[image] The second book by Ms. Calhoun that I've read and really enjoyed. It's a novella packed with really good character development and excellent ch[image] The second book by Ms. Calhoun that I've read and really enjoyed. It's a novella packed with really good character development and excellent chemistry between Erin and Jack. Ms. Calhoun has a talent for really setting the scene and allowing her characters to reveal themselves through their dialogue. When I got to the end of it, I wanted more and was genuinely surprised that the timeframe for their relationship is so condensed. That’s the mark of a good writer. Honestly, I would have rated even higher of the ending hadn't felt rushed. Definitely recommend.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
I really liked this. I’ve enjoyed Ms. Aicher and her way with developing her characters and exploring relationships within very erotic/sexual s[image]
I really liked this. I’ve enjoyed Ms. Aicher and her way with developing her characters and exploring relationships within very erotic/sexual settings. Besides the workplace romance’s forbidden aspects, I loved that the main kink of the hero AND heroine is voyeurism and exhibitionism. Ms. Aicher has a way with sex scenes that never neglects the feelings along with the more smutty tingles. She also milks that forbidden office romance angle for every delicious bit of tension and their office party hookup was top notch.
Now, Carson and Avery’s sexual chemistry is strong and the usual things that you expect in an erotic romance are handled well. Ms. Aicher also infuses all those encounters with some good emotional development, so I could believe Avery and Carson are falling for each other. What I loved though is that there is no ignoring the potential power inequality and consent issues - though Avery is not Carson’s assistant, he is an officer in the company she works for, and there are other men in positions of power who are involved in this group sex scene. I like that there’s some real questions being asked and while the answers aren’t always easy, I liked that these concerns were even addressed.
This is an interesting setup for a series, and I’d be happy to read the next, because I want to see a certain CEO meet his match. I’d recommend this for those who love erotic romances with heat and heart.
[image] My goal, when reading a romance, is to NOT have that moment where I call either the hero or heroine, or both, pendejos [Spanish for morons]. It[image] My goal, when reading a romance, is to NOT have that moment where I call either the hero or heroine, or both, pendejos [Spanish for morons]. It’s a small goal, and unfortunately, I did not achieve it reading this book. That moment happened sometime around 65 or so percent in and I'm sorry but Violet is an insecure heroine. Her insecurity wears on a reader after a while.
Now, I can deal with an insecure heroine, because as a reader it's the character arc that I crave to see. However, in this instance, too much of her growth is packed into the end, and not enough to keep the reader hoping that she will get past her issues. Had she shown some growth, perhaps opened up a bit earlier and then gone into the lies portion of the program (also not a fave), perhaps I would have cared for her more. As it was, I was more on Noah’s side and I didn't didn't quite connect with her as much as I would have liked.
Noah is a nice beta type of hero with his own issues though, he didn't make a very strong impression on me either. Mostly, his personality seemed muted, and he took a backseat to her issues and emotions.
The truth of the matter is, I was way more intrigued with two supporting characters - yep, Luke and Harper. Luke seems edgy, and Harper has a fantastic personality. I'd love to see what drove her to be the woman she is today and how Luke could expose her vulnerability (without losing her spirit). They made a great impression on me and I cannot wait to see their story unfold. That was part of the problem. I wished it was their story and not so much Noah and Violet’s time.
[image] I enjoyed a good portion of it, even if I had issues with pacing. Overall, I think, there’s good bones here for a series. I’m super intrigued with Harper and Luke, so I’m hoping their book is next.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
[image] My goal, when reading a romance, is to NOT have that moment where I call either the hero or heroine, or both, pendejos [Spanish for morons]. It’s a small goal, and unfortunately, I did not achieve it reading this book. That moment happened sometime around 65 or so percent in and I'm sorry but Violet is an insecure heroine. Her insecurity wears on a reader after a while.
Now, I can deal with an insecure heroine, because as a reader it's the character arc that I crave to see. However, in this instance, too much of her growth is packed into the end, and not enough to keep the reader hoping that she will get past her issues. Had she shown some growth, perhaps opened up a bit earlier and then gone into the lies portion of the program (also not a fave), perhaps I would have cared for her more. As it was, I was more on Noah’s side and I didn't didn't quite connect with her as much as I would have liked.
