Review: Enemy Dearest by Winter Renshaw

January 28, 2021 by ·

ENEMY DEAREST
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Winter Renshaw
Release Date: January 14, 2020

I loved him. I lost him. And now he’s back.

August Monreaux was a stormy sea of a man, the dark between the stars, an electric chill cutting through a crowded room—all wrapped into one wicked, beautiful package.

He was also off-limits.

My entire life, I was kept a safe distance from the notoriously virulent Monreauxs, banned from so much as breathing the same air. And like the good daughter I was, I obeyed those rules.

Until the one time I didn’t …

Only while I sampled him, he devoured me like the forbidden fruit that I was. And in the blink of an eye, my worst enemy became my first love. His poison became my antidote. His touch, my addiction.

After we severed our ill-fated ties, I thought I’d never see him again.

Until he crashed back into my life at the worst possible moment—and asked me to marry him.

But it wasn’t that simple.

It never is.

Turns out marrying a wealthy powerhouse of a man comes with a price.

But walking away, could cost me everything.

AMAZON

Sheridan is nothing more than a pretty little pawn. A means to an end. A heart I intend to shatter into a million jagged pieces. I won’t hurt her physically.
Frankly, that isn’t my style. But I will ruin her.
I’ll ruin her for any other man.

The second I read this blurb, I was salivating for this book. SALIVATING. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and this one sounded utterly delicious. Admittedly, the blurb is deceiving. Because it wasn’t quite that. And while I did enjoy this book for the most part, there were a few parts that just didn’t live up to the promise of the blurb for me.

The premise of the story is amazing. Sheridan and August are the children of families with a long and dark history rooted in lies and pain. August is the youngest son and doesn’t take much seriously. But when he catches the daughter of his family’s enemy in his pool, he’s determined to make the best of it. He sets out to make her pay for what her father did to his family, or at least what he thinks he did. But it leads to something that neither of them expect.

Sheridan fights the allure of August for as long as she can. He’s the epitome of forbidden fruit to her. His family ruined hers, after all. But August is determined and chases her until she gives in. Thus begins their tumultuous secret relationship.

Now, I loved the complexity of their family history and both Sheridan and August’s characters. The secrets that lie between their families was alluring and had me turning the pages to figure it all out. What left me a bit disappointed was the timeline. August’s fall seemed sudden and quick. It wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped considering the set up where he wants to make her pay and be the pawn. It seems the second he first sleeps with her, all of it is forgotten. It just didn’t seem fleshed out enough to be satisfying for me. I love when the bad boy falls, especially when it’s in spite of himself. And while the set up alludes to that, it didn’t end up that way.

The other piece of it is the blurb. The blurb alludes that they fall apart to crash back together. And while it did happen, sort of, it wasn’t quite as satisfying as it seems. Their separation is really over the span of a few pages and ultimately lasts just a few months. It’s barely fleshed out and happens in the blink of an eye towards the end of the story. I was hoping for a big falling out and a falling back together. But really, they reunite at the end and then just face some family drama. The blurb just felt a bit…deceiving to me. It set up my hopes to one story, but this turned out different.

Did I ultimately enjoy this book, yes. It wasn’t quite what I thought, but I did like it. It was my first book by this author but certainly won’t be my last. I had my quibbles with it, but those things aside, it was a nice read.

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

Review: Filthy Rich Prince by Lynn Raye Harris

January 27, 2021 by ·

FILTHY RICH PRINCE
Series: Filthy Rich Billionaires #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: January 26, 2020

He’s rich, ruthless, and royal. He will make her his wife…

Single mother Lily Morgan knows what it’s like to struggle. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t work hard to survive. But when she’s thrown in jail in a foreign country, she has no idea she’s about to come face to face with the prince who took her virginity and left her pregnant two years ago.

Nico Cavelli might’ve released Lily from his dungeon, but he’s not letting her go. She stole his son and heir, and he can’t forgive that. He’ll make her his princess – and he’ll make her pay for keeping his child a secret.

What he will never do is show her any mercy.

Or fall in love with her…

NOTE: This is a Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella romance with an alphahole hero who is transformed by love in the end. If you don’t like angsty reads with dramatic conflict, best keep scrolling! There will be some bad decisions. There will be bossiness. And there will be groveling by the end. You were warned.

*This book originally published by Harlequin as Cavelli’s Lost Heir. It has been revised and expanded with new scenes and characters. If you read the original and enjoyed it, you don’t need to purchase this one. But if you want an expanded story, then this is the book for you. And if you’ve never read it, then you definitely don’t want to miss it! Rich and royal, reunion, forced marriage, secret baby romance!

