Geri’s Review: All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

August 3, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

ALL YOUR PERFECTS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Colleen Hoover
Release Date: July 17, 2018

Colleen Hoover delivers a tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it.

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart.

The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past.

This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

 

AMAZON

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

It’s been a while since I’ve truly sat down and read a Colleen Hoover book until I came across the blurb for this book.

One. It has a marriage-in-peril trope that I love in my books. Two, the blurb along with the first chapter the author shared on social media truly captured my interest. Three. The meet-cute was quite unique. The whole book itself, however, was disappointing.

Quinn and Graham are two married couple whose marriage is on the brink of collapse. There were many things that contributed to this collapse, which readers will slowly learn but the main contributor to their marriage’s demise was Quinn’s infertility.

This was handled well by Hoover. As the book is told by Quinn, we get to experience her pain and bitterness first hand. And a lot of the scenarios that she mentioned rang very true. We immediately understand that this is a woman who is depressed and is barely holding on. Quinn’s POV benefited a lot from Hoover’s sparse but emotional prose. She captured Quinn’s pain so well.

Unfortunately, the past and present storytelling ruined the momentum for me. I hated it. Just when the story starts to get really interesting, you get pulled into the past again. It was Ugly Love all over again! Maybe it was an attempt to make the story more suspenseful than it is or emotional, but whatever the reason was, it didn’t work for me. I found myself getting angry and frustrated having to go back and forth to get the whole story.

Another thing that didn’t work for me were the secondary characters. Quinn’s mother was also a piece of work. She wasn’t a very developed character. She’s just there to be terrible and make Quinn feel bad. And now that I think about it, this book didn’t have a lot of characters. We get to meet Quinn’s sister and her husband, Quinn and Graham’s exes, and Graham’s sister, but they’re not very well-developed characters. They’re there to either prop up (Quinn’s sister) or tear down (Quinn’s mother) the two main protagonists. But I digress.

I didn’t really like Graham either. He is, in my opinion, one of Hoover’s weakest heroes. And I don’t know if it’s because we didn’t get his POV or whatever but he was just boring. The whole cheating thing—yes, it was cheating and there was really no justification for it—made me dislike him even more. I’m not even going to touch on his asinine reason for doing so but yeah, I wasn’t a fan of Graham at all. Not even his letters could make me like him.

And that ending? Ehhh. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t spectacular or fleshed out either. It felt very rushed. They opened the box, they cried, and everything just smoothed itself out. However, it was worth mentioning that they apologized to each other and renewed their commitment. But overall, it felt, I don’t know, underwhelming and rushed after all that build up.

Ultimately, this was too heavy-handed for me. Like it’s not enough that Quinn is infertile, she has to suffer more tragedy, she has get cheated on. But that wasn’t enough apparently because she has to miscarry and get a hysterectomy. I mean, goodness, the option to adopt was even taken away from her. There has to be more! More suffering, more hopelessness until it becomes a never-ending cycle of suck.

I was reading this book and I couldn’t help but think “Wow, CoHo really loves to torture her heroines.” Some of her last few releases had been a torture-fest for her female characters. I should be happy, I guess, that at least they’d get HEA but my gosh, she has to torture them first. Which brings me to my last point. One thing I realized about myself as a reader is that the more an author makes the heroine suffer by letting her go through tragedy after tragedy, after the less I care. Other readers have said this was an emotional book and I can see that, but it was just lost on me. It felt manipulative. From the way the whole story was structured to the ungodly amount of tragedy that befell the heroine, it felt manipulative. That was the whole feeling I had while reading this book.

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Review: Protected by Lexi Blake

August 1, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

PROTECTED
Series: Masters and Mercenaries #16.5
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: July 31, 2018

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series…

A second chance at first love

Years before Wade Rycroft fell in love with Geneva Harris, the smartest girl in his class. The rodeo star and the shy academic made for an odd pair but their chemistry was undeniable. They made plans to get married after high school but when Genny left him standing in the rain, he joined the Army and vowed to leave that life behind. Genny married the town’s golden boy, and Wade knew that he couldn’t go home again.