Noah is a nice beta type of hero with his own issues though, he didn't make a very strong impression on me either. Mostly, his personality seemed muted, and he took a backseat to her issues and emotions.
The truth of the matter is, I was way more intrigued with two supporting characters - yep, Luke and Harper. Luke seems edgy, and Harper has a fantastic personality. I'd love to see what drove her to be the woman she is today and how Luke could expose her vulnerability (without losing her spirit). They made a great impression on me and I cannot wait to see their story unfold. That was part of the problem. I wished it was their story and not so much Noah and Violet’s time.
[image] I enjoyed a good portion of it, even if I had issues with pacing. Overall, I think, there’s good bones here for a series. I’m super intrigued with Harper and Luke, so I’m hoping their book is next.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
The fifth in the series features Lorelei Twynham, cousin to the Wickham sisters, being transported to the Gathering and meeting her Warden men, Dylan The fifth in the series features Lorelei Twynham, cousin to the Wickham sisters, being transported to the Gathering and meeting her Warden men, Dylan and Zeke.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
-funny shifter romance series: I’ve been reading these since the beginning, and I like the heroines and their humor, and the possessive/protective Alphas in this world. Ms. Kyle has an overarching storyline going on with the Wickham and Twynham sisters and the Five Families’ quest to hurt them for their interference in the way the Gathering is conducted and revealing that Wardens are allowed to have mates.
-Lorelei’s got a (pink) gun: She’s very much in line with earlier heroines. She’s not necessarily insecure about her looks, she’s more concerned about protecting herself and those she loves and being strong enough to defend herself. She was attacked years ago, and she refuses to be defenseless. I liked her.
-Dylan and Zeke are typical Alphas: Dylan’s tailored clothes and Zeke is ripped jeans and Chucks, but they’re very much in form as Warden Alphas.
-Ok, so it’s a formula: You either enjoy the formula or not, but there is definitely one here. Heroine meets alpha duo, sparks fly, some doubt, and then hey! it’s a menage with DP. It’s all MFM. For me, I don’t mind a formula as long as it’s done well. I know what I’m getting and I like what I get. Lorelei and her men take a backseat to the overarching story a bit but the big beats are done, and I am interested in seeing how they save the final Twynham sister, Paisley.
The Bottom Line A funny, quick read that features a BBW heroine and some hot werewolves. If that’s up your alley, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Merged review:
The fifth in the series features Lorelei Twynham, cousin to the Wickham sisters, being transported to the Gathering and meeting her Warden men, Dylan and Zeke.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
-funny shifter romance series: I’ve been reading these since the beginning, and I like the heroines and their humor, and the possessive/protective Alphas in this world. Ms. Kyle has an overarching storyline going on with the Wickham and Twynham sisters and the Five Families’ quest to hurt them for their interference in the way the Gathering is conducted and revealing that Wardens are allowed to have mates.
-Lorelei’s got a (pink) gun: She’s very much in line with earlier heroines. She’s not necessarily insecure about her looks, she’s more concerned about protecting herself and those she loves and being strong enough to defend herself. She was attacked years ago, and she refuses to be defenseless. I liked her.
-Dylan and Zeke are typical Alphas: Dylan’s tailored clothes and Zeke is ripped jeans and Chucks, but they’re very much in form as Warden Alphas.
-Ok, so it’s a formula: You either enjoy the formula or not, but there is definitely one here. Heroine meets alpha duo, sparks fly, some doubt, and then hey! it’s a menage with DP. It’s all MFM. For me, I don’t mind a formula as long as it’s done well. I know what I’m getting and I like what I get. Lorelei and her men take a backseat to the overarching story a bit but the big beats are done, and I am interested in seeing how they save the final Twynham sister, Paisley.