AMAZON

I love Lynn’s military heroes and sinfully hot romantic suspense. But when I saw the blurb to this book, I’m pretty sure I may have salivated a little. It’s a bit of a change of pace to what I’m used to from her, but no less satisfying. This was such a fun harlequin-y type of romance that hit the spot from beginning to finish.

Reeling from a devastating loss that’s still fresh, Nico Cavelli is now the crown prince but with a reputation of a hellion. He’s the tabloid’s bad boy, always with a different woman and never with any complicated entanglements. But then a blast from his past ends up in his prison dungeon and with a surprise to boot.

Now I’m not usually a fan of the surprise baby trope. Especially if there’s been some time that’s passed without the father knowing. Usually this is because I simply don’t buy the reason that the child was kept a secret and it drives me nuts and makes me resent the heroine. This was not the case here. I completely understood why Lily kept her son a secret. Lily is not usually the type of heroine that I gravitate towards, but she really grew on me here. She’s a little innocent and a touch naive, but she’s no less fierce.

Nico is a ruthless a-hole for the majority of the book and I was so here for it. I was especially here for his ultimate fall. And is there anything more satisfying than the bad boy falling for the good girl? I think not.

This was a fun little book with plenty of feels and a splash of angst. I did wish for a slightly bigger grovel, but you can’t have it all. This was a guilty pleasure sort of read that you certainly need to suspend your disbelief for but will leave a smile on your face when you’re done. I really enjoyed it.

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

Review: The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis

January 23, 2021 by ·

THE FOREVER GIRL
Series: Wildstone #6
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jill Shalvis
Release Date: January 12, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis does it once again with a heartfelt story of family, forgiveness, and secrets that have the power to change the course of more than one life.

When Maze returns to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged bff and the sister of her heart, it’s also a reunion of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them wide.

Now as adults together again in the lake house, there are secrets and resentments mixed up in all the amazing childhood memories. Unexpectedly, they instantly fall back into their roles: Maze their reckless leader, Cat the den mother, Heather the beloved baby sister, and Walker, a man of mystery.

Life has changed all four of them in immeasurable ways. Maze and Cat must decide if they can rebuild their friendship, and Maze discovers her long-held attraction to Walker hasn’t faded with the years but has only grown stronger.

AMAZON | INDIEBOUND | B&N | B-A-M | BOOKSHOP

Because, Maze?” “Yeah?” “You’ve never been ‘just’ anything in your life.”

You may not believe this, especially me being a self proclaimed angst-addict, but I do read non-angsty books. Sometimes. Not often. And when I do, Jill Shalvis is my go to.

Whenever I’m in the mood for a read with plenty of feels that will give me a butterflies and a satisfied smile in the end, a Jill Shalvis book is a no brainer. The Forever Girl was a beautiful story of a family formed in bond rather than blood, second chances and growth.

Maze is an orphan that’s seen the ugly side of family before learning the ugly side of foster homes. She’s never healed her mental scars and she’s never stopped running because leaving is easier than being left behind. She comes back to town for the wedding of her foster sister and gets reunited with her foster family that she left behind but never in her mind. They were once as close as they can get, until tragedy tore them apart. There’s Caitlin, the sweet bridezilla, Heather the baby sister, and Walker, the man that held her heart.

First of all, if you love swoon heroes, it just doesn’t get better than Walker. He’s the silent protector. An FBI agent and a man with a heart of gold but with plenty of his own demons. I fell fast and hard for him. And when we start getting more and more insight into his connection with Maze, I couldn’t get enough of it. Maze is a runner. She runs from her feelings and she runs from her guilt that she continues to harbor years later.

This is a heartfelt and beautiful story of the family you build and forgiveness. It’s a story of growth and second chances. It’s also a story of a once in a lifetime kind of love. You get multiple POVs including Maze, Walker, and Caitlin. There’s also a secondary and incredibly satisfying story for Heather which I absolutely loved.

If you’re looking for a sweet and incredibly fulfilling read, look no further. This one will bring all of the feels.

CHAPTER 1Now

Twin piglet-like snorts distracted her, and she looked down at her fiancé’s “babies.” The pug brothers had huge buggy black eyes and little round bodies and vibrated like they needed their batter- ies changed. Roly was black and Poly tan, both with black faces, black curly tails, and little black feet.

