, who can tolerate his bad moods. Mr. Bane is waiting for his last interviewer to appear; she's late, but when she appears, he knows she's there because she runs right into him, knocking him over. Magnolia Myers, Maggie to her friends and family, is a hot mess; she overslept, missed the bus, and waited to cross the street; she was splashed by a car needing to change her outfit but lost her keys and waited for a friend to open her door, running to the appointment, she broke her heel. The last temp agency fired her. Maggie needs this job to pay for her father's care. The comical nature of their first meeting sets the tone for their relationship, adding a touch of humor to the story.

Full Throttle by Melanie Moreland introduces us to Dominick (Dom) Salvatore, the newest mechanic in the charming town of Reynold's Restoration in Littleburn. Living in the nearby village of Lomand, he quickly becomes a part of Reynold's family: Max, Charly, Stefano, Gabby, Chase, and Hannah. As Chase paints his new house, which he shares with Hannah, he crosses paths with Cherry Gallagher, Hannah's mother. The sparks of a potential romance ignite as he is drawn to her beauty, strength, and vibrant personality. But what happens next? How does the series end? The answers lie within the pages of this captivating book!

Roman by Melanie Moreland is the second book in the Men of the Falls duet. Roman Costas, 36, never thought he was capable of love. He loved his mother, grandmother, brother, and best friend.

Marianne Warner gambled her way into 60,000 dollars of debt, walking out with a promissory note, thinking that she could get away without paying. When brought in, she offered her sister, Effie, payment in full, but Roman is outside that business. She went to the Santini Brothers for 100,000 in exchange for her sister.
Roman feels responsible for putting Effie's life in danger and tries to keep her safe, but he catches more than he expected. This story has some twists and turns and keeps you on your feet and wanting more!

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a psychological mystery about three girls who become sisters when placed at Wild Meadows, a foster home run by Miss Holly Fairchild.

Jessica Lovat was only four years old when she was placed at Wild Meadows; her mother, a Chinese Immigrant who worked as a seamstress, died, and her father was unknown. She became Australia's reading expert on home organization and married Phil.

Norah Anderson was ten years old when she was placed in the foster system. Her mother became addicted and died of a drug overdose holding Norah's hand. She's six feet tall, has olive skin, blue eyes, and a Lebanese heritage. When she was placed at Wild Meadows, it was already her seventh placement.

Her grandmother raised Alicia Connelly until she became ill and was hospitalized. She went to Wild Meadows as a respite case but stayed for over a year. Later, she became a social worker, working with foster children.

Miss Holly Fairchild owns and operates the Wild Meadows foster home. Ms. Fairchild had rules, was unpredictable, and was never to be crossed; the punishment could be detrimental. At one point, it was only young girls, but then she started taking in infants Rhiannon and Bianca. Taking care of particular needs, infants became overwhelming; she gave up the babies and adopted a little girl named Amy, a blue-eyed blond-haired girl.

Dirk Winterbourne is a red-haired, freckled young man who is the horse caretaker who worked on the property for the boarded animals.

Scott Michales is the darling girls' social worker who placed them at Wild Meadows.
Dr. Warren Psychiatrist

Twenty-five years later, Miss Fairchild sold the property, and they were knocking down the house to build a McDonald's when they came across human remains. The police contacted all the girls who lived at the home, asking questions about their time at Wild Meadows.

The twists and turns, the abuse and trauma these women experience at the hands of a psychopath narcissist.

Aldo by Melanie Moreland is the beginning of a new series called Men of the Falls. Brothers Roman and Luca Costas grew up with their mob boss, their father. After their mom died, things changed, and they were pitted against each other and taught to fight one another and all threats, natural or otherwise. Aldo Ricci was their only true friend who grew up the same way; his parents worked for the Costas. They've become brothers and support one another, no questions asked; no matter what, they stick together. All was going great until they hired Violet Nelson to waitress in the Deli restaurant in the casino owned by Roman Costas.

Violet lived in Toronto until her boyfriend, Barry, moved in, stole all her money, sold her stuff while she was out working, and left with her best friend, Marie. Needing a change and nothing to lose, she relocated to Niagara and lived in a motel you rent by the hour or day, so getting a job was important. Her interview with Mr. Ricci went exceptionally well, and she was hired on the spot with a lead for another apartment.

Melanie Moreland draws in her readers within the first paragraph of a new story and keeps them entertained until the very last word. The only thing is that I wanted more- so much more!

The Wish List by Melanie Moreland is part of the Insta-spark collection.