The Bottom Line A funny, quick read that features a BBW heroine and some hot werewolves. If that’s up your alley, I think you’ll enjoy it....more
Jackie Delgado, a thirty-twelve teacher meets Mark Brennan, a thirty-eighteen cop, and romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between -ThJackie Delgado, a thirty-twelve teacher meets Mark Brennan, a thirty-eighteen cop, and romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between -The premise: this came highly recommended and I really love reading about older heroes/heroines. The life experience is different, it’s certainly something I can relate to, being a thirty-teen myself, and the outline for this was right up my alley. Plus, the heroine is Latina, and being Puerto Rican, I like seeing Latino heroes/heroines represented in romance novels.
-The humor: and Jackie’s very self-deprecating humor was funny at times, and there are humorous moments throughout that livened things up well, because….
-Soapy aka melodramatic plot: Jackie can bring the drama herself and there’s alot of convenient coincidences that drive the plot. In this case, the drama is further complicated by her son’s romance with Mark’s daughter. I don’t mind soapy drama, but that’s not everyone’s cuppa.
-Frustrating heroine: the biggest hindrance to my enjoyment of the story was how negative Jackie is. Now, going in, I had an idea that she had some self-esteem issues, but I didn’t fully grasp the extent of her insecurity. Her constant negative internal monologue was hard to read, and she even admitted it. Which leads me to...
-First person POV is a hindrance in this case: The entire story is told from Jackie’s POV, and the way she always put herself down made it difficult to see her great qualities, the very qualities that people around her loved her for. Had it been told in third person, perhaps I would have gotten a clearer glimpse of who Jackie really was, instead of the intense, almost crippling insecurity that she lives with. She had brief moments of clarity, but for the most part, even towards the end, she struggled with no self-esteem.
The Bottom Line There’s a good story in there, as long as you like a bit of drama and don’t mind a frustrating heroine.
Merged review:
Jackie Delgado, a thirty-twelve teacher meets Mark Brennan, a thirty-eighteen cop, and romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between -The premise: this came highly recommended and I really love reading about older heroes/heroines. The life experience is different, it’s certainly something I can relate to, being a thirty-teen myself, and the outline for this was right up my alley. Plus, the heroine is Latina, and being Puerto Rican, I like seeing Latino heroes/heroines represented in romance novels.
-The humor: and Jackie’s very self-deprecating humor was funny at times, and there are humorous moments throughout that livened things up well, because….
-Soapy aka melodramatic plot: Jackie can bring the drama herself and there’s alot of convenient coincidences that drive the plot. In this case, the drama is further complicated by her son’s romance with Mark’s daughter. I don’t mind soapy drama, but that’s not everyone’s cuppa.
-Frustrating heroine: the biggest hindrance to my enjoyment of the story was how negative Jackie is. Now, going in, I had an idea that she had some self-esteem issues, but I didn’t fully grasp the extent of her insecurity. Her constant negative internal monologue was hard to read, and she even admitted it. Which leads me to...
-First person POV is a hindrance in this case: The entire story is told from Jackie’s POV, and the way she always put herself down made it difficult to see her great qualities, the very qualities that people around her loved her for. Had it been told in third person, perhaps I would have gotten a clearer glimpse of who Jackie really was, instead of the intense, almost crippling insecurity that she lives with. She had brief moments of clarity, but for the most part, even towards the end, she struggled with no self-esteem.
The Bottom Line There’s a good story in there, as long as you like a bit of drama and don’t mind a frustrating heroine....more
[image] The Faradays, never a dull moment: The action begins from the very first page, and it never really lets up. The third Blood Money novel beg[image] The Faradays, never a dull moment: The action begins from the very first page, and it never really lets up. The third Blood Money novel begins as Casey Faraday is organizing the family to go after baby brother Adam, who has been kidnapped off the street and taken to Columbia for reasons unknown. Casey spent some time about four years ago working undercover as a brigadier in the Marin cartel, under a certain cartel head named Pipe. As the story unfolds, we find out alot about Casey, including his secret relationship and marriage to, Ilda Almeida. A secret marriage that had Casey leaving Columbia believing himself to be a widower. Since this is in the blurb, I don’t feel badly about giving those deets, but to keep this as spoiler free as possible, I’m about to vague it up some. Basically, from there, the story brings the angst hard and kept me turning the page well into the night.