They snorted at her until she gave in and scooped them up, one in each arm, having to smile at their smushed-in faces. “Okay, guys, listen up. We’ve got a lot to do today.” She took a good, hard look around the old cabin that had been in her family’s possession since the early 1900s. It sat right on Rainbow Lake, about twenty minutes outside of Wildstone, a small ranching community on California’s central coast. She had a lot of good memories here: visiting her grandparents, learning to swim . . . she’d even run away here a few times in her dramatic teens.

Her grandparents were gone, and her parents now lived in South Carolina, where both of them were college professors. They were thinking of selling this place, but had agreed to let her live here until her wedding. At least that was the official reason. The unofficial one was that she was losing her collective shit and had needed the safety net.

The problem was that there were still a few vital pieces missing from the puzzle of Caitlin’s life: the most important pieces, the corner pieces, the ones you couldn’t do without. And since Michael was an angel now—and damn, her heart still squeezed painfully every time she thought about him, which was a lot— she was really counting on the wedding to bring the other vital pieces back to her. Those pieces named Heather, Walker, and Maze.

The estrangement between them all felt like a huge, gaping hole. It’d started at Michael’s grave three years ago and had only gotten worse. Hence the thing she’d done.

No one was going to thank her. And it was entirely possible it would all blow up in her face. But she’d had to try. Just thinking about it had the butterflies in her belly escaping and taking flight in her nervous system, giving her the shakes. But that might have been the five cups of coffee she’d consumed. She set down the pugs, much to their snorting, squealing dis- pleasure, and got to it. Running around like a madwoman for the next few hours, she changed the sheets on the beds in the spare bedrooms, swept the wood floors, washed the towels so they’d smell fresh . . . all while fielding call after call from her boss, Sara.

Cat managed the Wildstone deli that Sara owned. Cat also made all the hot food, which was actually the only part of her job she enjoyed, because the deli itself was a nightmare. She’d taken three weeks off for the wedding, but Sara, who’d missed her calling as the passive-aggressive queen of the universe, had been in contact almost every day in the guise of needing something, while really just wanting Caitlin to know of her every little mistake or misstep.

So when her phone buzzed in her pocket yet again while Cat was folding clothes in the laundry room, she ignored it.

“Caitlin?” came Dillon’s voice. “Can you bring me my laptop?”

She transferred another load into the dryer, turned it on, blew a stray hair off her sweaty face, and poked her head out of the laundry room to find Dillon sitting on the couch in the living room, feet up on the coffee table, Roly and Poly curled up on his lap.

“Are you kidding me?”

He flashed her the charming smile that had caught both her attention and her heart a year ago. “Sorry,” he said. “But my ankle’s bothering me again. Do you mind?”

Hard to, when his twisted ankle was actually her fault. She’d seen a Cosmo post online titled “The Top Ten Ways to Spruce Up Your Sex Life.” Feeling ambitious, she’d gone with number one: “Seduce Your Man in the Shower.” What could she say? The illustrations had looked intriguing.

Turned out attempting intriguing things in the shower was dangerous.

Feeling guilty, she ran up the stairs and got his laptop, stopping to straighten out the mess he’d left on the desk. When she got back downstairs, he was standing at the front door with his golf bag slung over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Just got a call from Mom. Her golf date bailed and she needs me to do the back nine with her.”

“But your ankle.”

“We’ve got a cart.” He handed her the pugs.

Juggling the soft sausage loaves while trying to avoid the inevitable face kisses—a big no-thank-you, since they had a fondness for licking each other’s butts—she stared at Dillon. “You said that you’d be here to meet my family and have dinner with us.”

“Babe.” His face softened. “I’m your family. Me and my mom, and your parents.”

“You know that’s only technically true,” she protested. She and Heather and Walker and Maze might not be blood, but they were something even deeper. A self-made family, and yeah, okay, maybe it was a very dysfunctional one, but it felt more real than anything else in her life.

“Come on,” Dillon said, putting his hands on her hips and giving her a frustrated smile. “When’s the last time you heard from Maze or Heather”—he set a finger against her lips when she tried to speak—“where you didn’t contact them first. I mean, have they offered to help you with the wedding? They’re in it—you insisted on them over your local friends—so . . . where have they been?”

She could admit that he had a point. They hadn’t been together since their fight in front of Michael’s grave. Heather had vanished, just gone dark for a whole year before suddenly responding to Caitlin’s texts again as if nothing had happened. But she still hadn’t been back to Wildstone and wouldn’t give Caitlin much in- formation other than that she was okay and “working on things.” Whatever that meant.