Could become the promise of a lifetime

Fifteen years later, Wade returns to Broken Bend, Texas for his brother’s wedding and walks into a storm of scandal. Genny’s marriage has dissolved and the town has turned against her. But when someone tries to kill his old love, Wade can’t refuse to help her. In his years after the Army, he’s found his place in the world. His job at McKay-Taggart keeps happy and busy but something is missing. When he takes the job watching over Genny, he realizes what it is.

As danger presses in, Wade must decide if he can forgive past sins or let the woman of his dreams walk into a nightmare….

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

AMAZON

My home, my heart, everything I have is yours. You only have to ask for it. You need someone to hold you, I’m here. You want kisses, these lips are yours. And I’ll be more patient than you can imagine because this is the most important fight of my life. 

I will never, ever get enough of Lexi Blake’s Masters and Mercenaries series. This novella may have been on the shorter side, but it was as satisfying as a full length novel. If you’ve never read a book in this series and you’re looking to dip your toes into the BDSM romance genre, this book is perfect! While it’s 16.5 in the series, you can easily jump in and not be lost. As a fan that has read the entire series, I greedily devoured the character cameos of some of my absolute favorites (*cough* Ian *cough*)

Protected is a highly emotional second chance romance with a delicious grovel and a romance that’s sure to tug at every heart string. I absolutely loved it!

Fifteen years ago, Genny was Wade’s entire world. Young, naive, and thinking they have the world in their hands, they looked forward to forever together…until it all came crashing down. Wade has hated Genny since and avoided his hometown because of her. Now he’s back for his brother’s wedding and forced to come face to face with the woman that broke his heart. Only everything he thought he knew about why she did what she did couldn’t be further from the truth. And now Wade will do anything to protect Genny from the threat against her and to try to work his way back into her heart again.

He wanted a woman who belonged to him, who he belonged to. He wanted disgusting, nasty, utterly committed sex.

I love a good grovel, and Wade didn’t disappoint. The man knows that he screwed up and he screwed up big. He’s not above begging for another chance and I absolutely loved the way he worked for Genny’s heart. Genny was a phenomenal heroine. She’s been through hell but she didn’t let it break her. She’s ferociously protective of the ones she loves and would do anything for them. I loved her core of strength even though she’s not afraid to own up to her fears and show her vulnerabilities. But what I loved even more is the way that Wade holds her hand through all of it.

This is a book you’ll devour in one sitting. It’s emotionally charged with a sexy romance and plenty of action thrown in to spice things up. Ian Taggard’s cameo and signature sarcasm thrown in a wonderful comedic touch that I couldn’t get enough of.

Taggart let go of her hand and held one out to his wife. “This one claims she’ll come back as a ghost if I murder her. She’s rude and called me a moron. She’s perfect. I also think she’s a little bloodthirsty. She’s going to fit in. Now, Harris, I’m going to need you to do that Valkyrie thing we were talking about.”

Another fantastic addition to one of my absolutely favorite series!

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Review: A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole

July 31, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

A DUKE BY DEFAULT
Series: Reluctant Royals #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Alyssa Cole
Release Date: July 31, 2018

Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way

New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr.

Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice, and his attraction to her, but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project.

Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?

AMAZON

“You’re my liege. You’re the person I’m fighting for.”

Alyssa Cole delivered another sweet and heartfelt romance with A Duke by Default! She continues to be one of my go-to contemporary romance authors these days. There’s just something about her stories and her characters that speaks to me as a reader. And this book, is a great example of what this talented author can do!

Portia Hobbs might be my favorite Alyssa Cole heroine to date. When she was introduced, she was a bit of a hot mess. She has a truckload of issues that made her an interesting character to me. I didn’t like her that much in A Princess in Theory but I was curious about her. And I knew that Alyssa Cole is going to do her story justice.

She was done with fuckboys, and fuckbosses for that matter, no matter how sexy their accents were.

I was so right. Alyssa Cole not only made me sympathize with Portia, she made me love her. I wasn’t even halfway in when I knew without a doubt that Portia would become one of my favorite contemporary romance heroines. No joke. Cole did a fantastic job exposing all of Portia’s wounds, her hopes and dreams, and things that make her what or who she is. And I loved everything I read about her.