Oh the delicious tension: In order to invest in a romantic suspense story, I need to feel tense. Like I’m gonna need a massage afterwards because my shoulders are bunched up and I’m waiting for that shoe to drop in the most painful way possible. I need to engage with those characters, to feel the danger, the adrenaline rushes, I need it all. While reading Casey and Ilda’s story, I felt that delicious tension, the thrill running up and down my spine, and I loved it. Casey and Ilda are gobsmacked when they see each other and their reunion is explosive. As for easy answers as to the whys, well there aren’t any and that’s the best thing. For example...
Nothing is black and white: If there’s one thing that I admire, it’s an author that can take a villain or a hero and imbue them with so many layers that it’s not a matter of simply calling them Hero or Villain. These are complex, fascinating characters and I was as intrigued with Pipe as I was with Casey, even as I rooted for Casey and Ilda to reunite. That’s not an easy thing to do and I admire Ms. Harris for her willingness to shine a light on all the corners of their souls, light and dark. To let the reader see that there are no easy answers, just hard choices.
There are head scratcher moments: I have to note that there are moments where I had to say “what the ever loving fuck are they thinking” when it came to certain actions taken, right in the midst of some intense and dangerous situations. Action that lead to hot sex or touching moments, but all I kept thinking was “Is this the proper time to do that? You know, when LIFE IN DANGER?” Also, Ilda’s choice to stay as part of Pipe’s world? Yeah, that wasn’t easy to swallow at first. Once I learned the truth of her life for those four painful years, well I have to admit that it became easier to understand why Ilda would continue to stay in Pipe’s orbit, considering the inherent danger.
Want more now: Adam! Lordy I want to know more about Adam and I cannot wait to read his story. To be honest, I want it all now. This series has moved up the ranks of my fave action/adventure books and I want to know more about this world they inhabit.
[image] I really enjoyed Casey and Ilda’s intense, angsty romance and the suspense was crazy. Even with some crazy plot choices, I am loving this series and I love the Faradays. They’re a very interesting family and I can’t wait ‘til it’s time to visit with them again.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
Merged review:
[image] The Faradays, never a dull moment: The action begins from the very first page, and it never really lets up. The third Blood Money novel begins as Casey Faraday is organizing the family to go after baby brother Adam, who has been kidnapped off the street and taken to Columbia for reasons unknown. Casey spent some time about four years ago working undercover as a brigadier in the Marin cartel, under a certain cartel head named Pipe. As the story unfolds, we find out alot about Casey, including his secret relationship and marriage to, Ilda Almeida. A secret marriage that had Casey leaving Columbia believing himself to be a widower. Since this is in the blurb, I don’t feel badly about giving those deets, but to keep this as spoiler free as possible, I’m about to vague it up some. Basically, from there, the story brings the angst hard and kept me turning the page well into the night.
Oh the delicious tension: In order to invest in a romantic suspense story, I need to feel tense. Like I’m gonna need a massage afterwards because my shoulders are bunched up and I’m waiting for that shoe to drop in the most painful way possible. I need to engage with those characters, to feel the danger, the adrenaline rushes, I need it all. While reading Casey and Ilda’s story, I felt that delicious tension, the thrill running up and down my spine, and I loved it. Casey and Ilda are gobsmacked when they see each other and their reunion is explosive. As for easy answers as to the whys, well there aren’t any and that’s the best thing. For example...
Nothing is black and white: If there’s one thing that I admire, it’s an author that can take a villain or a hero and imbue them with so many layers that it’s not a matter of simply calling them Hero or Villain. These are complex, fascinating characters and I was as intrigued with Pipe as I was with Casey, even as I rooted for Casey and Ilda to reunite. That’s not an easy thing to do and I admire Ms. Harris for her willingness to shine a light on all the corners of their souls, light and dark. To let the reader see that there are no easy answers, just hard choices.