Caitlin hadn’t seen Maze either, and not for a lack of trying. But they’d texted and had a few strained calls. And to give Maze credit, she always responded when Caitlin reached out, even with her busy life that was now in Santa Barbara, two hours south of Wildstone.

But Caitlin had, however, seen Walker. Sparingly, but he’d been gone on the job nearly nonstop the past three years. She missed him. She missed all of them and wanted them back together.

 And as the self-appointed bossy older sister of the fam, she was determined—and, okay, also slightly desperate—to make it hap- pen. And yeah, maybe, maybe, she’d rushed her wedding along, knowing it was the one thing that could bring her siblings of the heart back together. She couldn’t help herself. For whatever rea- son, the four of them had synced and melded into a core family that long-ago year, but they were losing each other, and that scared her. She’d already lost Michael; hell if she’d lose the others too. She needed this so badly she couldn’t even explain it to Dillon. But the truth was the last time she’d felt vibrantly alive had

been when they’d all been in her life, and she was just desperate enough to play with fate to make it happen. 

“Please stay, Dillon.”

He studied her face and sighed, his eyes lit with affection as he cupped her jaw. “I promised Mom, but I’ll get back asap. Take care of my babies?”

It was the best she was going to get, so she nodded. He brushed a nice, warm kiss across her lips, and then he was gone.

From THE FOREVER GIRL by Jill Shalvis, published by William Morrow. Copyright © 2021 by Jill Shalvis. Reprinted courtesy of HarperCollinsPublishers https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-forever-girl-jill-shalvis?variant=32218755694626 

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/

Facebook: @JillShalvis

Twitter: @JillShalvis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/

Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true

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

Review: The Fourth Time Charm by Maya Hughes

January 9, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE FOURTH TIME CHARM
Series: Fulton U #4
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: Maya Hughes
Release Date: January 7, 2020

“Are you sleeping with my daughter?”

Not the question I wanted to hear from my coach. The man holding my pro future in the palm of his hand.

The answer: No, sir.

The real answer: I’d sure as hell like to be.

Marisa’s been my best friend since third grade. And now she needs my help–and a place to stay. Senior year was supposed to be the year to keep some distance until the season finished and my draft prospects were safe.

But resisting her is becoming impossible. Movie Thursdays under the blankets. Study sessions on my bed. Wild party nights where I kept any guy interested at bay with a single glare.

Her dad can bench my ass for the entire season, so she’s off limits–for now.

She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. And one heated night, I can’t stop fighting every cell in my body and can’t stop myself from sampling her sexy smile, her sweet smell, and her sultry curves.

We’re walking a tightrope with my future on the line. Let’s just make sure Coach doesn’t find out…

AMAZON

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Tonight, I’d hold her in my arms. Tomorrow, I’d figure out how to deal with being in love with the coach’s daughter.

Confession time, friends to lovers isn’t my usual choice of trope. Don’t ask me why. I have no idea. I’ll read it but it’s just not a trope I yearn for or gravitate towards. But when it came to LJ and Marisa’s story? I had to have it. I was downright ravenous for it. Ever since we met them as secondary characters in the beginning of this series, I’ve been dying to finally get to read their HEA. This book blew every expectation I had for their book away. I absolutely adored this story!

Sometimes it felt like I could disappear and no one would really care. It felt like I was a temporary fixture in someone’s life until they moved on. But with LJ I felt like I mattered—always.

LJ and Marisa have been friends since they were kids and their connection is one of the most heartwarming things I’ve ever read. They’re so solid together. Always there for each other. And while it could be a sibling sort of connection, there’s simply too much chemistry between them to ever think anything else. Unbeknownst to each other, both Marisa and LJ have feelings but think the other one wants nothing romantic. So if you want unrequited love angst, this has it.

LJ grew up with an amazing family, while Marisa’s parents definitely left something to be desired. Her recent reunion with her absentee father is anything but smooth. She wants nothing to do with him and she has no idea that he’s punishing LJ for their friendship and what he suspects may be going on between them. As much as I hated the coach for the majority of the book, it suddenly took a turn at the end, and I loved how Maya handled this particular story line.

LJ is absolute perfection of a man. He’s sweet, loyal, and doesn’t play games. He’s not interested in doing around even though his football god rep would more than ease that way. I loved how he’s always there for Marisa and their love for each other is so unique and sweet.

Marisa deals with a lot throughout the course of this story and at times it was tough to read. I’ll admit to shedding quite a few tears at the end of the book. My cold black heart broke a little for her.