But it wasn’t just Portia who made this book for me. The hero, Tavish MacKenzie was Portia’s boss, and he’s grumpy and hot as hell. And if you’ve been following me for long enough, you’d know that I have a weakness for hot, grumpy heroes. Tav is a world-class grump, and he is perfect for Portia. Oh, he did some knuckleheaded things and had put his foot in his mouth a couple of times but he is a great hero.

Her boss acted like a gruff, annoying jerk, but dammit there was something about a man who could casually mention Middle Cornish at dinner conversation without sounding pretentious that Portia found irresistible. It didn’t matter—she would resist.

I loved these two characters individually and as a couple. Their romance was emotionally rich and compelling. It tugged at my emotions without being manipulative. The interaction between Tav and Portia is taut with sexual tension and chemistry, I had to stop and fan myself a couple of times because their chemistry was off the freaking charts.

But it wasn’t just their chemistry that drew me in. It was also the fact that these two characters genuinely liked and respected each other. Their banter and how they related to each other was just as satisfying as their red-hot chemistry.

Not only that, I also loved the way Alyssa Cole wrote the secondary characters in this book. None of them felt like throwaways. Even that librarian who was in the book for like two pages, made me smile. Cole makes you notice them. She has a knack of elevating secondary characters that makes you genuinely interested in reading about them. I adored Jamie and Cheryl as well as Tavish’s parents. His interactions with them is probably my favorites, outside of his interactions with Portia, of course.

“We were attracted to each other, we kissed, you humped my leg a little, and everything’s fine now.”

We also get to know Portia’s accomplished twin, Reggie. Although, I wish there was more of her. Two other standout characters that I really liked was Nya and Johann. Eeep! Oh my gosh, there’s so much I want to learn about these two. Again, I don’t want to spoil anything but, you guys, I’m even more excited to read the third book in this series. I cannot wait!

My only gripe about this book was the lack of epilogue. I mean, it doesn’t even have to have an epilogue but I wish the ending was longer. It felt abrupt to me and there were some confrontations that I wanted to happen. I’m going to spoiler tag them, so enter at your own risk:

[su_spoiler title=”Spoiler” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” class=””]

One, I wish Portia get to confront her parents! I was really upset about the things they said, albeit they don’t realize how hurtful they were. But still, they really did a number on Portia.

Two. I wish Portia had told Tavish and Reggie and her parents about her ADHD diagnosis. I understood why Portia might have reservations but still, I wish she had told someone.

[/su_spoiler]

However, those things did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Overall, A Duke by Default was fabulously charming read. You really won’t want to miss this one. I know some readers are worried about Portia because of the things she did in the first book, but guys, trust. Alyssa Cole made me love this imperfect character and if she can do that to me, I reckon, she has a chance of making you love Portia as well.

“You can think what you want about yourself, but I’ve two eyes and a brain in my head and the view right now? It’s bloody brilliant.”

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New Release & Review: Someone Else’s Ocean by Kate Stewart

July 29, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

SOMEONE ELSE’S OCEAN
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kate Stewart
Release Date: July 31, 2018

The first time I met Ian Kemp in the sparkling blue waters of St. Thomas, I was six years old and we shared a summer beneath the stars.

The second time I met Ian Kemp, he was a shell of the boy I once knew.

Turbulent and infuriating, he refused my friendship at every turn.

Like me, he was a casualty of life’s cruelty, but we were planets apart.

We’d both sought refuge on the island, hoping to find our anchor.

Instead, we found each other and managed to reclaim our stars…until we both got swept away.

AMAZON

We’d become magnetic and inseparable and I let it happen in my selfish haze knowing it would rip us to shreds to lose it.

Someone Else’s Ocean will not be a book you read, it’ll be a book you experience. It’s a book that’ll take you on an emotional journey filled with heartbreak, hope, and second chances. It will tug at your every heart string, it’ll make you feel, it will break you, and it will put the broken pieces back together again. It was a beautiful romance that was brimming with emotion and I loved every heart wrenching page of it.

The man was pure venom and anger and he was dragging me down with him.