There are head scratcher moments: I have to note that there are moments where I had to say “what the ever loving fuck are they thinking” when it came to certain actions taken, right in the midst of some intense and dangerous situations. Action that lead to hot sex or touching moments, but all I kept thinking was “Is this the proper time to do that? You know, when LIFE IN DANGER?” Also, Ilda’s choice to stay as part of Pipe’s world? Yeah, that wasn’t easy to swallow at first. Once I learned the truth of her life for those four painful years, well I have to admit that it became easier to understand why Ilda would continue to stay in Pipe’s orbit, considering the inherent danger.
Want more now: Adam! Lordy I want to know more about Adam and I cannot wait to read his story. To be honest, I want it all now. This series has moved up the ranks of my fave action/adventure books and I want to know more about this world they inhabit.
[image] I really enjoyed Casey and Ilda’s intense, angsty romance and the suspense was crazy. Even with some crazy plot choices, I am loving this series and I love the Faradays. They’re a very interesting family and I can’t wait ‘til it’s time to visit with them again.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**...more
Sophia Roux is in the hospital, awaiting the birth of her perfect older sister Angie’s perfect baby when she realizes she has to get out. Right now. WSophia Roux is in the hospital, awaiting the birth of her perfect older sister Angie’s perfect baby when she realizes she has to get out. Right now. When she runs out of the hospital, she ends up in the cab of one Parker Jones, who is running away from some of his own emotionally fraught baggage. Let me tell you, ALOT happens. Paradigm shifts galore, and yes romance. Now, this is a more emotional type of tale, so the way I deal with that is humor, so buckle up buttercup, it’s review in the form of gifs time.
Ok, yeah and plenty words, because that’s how I rock. And roll. Let’s dive into this.
[image]
[image] The Good
[image]
Blown away. That’s my first reaction.
Wasn’t sure what I expected, but with a title like One Day to Fall, I was totally picturing some whirlwind, escapist, whimsical kind of fantasy, maybe?
[image]
I mean, it usually takes me more than a day to finish my laundry (don’t judge), much less fall in love. And the way the e-book opened to Chapter One, I completely missed the content warning.
[image]
This book has depth and dimension. There are serious issues that it tackles and does it brilliantly. The themes of parental caretaking, loss, grief, resentment, family? They’re all complicated but when it all comes together? It’s magic.
There are so many scenes, especially when Parker is facing the reality of his mother’s future, and when Sophia is relaying her own experience with her father’s illness that I was all
[image]
And it did, not gonna lie. But it was cathartic. While everyone’s grief, and the way they process it, is different, Ms. Beharrie tapped into the universality of these emotions. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Cape Town, South Africa, or a suburb in Western New York. It’s the feelings that pull you in and make you care in the best way possible. (Side note - I love how Cape Town came alive in this story, and it made me want to see this story on screen, either big or small, it's got that cinematic quality to it).
But back on point, she made me cry (twice!) [image]
There’s not one cardboard cutout masquerading as a character in this. Each and every character has flaws that ring true and even when I didn’t agree with a character’s decisions, I never felt as if I didn’t understand the motivations behind those decisions.
Speaking of characters, Sophia and Parker are just [image]
Sophia is smart, witty, blunt, and caring with no time for fools. Her confidence is sexy, and her wit is delicious. Parker is caring, smart, witty, at times blunt (especially with Sophia) and protective in all the ways I adore. His appreciation for her strength is sexy. This is a kisses/mild foreplay kind of book, but the emotional heatscore is off the charts between these two. Loved them. Alot.
The Bad(ish) and Everything in Between [image]
Because I love this book, I see all of it, much like Parker sees Sophia - exactly as she is. This is a book with alot of introspection. It’s what the themes require. That introspection is revelatory, fascinating and emotionally resonant with me. However, when that introspection comes along during scenes between different characters, and it could be confusing. There were times when I completely forgot where they were, because I was caught up in the internal discussion Sophie or Parker were having with themselves. It interrupted the flow of dialogue, even if I appreciated the character development and the way it moved the story along. As a dialogue stan, I wanted more of it, because when the dialogue flowed it was fantastic. The time between the inevitable and completely believable dark moment, but before the ultimate resolution, had a slight bit of repetitiveness, as if it were simply biding its time for the story to really kick into gear. Other than that, I was captivated throughout their journeys, individual and romantic.