I’m not going to lie, in parts these two frustrated me and I wanted to shake them to make them see reason and for LJ to just tell Marisa what’s been happening. But I also completely understood his reasoning and had so much respect for him because of it.

If you’re looking for a sweet and heartwarming friends to lovers romance, you won’t want to miss this. Now I’m slowly dying for a particularly mysterious male character to get his story next because it sounds like it’ll be a juicy one.

Maya Hughes, that’s me!, can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! 🙂 I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I love writing stories that capture the possibilities of the paths less travelled and enjoy experiencing life through my characters’ eyes. 

I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe, traveling with my family and Jeff Goldblum. 

AUTHOR LINKS

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Review: Forsaken Trail by Devney Perry

December 30, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

FORSAKEN TRAIL
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Runaway #4
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: December 29, 2020

Aria Saint-James has planned the perfect getaway: sweatpants, takeout and two weeks alone with her sister and nephew. Nowhere on that list is wearing a low-cut dress and uncomfortable heels to attend a wedding where she knows neither the bride nor the groom. Toss in her nemesis, Brody Carmichael, and her road trip to Arizona is officially a bust.

But at least there is champagne.

She blames the bubbly for falling into bed with Brody that night. Enemy or no, the billionaire is irresistible in a tux. But after their one-night tryst, Aria has no choice but to cut her vacation short, returning home to escape his devilish smile, vowing never to see Brody again.

Except Aria gets a surprise a few weeks later—she’s pregnant. When he learns that she’s carrying his child, Brody offers Aria the chance of a lifetime. The catch? She has to live under his roof until the baby is born.

Either they’ll kill each other in nine months. Or discover love buried beneath their hate.

 AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

One night of pretending. Then we’d go back to what we were good at. Hating.

I feel like I have been waiting for this story for so long! I’ve been completely enraptured with the Runaway series since book one, and the Cadillac saga continues with Aria’s road to a HEA.

Aria and Brody have been dancing around each other for years. They started off on the wrong foot and it’s only continued from there. There’s certainly no love lost between them but there’s plenty of chemistry. They crashed into each other’s orbit through Aria’s twin sister, who works for Brody. But while her sister and Brody are close, Aria can’t stand the man. She thinks he’s too arrogant for his own good and quick to throw his money and status around.

From the very first time they appear on the pages together, you can cut the sexual tension between them with a knife, and it was utterly delicious. Aria doesn’t mince words when it comes to Brody and is always quick to put him in his place. But then one night changes everything between them.

I love me a good surprise baby plot device, but it has to be done right. And it’s definitely done right in Forsaken Trail. I absolutely HATE when the heroine keeps the baby from the hero for whatever reason. Aria is not about that life. She tells Brody as soon as she knows. And even though there’s still plenty of unresolved issues between them, she doesn’t want to keep Brody away. Though she has doubts given her sister’s history with her baby daddy.

Brody is impossible not to love. The more you learn about his history, the more you love him. There’s a soft mushy center to this successful man and I adored it. He mans up right away when it comes to Aria and doesn’t play any games. Their road to a HEA was not a quick one but it was full of emotion and absolutely heart warming.

I did want a little bit more of the hate lust between them. It felt like they turned the corner really quick and a lot of their animosity was mentioned off the page and I would have loved more of that. But then again, I’m a sucker for that angsty enemies to lovers tension. This book is not quite that. It’s more feel good then angsty, and I didn’t mind that. It was satisfying from beginning to end and I adored Aria and Brody’s story. Now I’m eagerly waiting on Clara’s book next.

Devney is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Washington with her husband and two sons. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

Connect with Devney

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook |  Facebook Group |  Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Pinterest

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Review: The Office Party by Whitney G.

December 29, 2020 by · 2 Comments

THE OFFICE PARTY
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Whitney G
Release Date: December 18, 2020

I can’t believe that I pulled my boss’s name for our company’s annual Secret Santa tradition…

As the devil incarnate, this infuriating, cocky bastard never gives us the holidays off, and he honestly expects us to be grateful for his generous alternative: The Office Party.

It’s a mandatory, all-expenses trip for two weeks at a surprise luxury resort—where we still have to work twelve to fifteen hours a day.

I’m so over this…

So, I put zero percent effort into his gift. I tear the tag off whatever my sister gifts me, add a five-dollar amazon gift card, and hand it off to him.

It’s not until my sister sends me a text that I realize how terrible of a decision that was.