Koti moves to the beautiful island of St. Thomas to escape; escape a life she had but where she wasn’t really living. But even though she’s now in paradise, it doesn’t mean that she’s moved on.
Ian goes to St. Thomas for an escape of his own. Reeling from a devastating discovery, he’s full of rage and scorn. While Koti and Ian grew up together and were childhood friends, there’s nothing left of that connection now. Koti sees the heartbreak in his eyes and tries to soothe the pain he feels, while Ian pushes her away with hard words and cold stares at every chance he gets.

The somewhat enemies to lovers start that Ian and Koti have definitely whet the appetite for the slow burn romance that begins to form between them.

She was dangerous for me in every way. I was addicted to her warmth, her kiss, her body.

The pacing of the romance was absolute perfection! What starts as bitter neighbors, leads to an almost unwilling friendship, and soon to something so much bigger. The story is character driven and incredibly written. Set on the gorgeous backdrop of St Thomas, these two go through plenty of up and downs both together and individually. Ian and Koti are both fighting their own demons but in different ways. Their romance is doomed from the start. They live different lives and while St Thomas is an escape for Ian, it’s become Koti’s salinity. They know that they don’t have a future, but their connection is simply too fiery to resist.

I loved watching them heal each other’s wounds. I loved watching their romance blossom into something much more that the fling they thought they were having. I loved the emotionally charged story and the wonderful secondary characters. But what I loved even more is the INCREDIBLE epilogue. It was, hands down, one of my absolutely favorite epilogues I’ve read. Kate Stewart never disappoints, and she’s delivered once again with a gripping romance that was full of feels and plenty of sizzle.

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Blog Tour: Dirty Sexy Player by Laurelin Paige

July 27, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

 

DIRTY SEXY PLAYER
Series: Dirty Games Duet #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Laurelin Paige
Cover Designer: Laurelin Paige & Tom Barnes
Release Date: July 23, 2018

A New Duet in the Dirty Filthy Universe from NYT Bestselling Author, Laurelin Paige.

Weston King knows how to play. But wild nights and owning an extensive collection of women’s panties don’t carry the thrill they once did, so when his business partner Donovan suggests an outrageous plan to allow them to take over their competition, Wes takes him up on the offer. The crazy idea? Marry the competitor.

Elizabeth Dyson, the bride-to-be in question, is on board with the plan. She wants access to her trust fund and can only get it once she marries. Each has something the other wants – all they have to do is pretend to like each other well enough to tie the knot.

Only trouble is, playing fiancé to Elizabeth isn’t quite that simple. Wes finds her sexy and brilliant…and soon wishes their engagement wasn’t fake at all. Not that he’d ever tell her that.

But a lover boy like Wes can only stand an empty bed for so long…and even the best of players has to put down his cards eventually.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N | GOOGLE PLAY | AUDIO

I looked at the windows past him, trying to distract myself. Lights flashed and swirled around the dance floor in time to the beat, the only part of the music which made it into the sanctuary of the bubble room. I could tell it was crowded, but I couldn’t make out faces the way they could probably make out ours. “I don’t know if anyone’s looking,” I said.

“Don’t worry about them. Just focus on what you’re doing.”

Easy for him to say. He wasn’t facing them. He was only looking at me.

Nope. I couldn’t think about that either. Just had to focus on the task at hand.

I closed my eyes. “So just pretend that I… That we are… That under my dress…” I couldn’t even say it.

Weston leaned forward and murmured near my ear. “Yes, pretend that under your dress you are not wearing any panties. I have my dick out. I’m working you, and you are showing me exactly how you like it. Now go.”

Just like that, my panties were damp.

I didn’t know if he was saying those things to loosen me up or to get a rise out of me, either was possible.

Whatever his intent, it did the trick. He set the scene. I felt my face flush like the women in the videos as I imagined him rubbing his crown against my slit before nudging his tip inside and then burying himself to the hilt.

I opened my mouth in a silent gasp, acting out how I was sure it would feel. Good. It would feel so good.

This was so…weird. So hot and sexy and arousing and weird.

I wondered if he was feeling it too, feeling turned on, or if it was just me. It wasn’t like I could ask though, and knowing probably wouldn’t help my performance anyway.

So I concentrated on me. Focused on the task.

“Do I move or something?” I bucked my hips forward and felt the friction against my crotch as it rubbed the fly of his pants.