[image]
[image]
I fell in love today and it was with Therese Beharrie’s writing. I want more of it. The romance between Sophia and Parker was exactly what I needed. This is the second book in the series, and I didn’t know that when I started, but it’s not necessary to read that book in order to enjoy this one. And yes, I do want to read Angie and Ezra’s book.
Be prepared for the emotions, but the humor and heart that she writes with will keep you coming back for more. Ms. Beharrie has jumped way up my “authors to watch” list and I’m keeping an eye out for Sophia’s sister Zoey’s book.
[image]
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
Sophia Roux is in the hospital, awaiting the birth of her perfect older sister Angie’s perfect baby when she realizes she has to get out. Right now. When she runs out of the hospital, she ends up in the cab of one Parker Jones, who is running away from some of his own emotionally fraught baggage. Let me tell you, ALOT happens. Paradigm shifts galore, and yes romance. Now, this is a more emotional type of tale, so the way I deal with that is humor, so buckle up buttercup, it’s review in the form of gifs time.
Ok, yeah and plenty words, because that’s how I rock. And roll. Let’s dive into this.
[image]
[image] The Good
[image]
Blown away. That’s my first reaction.
Wasn’t sure what I expected, but with a title like One Day to Fall, I was totally picturing some whirlwind, escapist, whimsical kind of fantasy, maybe?
[image]
I mean, it usually takes me more than a day to finish my laundry (don’t judge), much less fall in love. And the way the e-book opened to Chapter One, I completely missed the content warning.
[image]
This book has depth and dimension. There are serious issues that it tackles and does it brilliantly. The themes of parental caretaking, loss, grief, resentment, family? They’re all complicated but when it all comes together? It’s magic.
There are so many scenes, especially when Parker is facing the reality of his mother’s future, and when Sophia is relaying her own experience with her father’s illness that I was all
[image]
And it did, not gonna lie. But it was cathartic. While everyone’s grief, and the way they process it, is different, Ms. Beharrie tapped into the universality of these emotions. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Cape Town, South Africa, or a suburb in Western New York. It’s the feelings that pull you in and make you care in the best way possible. (Side note - I love how Cape Town came alive in this story, and it made me want to see this story on screen, either big or small, it's got that cinematic quality to it).
But back on point, she made me cry (twice!) [image]
There’s not one cardboard cutout masquerading as a character in this. Each and every character has flaws that ring true and even when I didn’t agree with a character’s decisions, I never felt as if I didn’t understand the motivations behind those decisions.
Speaking of characters, Sophia and Parker are just [image]
Sophia is smart, witty, blunt, and caring with no time for fools. Her confidence is sexy, and her wit is delicious. Parker is caring, smart, witty, at times blunt (especially with Sophia) and protective in all the ways I adore. His appreciation for her strength is sexy. This is a kisses/mild foreplay kind of book, but the emotional heatscore is off the charts between these two. Loved them. Alot.
The Bad(ish) and Everything in Between [image]
Because I love this book, I see all of it, much like Parker sees Sophia - exactly as she is. This is a book with alot of introspection. It’s what the themes require. That introspection is revelatory, fascinating and emotionally resonant with me. However, when that introspection comes along during scenes between different characters, and it could be confusing. There were times when I completely forgot where they were, because I was caught up in the internal discussion Sophie or Parker were having with themselves. It interrupted the flow of dialogue, even if I appreciated the character development and the way it moved the story along. As a dialogue stan, I wanted more of it, because when the dialogue flowed it was fantastic. The time between the inevitable and completely believable dark moment, but before the ultimate resolution, had a slight bit of repetitiveness, as if it were simply biding its time for the story to really kick into gear. Other than that, I was captivated throughout their journeys, individual and romantic.