Georgia: Why haven’t you sent me a ‘LOL’ about the brand-new vibrator I got you? I really do hope that you use your boss’s face as a muse, like my note says. 🙂

If that’s not bad enough, this year’s “luxury trip” will be in my hometown–the place I’ve avoided for years. At the resort that my grandmother owns…

If the universe gets me out of this, I will never ‘regift’ anything ever again…

 AMAZON

For a few seconds, I forget that he’s Satan in the flesh—that he’s flown thirteen hours to confront me in another country.

If you’re looking for a quick, steamy and fun read, look no further. If there’s one thing I can say, is no matter the quibbles I may have, Whitney G always delivers on a fun and satisfying read, no matter the length.

I love a good enemies to lovers romance, but particularly when you have a sassy heroine give as good as she gets to the alphahole of a hero. And this one delivered that in spades! Garrett and Savannah have amazing chemistry and I loved the push and pull between them.

This could have been an amazing full length novel and had all of the ingredients to be one. While I love Whit’s sexy novellas, I couldn’t help thinking this would have been better as a full length. I would have loved more development for these characters and to see on the page what was described of their personalities off the page. Like Garrett’s satan boss antics. I would have loved more of that.

All that aside, this was still incredibly satisfying and hit the spot nicely. If you’re looking for a fun office romance with an enemies to lovers trope, definitely give this one a go.

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Review: Silver Lining by Skye Warren

December 22, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

SILVER LINING
Series: Diamond Trilogy #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: December 15, 2020

Silver Lining by Skye Warren is now live!

 

Elijah North has survived starvation and torture.

 

Now he faces his darkest challenge: the possibility of life without Holly Frank. The woman he loves hangs in the balance.

 

 

The family he found mourns in the distance.

 

And the future he built crumbles in the wind.

SILVER LINING is the final book in Elijah and Holly’s story!

Amazon | Apple Books | Nook | Kobo

His eyes are a match, and I’m kindling. I’m ready to burn into a massive flame.

Talk about going out with a bang. I couldn’t have hoped for a better conclusion to this trilogy than Silver Lining.

You can’t fight the demons I fight when you have something to lose.

Since the major cliffhanger in Gold Mine, I’ve been waiting on the third and final book with bated breath. And it delivered on everything I had hoped and so much more. It was an intense thrill ride that I couldn’t put down for even a second. I binge read it in one sitting and was left with a goofy smile on my face.

If you loved Elijah in the previous two books, prepare to seriously fall head over ovaries for the man in this one. Because OMG! Nothing beats an uber protective alpha that will protect his woman at any cost. The only thing better is when that woman is a fierce warrior in her own right. And Holly was FIERCE. Her introduction to Elijah’s world was a baptism by fire, but nothing could have prepared her for everything that was to come. This story really brought everything to a head and then wrapped it up with a bow flawlessly.

I fell hard for Elijah and Holly all over again. There was not one chapter that dragged. And y’all, this never happens to me in a trilogy. Usually either book 2 or book 3 has some slower paced parts. Not this book, though. It was a thrill ride from cover to cover. And the fact that you get a two for one with the conclusion of Adam’s story? Icing on the top!

I live for Skye Warren’s books and this one is the perfect example of why. The woman is a master of combining sexy suspense with just the right amount of grit to make for one unputdownable read.

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

 

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Review: About Tomorrow by Abbi Glines

December 21, 2020 by · Leave a Comment
ABOUT TOMORROW
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Abbi Glines
Release Date: December 14, 2020
About Tomorrow…I close my eyes as I hear him speak. I take one very long and deep breath hoping to calm the immediate butterflies that take flight in my stomach and hope to slow down the racing of my heart. The voice was slightly deeper but the timbre was one that was achingly familiar.
My actions did little to help, but then who was I kidding? A deep breath wasn’t going to fix the effect he had on me and my body’s inevitable reaction.
Even the memories that would forever haunt me couldn’t keep my emotions from triggering at the nearness of him once again.I used to pray that I’d find the strength to move on from him, from the pain that the end carried, from the emptiness in my chest, but ultimately move on from—the loss of Creed Sullivan and the death of his sister, Cora.The Sullivans had been the best part of my summers in New England.Deep down, I knew my ache for all that I had lost was the reason I returned…

But I hadn’t expected to see him again—especially not like this.

AMAZON

Creed didn’t just make me happy; he made me complete. Most of my life I had wandered through it never feeling like I belonged anywhere. Until Creed.