Mmm.

“Yeah,” he said breathlessly. “That’s good. That motion. Just like that.”

“Okay. Okay.” I rocked against him again, and again, my hips tilting back and forth, my clit brushing against his fly. Every time, stroking and kindling a fire in a fireplace I hadn’t had cleaned for some time. I spread my thighs a little wider and braced my knees against the bench so I could swing my pelvis all the way forward, in and out, in and…

Oh.

I froze. “Is that—?” But I didn’t have to ask. There was most definitely a fat, thick ridge pressed against the crotch panel of my panties. I guess that answered the question of whether he was feeling it too.

My eyes flew open. “Oh my God!”

“Look,” he said, ready to defend himself. “There’s an extremely attractive woman sitting on my lap. I cannot help what happens to my cock. It has a mind of its own.”

A really big mind of its own.


READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE

 

 

With over 1.5 million books sold world wide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

 

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Review: Dirty Sexy Player by Laurelin Paige

July 24, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

DIRTY SEXY PLAYER
Series: Dirty Games Duet #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Laurelin Paige
Release Date: July 23, 2018

A New Duet in the Dirty Filthy Universe from NYT Bestselling Author, Laurelin Paige.

Weston King knows how to play. But wild nights and owning an extensive collection of women’s panties don’t carry the thrill they once did, so when his business partner Donovan suggests an outrageous plan to allow them to take over their competition, Wes takes him up on the offer. The crazy idea? Marry the competitor.

Elizabeth Dyson, the bride-to-be in question, is on board with the plan. She wants access to her trust fund and can only get it once she marries. Each has something the other wants – all they have to do is pretend to like each other well enough to tie the knot.

Only trouble is, playing fiancé to Elizabeth isn’t quite that simple. Wes finds her sexy and brilliant…and soon wishes their engagement wasn’t fake at all. Not that he’d ever tell her that.

But a lover boy like Wes can only stand an empty bed for so long…and even the best of players has to put down his cards eventually.

AMAZON

Something in that indifferent stare of hers made me want to eat her up. Tear her apart. Find her heart and see what made it beat faster.

Weston King initially got my attention in Dirty Filthy Rich Men, by the time I got to Dirty Filthy Rich Love I was desperate for his book. I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope. Add a marriage of convenience into that mix and I’m putty in your hands. Putty, I tells ya!

Weston was my favorite sort of bad boy; irreverent, cocky, and sexier than sin. If you’ve read the Dirty Duet, then you already know a good chunk of this story. But what you don’t know, is the nitty gritty details of this deliciously sexy set up between Weston and Elizabeth.

He kissed the way he fought—mean and hot, bordering on explosive.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Elizabeth because I wasn’t a huge fan of her in the previous book. But getting to be inside her head in this one definitely helped to endear her to me. She’s still not my favorite heroine of this author, but she did manage to grow on me. She’s one tough broad, and even if I found her to be a touch abrasive at times, I appreciated her backbone and ambition.

The push and pull between her and Weston was like being on a rollercoaster. These two spend a good chunk of the book fighting with each other, then fighting to rip the clothes of each other, and then back to fighting. They were so hot and cold, it made me want to drink or rip my hair out. But I also gobbled it right up. I love me some battle of wills with a heavy undercurrent of sexual tension, and these two had it in spades.

To be quite honest, this book was a solid 4 stars, if not higher for me. But then I got to the end and one small plot device managed to kick me a bit off of my book high. Now this may work for a large chunk of readers, but for this reader? I didn’t care for it. But I do have faith that the amazing talent that is Laurelin Paige just may make me change my mind with book 2. Perhaps this will serve a bigger purpose or drive the plot forward. But as far as this book goes, it simply didn’t work for me. I was very bummed because I was enjoying it immensely up until that point and then it kind of hit a brick wall. Don’t get me wrong, I still liked the book, but I could have done without that one particular twist.

Will I read the next book? Abso-freaking-lutely! I’m beyond invested in this couple and can’t wait to see how it all concludes.

