Hey, OR & WA Book Lovers! Catch me at the following romance events, books fairs and festivals over the coming months:

🔥Romancing Portland at The Sentinel Hotel, 9/12 to 9/13, at the Portland Romance Writers table (in person 9/12, 10-Noon)

🔥Mt. Angel Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel (OR), 9/17 to 9/20, at the Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA) booth (in person 9/18, 9-5)

🔥Portland Holiday Market, 11/6 to 11/7, 2:30pm to 7:30pm both days, at the NIWA booth

🔥Words & Wine Book Fair hosted by Hip Chicks Do Wine, Portland, 11/28 to 11/29

I can’t wait to see you at these events!

We adopted Scout, an older gentleman, from Golden Bond Rescue in January. If I’m writing Tales from the Chocolate Lab Cafe, I needed a Chocolate Lab for inspiration – right? A writing buddy, a walking buddy, a cuddle buddy.

Got all ready for his arrival. Put human food above counter height. Bought a lockable bin for his kibble. Ordered a crate and an orthopedic dog bed. Found a couple of nylon-wrapped toys at the local pet shop.

So how’s that working out for us?

In the first three months, Scout:

• ate 2 cubes of butter—in their wrappers—“hidden” on the counter to soften
• tore open a bag of just-delivered kibble and ate 3# in the middle of the night
• took over my spot on the couch for naps among the pillows
• ripped through the “indestructible” nylon toys in under a minute

Did we get frustrated or angry or ready to return him?

Nope. We laughed and cleaned up the messes and put the kibble away promptly and covered the couch in blankets. And celebrated finding our new family member for his forever home.

Because Scout—just like all our fur babies do, even when they’re seniors—stole our hearts from the very start.

Oh boy, I have to admit I laughed a lot as I read this one. Between the crazy banter, the dogs shenanigans and lots of post-it notes, I smiled a lot too. Yet sadly everything isn’t all peaches and cream. Rose is a single mother, whose son had just left for college and her mother had recently passed. To top it off, her cafe/coffee house is struggling, a fact she has kept to herself. She is placing all her hopes on the temp coffee roaster who’s coming to town to help her land a couple big coffee bean contracts. But she isn’t prepared for the sexy grumpy roaster who shows up and turns her insides to mush. Nor is he prepared for the zany woman who is his temporary boss.

Rafe and Rose both have painful pasts and trust issues. Yet their pull to one another is strong but is it enough to overcome all the obstacles in their path? But then again who knows what might happen with the help of meddling friends and besotted dogs.

—Barbara for Sexy Sirens & Cajun Heat Book Blogs, 5-2-25

This one had me at Chocolate Lab Cafe and it being a rom com. Based off the blurb I knew this is a book I needed to read and the beginning of an awesome series….The sense of humor was one of my favorite parts of the book. If you are a dog lover this book will be right up your alley with all the dog references and all the great dogs. There is also plenty of heart and feels in this one too.

Rose is an awesome heroine. I would so work for her and/or be her friend. I know that the Chocolate Lab Cafe would become a hangout for me. I just gobbled this book right up. To my delight part of this book happens around the holidays. For this Christmas lover that made me so happy. This is a must read. I can’t wait for more from this series!

—Nicole’s Book Musings, 5-2-25

The story has secrets, sweet love, and unexpected twists and turns. Rose’s son has just left for college. She is working hard and struggling to stay about afloat. She didn’t want anyone to know so she is struggling alone. She is hoping Rafe can save her business. Rafe is in town for a very short time to help her out. He is a roamer and does not put down roots. But being close to Rose is changing all that and making him feel things he has not really looking for. Can they figure out if this is just a passing thing or a forever thing? Laugh out loud funny moments steal the show with this story.

—Renee Entress’s Blog, 5-3-25