Elana Johnson

Just His Secretary by Elana Johnson had a little bit of everything, a grumpy boss, a forbidden boss/employee relationship, a plus sized FMC, a very particular cat, and a fake relationship all rolled into one. Callie’s a talented secretary who keeps everything running like a well oiled machine. While not initially attracted to her handsome, grumpy boss, she feels the sparks fly whenever he’s in the room. But, she hasn’t had a raise in 18 months, and she won’t let him take her for granted.

Dawson Houser hasn’t been lucky in love, but, his oh-so-efficient, attractive secretary makes him want to try again. And, he’s finding it hard not to act on his feelings. When he finds out his mother is coming to town, he needs to find a girlfriend fast to solidify his inheritance. So of course, he turns to Callie for help.

This was a cute, funny, dual POV, Southern romcom. Dawson’s the epitome of a grump and I loved that Callie wouldn’t let him buffalo her. I enjoyed seeing a softer side to him as the story progressed. Callie’s intelligent, spunky, & endearing. I enjoyed reading her POV. Their romance is a little volatile which makes it all the more fun.

The side characters are intriguing. I liked Dawson’s friend Lance and Callie’s friend Tara. I also enjoyed the antics of Callie’s cat, Claude Monet. Dawson’s mother is the definition of interfering and without a doubt makes things interesting.

While this is a closed door romance, there were definitely some spicy kissing scenes & innuendo. I was wondering how far the author would go. Luckily, she kept things PG.

If you enjoy cute, closed door romcoms with sweet Southern charm, you might enjoy this!… (mere)

Gretchen and Drew have an interesting past. He delivered her daughter on the side of the road 10 years before. Gretchen's husband was killed in an accident, and she has come back to Hawthorne Harbor where she spent summers with her grandparents to start over as a florist.

This is one of those books that gives Hallmark Movie vibes. It is a sweet story about nice people who are perfect for each other. There are a few misunderstandings and communication issues, but all in all it was an easy read and a nice story. There were some unique aspects like the lavender farming and how the hero, Drew, is developing a special ice cream with lavender for a yearly festival contest. Imagining the fields of fresh flowers and lavender as a backdrop for the romance made for an even more beautiful story.… (mere)

I have read several books by this author. I really enjoy them. This book is the first one in a new series. One that I am going to continue reading.

Hillary and Liam brought the humor and romance. There is no "he falls first" or "she falls first" as they both feel for each other. They just did not want to admit it to each other first until the accidental text. Which I could feel the spark between them, and it just grew as the story progressed. Hillary and Liam make a good couple. Just ask Hillary's roommates in the Big House. This is one time when texting the wrong person ended up being the right person!… (mere)

This was my first read by the author and I’m glad I stumbled on the book. The characters were wonderful, each so different. The main male character Oliver was well written and I like that he had faults and wasn’t the perfect male. He had some real issues and the main female character, Bessie, had to decide where he was worth being with or not. The story line of mid-age characters dating is always an interesting one and this especially since there were several different couples mentioned at different levels in their relationship. The setting in Hilton Head was great as well. I really liked that the women of the story all moved from Texas to Hilton Head and had get togethers to keep their friendship strong. Very good, clean romance book that I highly recommend.… (mere)