PRE-ORDER 

DIRTY SEXY GAMESRelease Date: November 12, 2018

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#DGRFave & Review: Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught

July 23, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

ALMOST HEAVEN
Series: Sequels #3
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Judith McNaught
Release Date: November 1, 2016 (release date for e-book)

In this classic novel of two willful lovers caught in a breathless adventure of deception and betrayal, #1 New York Times bestselling author Judith McNaught has created a powerful and unforgettable masterpiece.

ELIZABETH CAMERON

The Countess of Havenhurst possessed a rare gentleness and fierce courage to match her exquisite beauty. But her reputation is shattered when she is discovered in the arms of Ian Thornton, a notorious gambler and social outcast.

IAN THORNTON

A dangerously handsome man of secret wealth and mysterious lineage, his voyage to Elizabeth’s heart is fraught with intrigue, scandal, and a venomous revenge.

Destined for each other, yet wary of each other’s motives, Elizabeth and Ian engage in a dance of suspicion and passion that tests the very soul of their star-crossed love. As a twisting path of secrets takes them from London’s drawing rooms to the mysterious Scottish Highlands, Elizabeth must learn the truth: is Ian merely a ruthless fortune hunter at heart?

AMAZON

There are four steps separating us and a year and a half of wanting drawing us together,” he said. Elizabeth swallowed. “Couldn’t you meet me halfway?”

All.
Of.
The.
Swoons.

This. THIS is exactly why I love historical romances. And it’s also why I’m currently kicking myself for only discovering this incredible author now. There’s only one thing I love more than a good bastard in a romance, and that’s a redeemable bastard that’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve when he finally sees the error of his ways. Even if that particular feet takes him the majority of the book to do.

Almost Heaven is the story of a young beauty just entering London society in search for a husband that will save her beloved estate, and a man that’s always been the source of most gossip within it. Ian is known as a scoundrel, a gambler, anything but the titled husband Elizabeth needs. He’s also a beautifully dangerous enigma that draws her like a moth to a flame. Until she gets too close and they both get burned.

This was a delicious tale of secrets and betrayal, of mistakes and forgiveness, but ultimately of a love that prevails against all odds. It was WONDERFULLY swoony.

At first I was a little concerned because Elizabeth and Ian get together so quickly. I’m not usually a fan of quick coupling. I was yearning for angst and emotion. I shouldn’t have been concerned, because their initial meeting was only the calm before the storm. And what a storm it was! Ian is a downright bastard to Elizabeth when they meet again two years after the fateful first time. GOD BUT I LOVED IT! But it’s no secret that I love the bastards. Elizabeth was an incredible heroine. She’s young and sheltered, but she’s clever and smart and so endearing. I loved her strength and her sharp wit. She’s not afraid to stand up for herself, but she also knows that sometimes the biggest fight requires a sacrifice. She was the perfect match to the broody and enigmatic Ian.

The story was phenomenal and kept me glued to the pages long into the night. I NEEDED to see how it all unveils and I couldn’t be more satisfied. This is going down as one of my favorite historical romances. And that epilogue?! SWOON!!!!

SIDE NOTE: The ebook version of this book had a RIDICULOUS amount of typos. For how big the publisher is AND the price point of this book, that’s pretty bad. I’m talking typos, missing quotations, missing punctuation points, etc. Luckily I loved the book enough to overlook it, but it’s fair to mention that your money may be better spent on the paperback version instead. 

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Review: The Duke Buys A Bride by Sophie Jordan

July 22, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

THE DUKE BUYS A BRIDE
Series: The Rogue Files #3
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Sophie Jordan
Release Date: July 24, 2018

A bride wasn’t in his plans . . .

The last thing Marcus, the Duke of Autenberry, expects to see after sleeping off a night’s drunken shenanigans is a woman being auctioned in the village square. Before he can think about the ramifications, he buys her, thinking he’s winning the girl her freedom. Instead, he discovers he’s bought a wife.

A duke wasn’t in hers . . .

Alyse Bell is almost rid of the shackles that bound her in a name-only marriage, but the day her friend promised to purchase her in a wife auction, he vanishes, leaving her to face a mob of unsavory bachelors intent on owning her body and soul. But the appearance of a wicked, wealthy stranger changes her path forever.

The road to ruin . . .