It’s been a hot minute since I last read an Abbi Glines book. Her books were a happy place for me whenever I needed a good dose of teenage drama and steamy romance. And when I read the blurb to this book, I had to have it. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and this one sounded like it had all of the feels.

If you’re looking for a steamy and angsty second chance romance, this one definitely ticks all of the boxes. Sailor and Creed were childhood sweethearts and each other’s world once upon a time. Then tragedy pulled them apart and even though Sailor’s life moved along, she barely was able to move on from Creed. She’s met a wonderful new guy and now she’s moving back to the town that holds such bittersweet memories for her in order to take care of her gram’s house after her passing. It’s been years since she’s seen Creed but when she meets the cousin of her boyfriend’s roommate in their apartment, her world comes crashing down to realize it’s Creed.

This story deals with some heavy subjects and I loved the grittier undertones of it. Sailor is not perfect and neither is Creed. Their love is messy and broken and riddled with unresolved pain and haunting memories. Sailor is in a happy relationship and Creed is not the boy she once fell in love with. He’s darker, colder, but he’s still the same caring Creed she once knew.

While this book had so many elements that I loved, there were also some things that didn’t quite work for me. Specifically the flashbacks. They just didn’t flow. They felt quite random and didn’t blend into the story. They were also much too short to really add to the overall plot and serve as anything other than a distraction. My other quibble was the conflict at the end. It felt…blah. It just felt like the story was driving to something much bigger and impactful. It just didn’t fit. It felt like a quick way to add something but it didn’t deliver on the something big that the story really needed for me.

Ultimately I still did enjoy this book quite a bit and it gave me the Abbi Glines fix that I didn’t even know I was craving. If you’re looking for a steamy second chance with plenty of angst, this one definitely got it.

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Review: Trish, Just Trish by Lynda LeeAnne

December 20, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

TRISH, JUST TRISH
Series: This Can’t Be Happening #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lynda LeeAnne
Release Date:December 12, 2013

Patricia Grace Kincaid is haunted by her past and no matter what she does, the ghosts won’t stay away. A childhood incident nearly ruined her life. A mistake that she made two years ago ripped her to shreds. She isn’t the same feisty, fearless bitch she used to be… or is she?

What will happen when the person she screwed over storms back into her life? She freaks.

Is it for the reason she’s always hoped for… that Tony Lopez, the breathtakingly sexy Latino love of her life, has finally decided to forgive her? Hell no. Will he demand her complete submission? Yes. Will he make her life hell? Double yes.

Will she, in return, torture him? Hell-to-the-yes. Will her past come back to haunt her? Absolutely.

Author’s warning: Including, but not limited to: a deep, dark childhood, lots and lots of cussing (as in, A LOT), a ton of fighting, maybe hair pulling, a bitch with a vulnerable side, and last, but not least, über possessive, over obsessive, crazy hot alpha males on the verge of needing therapy… and maybe a tear or two.

AMAZON

It hurts to know that the person you want, also wants you, but will easily find what he needs from other women if he wants to.

Now if you follow my reviews, you’d realize just how rare it is that I would one star a book. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember the last time I’ve done it. But when I say that Tony is quite possibly one of the most vile “heroes” I have ever read, that’s saying something. Because this girl lives for a good alphahole and bully romance is my jam. But this? This book was rage inducing to say the least. Heck, I’ll just let my highlights speak for themselves here. Seriously, Tony.
I love a good second chance romance, so I was instantly curious about Trish and Tony’s book. Trish was such a vivacious secondary character in Lexi, Baby that I couldn’t wait to see her as a lead. Tony is introduced off the pages in book one until the end. And I knew I’d be jumping straight into book two because I was dying to know what I happened.

Spoilers to follow…

Trish has some tragic history and hides a lot of pain beneath her vivacious and outrageously outspoken behavior. She’s a fiercely protective bestie and in a moment of anger, she wanted to pay back the woman that her bestie’s boyfriend cheated on her with in high school. To do this, she staged a photo to make it look like she slept with the woman’s douchebag drunk fiancé. Tony just so happens to be the woman’s brother, so suffice it to say he took the photos quite literally and dropped Trish like a bad habit without allowing her to explain anything.

Now he’s back two years later after they haven’t spoken because Trish’s life is in danger through an unrelated event and he’s determined to protect her even though he still hates her. Oh, Tony is also a manwhore that manwhored his way through wooing Trish two years ago. Because what’s the best way to get a woman you want to realize she wants you? Throw all of your women under her nose to make her jealous. Duh.
What happens for 95% of the novel is one of the most toxic relationships I have ever read. And not like omg he’s such an asshole I want to bang him sort of toxic. But like I hope he gets run over by a bus and will never have another woman subjected to him sort of toxic. Trish turns into a doormat. She thinks she’s this fierce and sassy woman, but when push comes to shove, all Tony has to do is touch her and she forgets all about his complete douchebaggery.