Asher William Hart, a philanthropist, has a sister, Suzy, and a niece, Bonnie.

Rosie Duncan, a single mom to her son Asher, AJ is an accountant who was in line to see Santa at a Zolist store when her son went missing. Franic, she start yelling her son's name, and Asher Hart answers the call. He answers more than the call; he finds her son and spends quality time with them, fulfilling his life. Soon, he does the same for Rosie.

Sweet holiday read!

Can we discuss this cover for a minute? In my opinion, it is one of the cutest covers I have seen in a long time, and you know, just by looking at this, that the story is going to be a crazy romantic story that is going to be laugh-out-loud hilarious, bonus Melanie Moreland writes it.

Dante Frost is at his niece Carolina's wedding, walking around inspecting everything, when he happens upon a cake being set up and helps himself to a cupcake, ok, not one, but several. He is caught in the act by the creator of said deliciousness, and she, Brianna Michaels, slaps his hand away and reprimands him for touching something that is not his. This is their meet cute, and everything from this part on is one "h e double ll hockey sticks" hilarious!

Delusion Dante, Old Man, Robinhood

Brianna Michaels, 26, is an orphan who doesn't like to curse, so she is very creative in saying what she needs, in other words. Below is a list of some of her colorful ones, and I'm making a note to try to use them myself!
Sugar, Honey, Ice, Tea!
Mother Plucker
Son of a biscuit eater

This story is delightful, the banter is comical, and the whole story will have you smiling!

Tristan Thomas is in his late twenties with green eyes that hold a lifetime's worth of sadness and anger. He entered West Point at age seventeen and gave eight years to the Army; he's trained in risk assessment, surveillance, counter surveillance, armed & unarmed combat, defensive driving, and advanced first aid. His father is none other than Brigadier General Ricker Thomas, who married Blanche Trevena, the older sister of Mark Trevena, who owns the Lyonesse and is looking for a bodyguard.

In Sierra Simone's authentic way, this tale is much more than what meets the eye. You will find yourself down a rabbit hole. Tristan is more tortured than Mark Trevena or Isolde Laurence; you will see for yourself!

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is about a young woman, Sadie Montogmery, a portrait artist who undergoes brain surgery and loses the ability to see faces. So how will she paint portraits when she can't see faces? Sadie Montogomery has been following in her mother's footsteps by becoming an artist; she has even been placed in a competition where her mother was established years ago. Her mother died before she could enter her piece in the contest. And now Sadie questions her ability to finish. Sadie's mother dies from a stroke caused by the same brain condition that Sadie undergoes surgery for; her mother refuses the surgery, wanting to spend time with Sadie. Sadie's father is a cardiac surgeon, and when he finds out his daughter has the same condition, he schedules her for surgery. Sadie finds solace in her dog Peanut, a dog her mother purchased for her when she was a child, and Peanut is an essential part of her life, so when Peanut falls ill, she meets veterinarian Dr. Oliver Addison. When he asks her for a date, Sadie is surprised but doesn't want anyone to know she suffers from face blindness. Least of all, her neighbor Joe, who wears a bowling jacket of all things and knows everyone in the building, sleeps with women and then mocks them, takes pictures of them and posts them on social media.

"We're all so busy seeing what we expect to see." We need to pay more attention to the actual stuff seen. I had many questions regarding Sadie's ability to notice her surroundings and be present in her life before and after her surgery. While we take stuff for granted, being mindful and present in our everyday lives is a vital lesson.

The Addendum by Melanie Moreland was a surprise for me since reading the Contract series and how Richard Van Ryan changed his ways when Kate came into his life and then added to their brood of children, Gracie, Heather, Penny, Gavin, and Matthew. How could Melanie find anything else to add? Melanie's devoted readers were like oh no, hell no. Richard was difficult to like to start with; she made him human and likable now what? An affair, yeah, her readers didn't like that idea. However, Melanie Moreland surprised me and made me fall deeper in love with Richard, only to wish my father was as wonderful as he turned out to be. Well, that's fiction for you! I couldn't put this book down once I started it.

The Amendment changes the contract in which Richard Van Ryan's unusual agreement with Katharine Elliott. At first, Richard has nothing but himself; then, he finds himself caring and loving Katy; together, they start a family. The Van Ryan's have two incredible girls, Gracie and Heather, and working with Graham is going very well. Richard gets promoted, earns awards for his work, and is now responsible Vice President. A tragic accident can destroy all his happiness, bringing back the nasty Richard. I love how Melanie Moreland connects the story with BAM, and it's all coming together.