Marcus doesn’t know what to do with the impertinent chit who clearly isn’t duchess material! Insisting their marriage isn’t legitimate, they leave for his estate in Scotland, hoping to devise a plan to get rid of each other. However, on a journey fraught with misadventure, their attraction grows and Marcus realizes he’ll do anything to keep this fiery woman for his own.

AMAZON

You’re a witch,” he muttered. “From the moment I saw you, I’ve been doing things entirely out of my character.”

After the way things left off with Marcus in The Scandal of It All, I was more than a little eager to get my hands on his book to see just how this man will redeem himself. While a lot of his behavior shows him to be almost a spoiled and entitled brat at times, still waters run deep, and you just know there’s something underneath the appearance that he initially gives off.

After finding out his stepmother is in love with one of his best friends, he leaves everything behind and leaves his home. Waking up after a blackout bender in a town he doesn’t remember arriving in isn’t exactly in his plans. But then again, neither is rescuing a women from being sold like cattle for marriage in the town square. He can’t resist purchasing her when he sees the look of abject horror on her face. But he never intends to truly hold up his end of the deal and be anyone’s husband; merely purchase her freedom.

Alyse Bell has been stuck in a name-only “marriage” for years after the passing of her father when she was way too young. As his last deed before his passing, he arranged her contract with the man she’s been living with in name only. She’s essentially been his care-taker and nanny. The deal has always been that he will then sell at a wife auction to be purchased by her best friend. Only her friend is nowhere to be found when she needs him the most, leaving her to the mercy of the fates.

Marcus and Alyse are certainly an odd pair. Marcus refuses to acknowledge any chemistry between them. He runs hot and cold at the best of times, though his direct setting seems to be on cold. He passes off their “contract” as her being his housekeeper and nothing more, while fighting their connection at every turn. Admittedly, as much as I was looking forward to this book, it felt a little lackluster for me. Yes, the chemistry was there, but I also found the pacing to work against it. I enjoyed Alyse’s spark and backbone, but Marcus left me feeling underwhelmed. I wanted to love him, but sadly I just didn’t. His turnaround was too little too late for me, and while still satisfying, I couldn’t help feeling like I needed more from this story to bring it to a 4 star read.

I still enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it either. It was that middle of the road sort of feeling that had me feeling both satisfied…and not. I liked that we got a bit of closure with Marcus and his stepmother at the end, though I would have loved more of that as well.

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#DGRFave & Review: Kiss An Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

July 21, 2018 by ·

KISS AN ANGEL
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Release Date: 1996

Wedding Day

Pretty, flighty Daisy Devreaux can either go to jail or marry the mystery man her father has chosen for her.

Arranged marriages don’t happen in the modern world, so how did the irrepressible Daisy find herself in this fix?

Alex Markov, as humorless as he is deadly handsome, has no intention of playing the loving bridegroom to a spoiled little feather-head with champagne tastes.

He drags Daisy from her uptown life to a broken down traveling circus and sets out to tame her to his ways.

But this man without a soul has met his match in a woman who’s nothing but heart.

Before long, passion will send them flying sky high without a safety net…

risking it all in search of a love that will last forever.

AMAZON

5 BILLION ZILLION GAJILLIONTY STARS

I take thee… to be my awful wedded husband” 

I have NO idea how I missed this book by one of my all time favorite authors, considering I’ve practically read her entire backlist. But I did. And I’ve been kicking myself for days for taking this long to do it. Because this book? THIS BOOK WAS MAGICAL! It is hands down my favorite contemporary romance, not only from this author, but period. Yes. It was THAT good. Actually, no. It wasn’t just good. It was brilliant. It was enchanting, sigh inducing, heartwarming, funny, swoony, PERFECTION.

His fists clenched at his sides. “Damn it! Where’s your pride?”
“Pride? It’s in my heart, of course.”
“You’re letting me demean you!”
She smiled. “You can’t do that. I can only demean myself.”