Tony runs hot and cold for 99% of the book. He treats her like a whore. He wants her physically but still hasn’t forgiven her nor believe her when she tries to tell him what really happened two years ago.

I’ll never forgive you. Even if there was a chance that I could believe you, I’ll never forgive you,” he declared…
“Then the least you can do is stay away from me while I’m here. I’ll stay here…”
“Mi reina, as much as I hate you, as much as I don’t trust you, I won’t be able to stay away from you.”

But when poor Trish manages to stumble onto his angry side. OMG. This man went from alphahole to douchebag in one second flat.

Like when a “punishment” goes too far and trigger Trish, this was his reaction.

Please don’t hurt me. Don’t touch me. I’m begging you.” “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Tony shouted, and I winced. Not until he threw himself away from me did I look at him. His body vibrated with rage. “You’re a fuckin’ bitch, you know that? One minute you act like you want it, the next you won’t even let me touch you. I haven’t the slightest idea why I wasted my fuckin’ time with you!” he shouted and it was too much to bear.

This story was like a bad train wreck. I know I should have looked away and DNFd but I couldn’t. So I pushed myself through only to discover Tony finally pulling his head out of his ass in the last 2%. But by then it was definitely a case of too little too late. The man didn’t do nearly amount of groveling to redeem himself from the sheer amount of damage that he created. Suffice it to say I wished that he was killed off and Trish ended up with Adam for her HEA because the only H that Tony deserved was Herpes.

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Review: Lexi, Baby by Lynda LeeAnne

December 19, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

LEXI, BABY
Series: This Can’t Be Happening #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lynda LeeAnne
Release Date: November 15, 2012

Alexis Sky Martine thinks of herself as the average girl-next-door who does what she has to do to get by, have fun and enjoy life.

She is madly in love with her sexy, drop-your-panties-at-first-sight, hottie boyfriend who is equally in love with her; more like downright obsessed. He treats her like she is his heart; like he needs her to exist; like he would do anything in his power to make her happy.
Lexi knows Landyn James loves her just as much as she loves him, if not more. Deep down, she also knows high school sweethearts aren’t expected to last, but their relationship is different. They are soul mates. Their connection is unbreakable.

What could possibly go wrong when you have love like that…?
Everything.
What will the future hold…?
Only time will tell.

Author’s Note: Contains Adult Content – Namely, a teenager-turned-woman with a very dirty mouth and fiery temper that may or may not know how to throw a punch. Also includes hot and steamy scenes, and a small glimpse into physical/verbal abuse.

AMAZON

I hated him with every fiber of my being. I would always love him, but I hated him with so much passion that I knew I would never be able to forgive him.

I recently fell down the KU rabbit hole and binge read on all of the books that I’ve been wanting to read for a few years now. This was at the top of my list. Why? The cheating. What? I’m weird like that, okay. I love me some cheating angst. But the cheating has to be written well. Like really well. There has to be a reason I can connect with. There has to be a grovel. Like epic grovel. Like a grovel to beat all grovels. And this book? Well….
I love alpha males. I love imperfect, broody, alpha holes. But toxic men? Not my cuppa. And Landyn felt toxic to me. He was possessive and broody, sure. But beyond that? Meh.

All things considered, I could have still liked it. But then there was Alexis. Annoying heroines are my kryptonite and I simply couldn’t stand Alexis. Spoilers to follow
(view spoiler)
Suffice it to say, I really disliked her for that.

Then there’s her toxic boyfriend that seriously spirals out of control and all of the victim blaming that happens. Oh he had a right to manhandle me because this happened and he was mad.
There was really no dealing with things between her and Landyn. Just a whole lot of sex. And I don’t mind me some sexy times, but a little less freaky deaky and a little more conversation wouldn’t have been amiss.

Between that, the amount of over the top ridiculous drama, grammatical errors, and really juvenile characters and dialogue and I completely checked out of the story. Though it did still hook me enough to be curious to read the next book to see how Trish and Tony’s story plays out.

Maybe if I read this book when it first released, I would have felt differently? But my reading tastes have changes quite a bit over the years and I’ll admit my expectations got different for my books. Sadly this one wasn’t my cuppa.

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