I received both of these romances at the NJRW Reader and Blogger Appreciation Luncheon.

If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins is a fun romance read based around the life of  Jenny Tate, wedding dress designer and small business owner.  Jenny has returned home after a divorce in New York City and opened a boutique wedding dress shop.   She is both recovering from the heartbreak of her divorce and  spending time with her sister, Rachel of the “perfect” marriage.

A romance that talks about sisterhood, about living the life you have rather than the one you dreamed of (or thought you had),  secrets and honesty, and love after grief.  The relationship between the sisters is well detailed and feels authentic, right down to striking out at people who make you feel safe.  This relationship was very well done.  The romance was lovely and full of the natural one step forward, two steps back progression that comes from two people scared of being hurt again.  Bittersweet side plot involving a dog – yay for puppies!  I really enjoyed this quick, sweet romance.

A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash takes place at the Jersey shore and that made it interesting to me right from the start.  I am familiar with the locations talked about and I find that kind of connection fun in a book.  Tori and Nick meet when she tries to hire him to bring the house she inherited up to code.  Tori believes in magic and wants to open a magic – as in fortune-telling, palmistry, spells, and charms – shop.  Nick is a builder and is thoroughly down to earth and doesn’t believe in anything Tori has to sell.

The story follows their on again – off again romance and connects it to Nick’s family and the issues he is having keeping them all in line.  Nick and Tori both have tragic but very different histories and this is an opposites attract type romance story.  A steamy romance and a touch of magic along with a well-developed sense of place!