If you love the arranged marriage trope, you will LOVE the story of Alex and Daisy. Put against a rock and a hard place, Daisy agrees to her father’s choice of husband, even if she’s only meets him the day of her wedding. Alex has his own reasons for agreeing to the arrangement, but he’s keeping a tight lid on those.
Suddenly sweet and somewhat sheltered Daisy that’s used to globe trotting and dining with celebrities with her flighty and selfish past model mother, finds herself thrust into circus life, with a husband that’s determined to prove to her that she can’t hack it. Put to the test on just how much of the ordinary life she can endure, Daisy soon finds that there’s something almost magical about the circus, and more than meets the eye to her husband.
Daisy was the sweetest, most endearing heroine I’ve ever read. I loved all of her vulnerabilities and insecurities. I loved her soft sort of strength and the way she finds herself in a place she last expected.

Alex was an outright bastard to her. Yet there was something so intriguing about him. I couldn’t get enough of him. I wanted to hate him for his treatment of Daisy, but then reading about her method of dealing with him gave me too many laughs to care.

Good news!” she chirped. “The doctor says this time it’s triplets!”

I loved the way that Daisy’s sweet nature eventually began to win over everyone around her. I loved the incredible cast of quirky and unique secondary characters. My absolute favorite part had to be the animals, though.

This book was simply EVERYTHING. It was phenomenal, unputdownable, page-turner, smile-inducer. It had THE MOST DELICIOUS GROVEL I have ever read. It had the swooniest romance. It had the quirkiest humor. IT WAS EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING! An absolute must read! My favorite book of the year and hands down my favorite SEP book to date!

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Church. by Stylo Fantome

July 20, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

CHURCH.
Series: Church #1
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Author: Stylo Fantome
Release Date: July 20, 2018

A broken girl.

An unusual boy.

A beautiful face that hides a dark secret and an ugly past.

Sealed lips which hide wicked words and dangerous thoughts.

She would kill for him to love her.

He just wants to kill.

Maybe, if Emma Hartley prays hard enough, Church Logan can make both their wishes come true.

Fuse, meet match.

warning: if you have triggers – this story will touch on a lot of them. This book is a psychological thriller, 65,000+ words.


AMAZON

Maybe this whole time, I should’ve been looking for someone as fucked up as me. Maybe two broken pieces can be glued together to make a whole.

Holy hell. I mean holy hell! These might be the most fucked up characters I’ve read in a long while. Or ever. I’m still trying to figure out how I felt about them. But what I do know? Is days after finishing, I’m still thinking about it. And that certainly stands for something.

First of all, this is a psychological thriller. So if you’re going into this expecting a dark romance with an anti-hero that you’ll love to hate but still has some redeeming qualities and it’ll be sunshine and unicorns shitting rainbows at the end? Well, my friend, I’d check your delicate sensibilities at the door and forget about it. You won’t be finding it here.

What you will find are characters that are definitely missing their moral compass. As a matter of fact, they don’t even know what a moral compass is.

He’s magic. He’s the devil. He’s inside me now, in my blood, in my brain. Why isn’t he always talking to me? Why isn’t he always looking at me? Why aren’t we together right now? He’s it. He’s my moment that I’ve been waiting for. He’s the greatness I’ve been missing.

I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot or the characters, because I don’t want to ruin the suspense of it. And let me tell you, this book is full of it. It’s twisted and full of twists with an undercurrent of something so dark, you’re almost afraid to name it. It’s like Charles Manson meet Natural Born Killers sort of twisted.

Church was an enigma that I wanted to peel the layers off until I got to the very twisted core of him and knew all of his secrets. This is a character unlike any I’ve ever read if I’m being perfectly honest. And I flip flopped between being intrigued by him and being seriously disturbed…and then back to intrigued. This book fucked with my damn head. Which certainly speaks to the author’s talent for creating characters that will do that.

So why a lower rating? As much as I was intrigued by these characters, I also struggled to connect with them. I can’t even put my finger on what it was exactly, but something kept me from being truly invested in them. But even with that, I couldn’t stop myself from reading, and that definitely says something. With this being the first book in what I’m assuming will be a duet, perhaps that additional foundation will come a bit later, and this was just setting the scene and throwing the hook before the reader is reeled in. I fully reserve the right to change my rating once I see how it all concludes. But for now, I’ll tell you that it’s one hell of a unique story unlike any I’ve read before. If you’re looking for something dark and twisted, this is definitely that.

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