Novels as Colorful and Cozy as an Autumn Afternoon
The colors and food that signify the fall season always feel so full of life despite the upcoming bitter chill. The same is true for these five books, in their own way. Autumn is here with all its glorious colors!. So grab yourself a cup of your favorite hot drink and curl up in a cozy reading spot with one of these perfect autumnal reads.
Rewind (ROCK HARD Book 3) by Kat Mizera When you’re on top there’s nowhere to go but down... Rock and roll superstar Declan “Bash” James is about to meet his match... and fall hard. The sultry drummer isn’t looking for love, he’s looking for a second chance at dominating the charts. Until a clumsy redhead stumbles into his elevator, and life, providing a distraction he didn’t know he needed. Growing up in a family full of addicts wasn’t easy for Brianna Franklin— and living life on the straight and narrow is the only future she can see for herself. The one that’s stable and leads to culinary school. A path that never included someone like Declan and his rocker lifestyle. The more Bri tries to convince herself Declan is Mr. Wrong, the more he keeps saying and doing all the right things. When tragedy strikes, will she learn to trust or is she destined to rock on alone? Goodreads Amazon
Cycled (Gold Hockey #13) by Elise Faber No matter how hard Scarlett tried to be good, she always ended up being bad. But everything was different now. She was making her way up the ranks in her dream job, working as a publicist for the San Francisco Gold. Finally, her life was back on track. Then she met Kaydon. He was new to the team—a power forward—and the moment she laid eyes on his sexy-as-sin body she’d dreamed about what that power might feel like in bed. But he was off-limits. She worked for the team, and though she’d spent much of her life being bad, she couldn’t risk her job by jumping into a relationship that could easily get her fired. Even if it was with a man like Kaydon. Unfortunately, despite her best intentions at keeping her distance, he was good—very good—at convincing her to be bad. Goodreads Amazon
Hate Me Under the Mistletoe (Romancing the Rink #1) by Kelly Jamieson What happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe… Amy’s life isn’t living up to the famous Heller family brand—her love life and her career—and she just wants to be alone for Christmas. So she takes off to a friend’s secluded mountain cabin. Ho fu*king ho. Ryder’s workaholic tendencies have made him super successful in his business, but he hasn’t spent time with family for years. That’s all he wants this Christmas, plus a little down time at a cabin in the mountains. He loves Christmas and can’t wait for the family ugly sweater contest! When Ryder walks in on Amy at an “awkward” moment, she can’t believe the man she’s hated since she was sixteen has shown up here. He has to leave. But Mother Nature has other ideas when a blizzard shuts down the entire region... Amy thinks a good place for Ryder’s Christmas cheer is up his ass. Ryder thinks Amy’s grown up into a smokin’ hot babe. Christmas is all about giving, and he’s got a really big package for Amy. Maybe naughty is the new nice... Goodreads Amazon
Time Stamps by K.L. Kreig Time stamps. Our life is marked by them. Significant milestones to the seemingly mundane. All of them have a place. A purpose. Moments and chapters stacking on each other, building scars and memories. Creating stories that are only ours to tell. But those stamps are finite, pre-determined. And eventually our allotment runs out. This is our story. Our collection of time stamps. The culmination of our love, our struggles, our redemption and our heartbreak. This story isn’t always easy, but it is real. A genuine account of utter devotion, where every page is crammed with pure emotion and truth and the gift of loving another person more than yourself. Share with us in our dreams, our laughter. Cry with us in our sorrows, our pain. Take this journey through our time stamps with Laurel and I, and I will meet you at the end. ~ Roth Warren Keswick Goodreads Amazon
Bad Girlfriend (Billionaire's Club #13) by Elise Faber What made a good girlfriend? Someone who was understanding. Kind. Someone who listened and baked cute, little cupcakes and remembered things like anniversaries and their boyfriends’ favorite meals. In a word, someone who wasn’t Tammy. She wasn’t good with mush, couldn’t stand watching a romantic movie without wanting to hurl. She didn’t have songs with her significant others. Hell, she didn’t have significant others. Then . . . Fletcher. He was just a co-worker who needed a fake girlfriend to take to a wedding, one who wouldn’t get attached like all the other women who fell in love with him at the drop of a hat and then required him to do outlandish things like solicit fake girlfriends. In another word, he needed Tammy and her cold, dead heart. So she did him a solid, went to the wedding, and charmed everyone while staying blissfully unattached. But then Fletcher fell for her. Goodreads Amazon
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
This Instant Pot soup is inspired by the traditional Mexican dish sopa de tortilla (aka tortilla soup). Traditionally, tortilla soup is made with fried corn tortillas and chicken broth flavored with charred tomatoes and chile de árbol. In this recipe, we rely on chili powder for some heat, and instead of frying the tortilla chips, we bake them. If you want to avoid another dirty dish and want to skip this step, feel free to garnish each bowl with crushed tortilla chips instead!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SOUP
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 bell peppers, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth 1 c. water 1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 c. frozen corn INGREDIENTS FOR GARNISH
1/4 c. freshly chopped cilantro 4 small corn tortillas, cut into strips 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt 1 c. shredded monterey Jack 1 avocado, diced
DIRECTIONS
1 - Preheat oven to 350°. Turn Instant Pot to Sauté setting and heat oil. When oil is shimmering, add bell peppers and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper then add to Instant Pot. Add remaining soup ingredients and close the lid. Set Instant Pot to Soup setting and set a timer for 7 minutes. 2 - Meanwhile, on a large baking sheet, toss tortilla strips with oil and a pinch of salt. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
3 - When cooking is complete and air has been naturally released from Instant Pot, carefully remove the lid and use tongs to remove chicken breasts onto a plate or cutting board.
4 - Using two forks, shred chicken. Stir chicken and cilantro into soup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5 - Garnish soup with tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese to serve.