Winner Takes All. Erin Kern. 2016. 384 pages. Forever. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] As the first installment in a new “Championship Valley”series, Winner Takes All does not disappoint. Blake is disgraced, begrudingly retired football star who’s return to his hometown with one season to turn around a high-school football team’s losing record. Annabelle is a control-freak physical therapist who refuses to quit on the team, even if it means she’s constantly under Blake’s skin. The two make for an interesting pairing – they both want the best for the team, but are constantly fighting (not well) their own attraction for each other. I am pleased with Kern’s newest release. Books from her “Trouble” series did not disappoint, so I came in with high expectations. She continues to create well-developed main characters who are relateable and realistic. Their motivations aren’t always spelled out in an elementary way, but there’s enough detail for readers to understand the various choices they make. Both Blake and Annabelle are flawed, but their story is interesting and actually entertaining to watch. Their playful banter coupled with frustrating work interactions makes for a story that’s simply fun to read. At times it’s emotionally draining, but…

The Things We Wish Were True. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. 2016. 209 pages. Lake Union Publishing. [Source: Kindle First Program.] Have you ever read something that can only be described as being on the tracks when a slow-motion train wreck is about to happen? The constant feeling of “it’s going to happen, I can’t stop it, and it’s going to be really bad” gripped me while I read The Things We Wish Were True, but in the best way. I was compelled to finish reading nearly as soon as I started, and I wasn’t disappointed along the way. On its face, this is a story of a quiet southern town, Sycamore Glen, N.C., where families spend all year looking forward to afternoons spent together at the neighborhood pool. Everything has its place, and everyone knows what to expect. But this town is gilded, and its secrets bubble just below its surface. What is more enticing, however, is the intricate way in which each family’s secrets are intertwined with the others.

With a Twist. Staci Hart. 2015. 386. Promise Socks Publishing. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] This is a cute enough story about a group of friends and their trial​s/tribulations in love. It focuses on professional ballerina Lily as she navigates what she hopes will be a whirlwind romance with her longtime crush and fellow principal dancer Blane (insert dreamy eyes here). Sadly, all that glitters is not gold, and she’s stuck trying to figure out whether to put her efforts into Blane or fly solo. Her close-knit group of friends is there to support her either way, especially her neighbor West, whose own love life is as complicated. With a Twist is definitely a simple read, one you can get through in a few hours. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a remarkable read to me. I found nearly all of the relationship trajectories predictable. This is partially a mix of the author’s blatant foreshadowing and my having read one too many romance novels. As it was, I felt like I knew what the outcome of the book would be and just needed to trudge through the book to prove myself right. Along the way, peripheral relationships tended to play out how I expected, though they…