[image]
[image]
I fell in love today and it was with Therese Beharrie’s writing. I want more of it. The romance between Sophia and Parker was exactly what I needed. This is the second book in the series, and I didn’t know that when I started, but it’s not necessary to read that book in order to enjoy this one. And yes, I do want to read Angie and Ezra’s book.
Be prepared for the emotions, but the humor and heart that she writes with will keep you coming back for more. Ms. Beharrie has jumped way up my “authors to watch” list and I’m keeping an eye out for Sophia’s sister Zoey’s book.
[image]
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
[image] Sweet new adult series: This is the third book in Ms. Pizzitola’s Crush series and focuses on Mason, Brinley’s (the heroine from Just a Little Crush) BFF. He’s getting over his own crush on Brinley, so he volunteers to go to Port Lucia and work for his uncle’s fishing boat service for the summer. There he meets Felicity, a waitress in the small town who’s good friends with his cousins. Sparks fly and what starts as a summer fling turns into full blown romance happening...after a few obstacles, of course.
Ms. Pizzitola’s writing has appealed to me and I love how her little ‘verse has grown book by book. Mason’s cousins deserves some love of their own, and I sincerely hope we’re getting a book for Isla (Felicity’s BFF) and Colby (Mason’s cousin). Besides the fact that Isla’s Latina, I loved the little scenes with her grandmother. Felicity may want to escape, but I liked visiting Port Lucia.
Soft spot for Mason: Now Mason was the sweet best friend for Brinley, the guy who didn’t get the girl, but to be fair, he was never really in the running. I like the fact that Mason realizes that quickly and bonus, can tell the difference between a crush and love when he sees Felicity. I’ve wanted to see him get his own love, and while she has her issues, I think they do work well together, and their banter about their “old married couple status,” from the very beginning really establishes their connection. He’s a stand up guy, knowing that to care for Felicity he doesn’t have to protect her from the world. She’s capable of standing on her own. Speaking of...
Felicity loves her Summer Boys: Felicity prefers to hook up (not all the way, just fooling around) with Summer Boys because it’s simple, fun and best of all, over once they leave town. She’s already had a serious relationship that went wrong, and she wants no more of that, thank you very much. Unfortunately, Port Lucia is a small town and it seems like all the guys are determined to protect her whether she wants them to or not. Felicity When she sees Mason, she realizes how well they click, and it’s great...
Until it freaks her out: When I read the first two books, for some reason Mason’s friends felt older than nineteen. Here, I really noticed it. Felicity isn’t that far out of high school, and alot of her anxiety felt as if it stemmed from her age and life experience. She’s determined to control her life and wants to change, but is paralyzed by the thought of it as well. She’s contradictory and frustrating at times, but she has some measure of self-awareness and when she screws up she does stand up.
Plus, she’s not the only one to screw up, since Mason has his own moment. Like I said, it felt like their age and maturity level played a part in the conflict. It made sense and they acted age appropriate. That may or may not be your cuppa, but Ms. Pizzitola made it work for me.
[image] [3 ½ stars] I’ve enjoyed Ms. Pizzitola’s Crush series and Mason could be my fave hero. Felicity and Mason are the on younger side of new adult, so I’d recommend for fans of young/new adult romances.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
[image] Sweet new adult series: This is the third book in Ms. Pizzitola’s Crush series and focuses on Mason, Brinley’s (the heroine from Just a Little Crush) BFF. He’s getting over his own crush on Brinley, so he volunteers to go to Port Lucia and work for his uncle’s fishing boat service for the summer. There he meets Felicity, a waitress in the small town who’s good friends with his cousins. Sparks fly and what starts as a summer fling turns into full blown romance happening...after a few obstacles, of course.
Ms. Pizzitola’s writing has appealed to me and I love how her little ‘verse has grown book by book. Mason’s cousins deserves some love of their own, and I sincerely hope we’re getting a book for Isla (Felicity’s BFF) and Colby (Mason’s cousin). Besides the fact that Isla’s Latina, I loved the little scenes with her grandmother. Felicity may want to escape, but I liked visiting Port Lucia.
Soft spot for Mason: Now Mason was the sweet best friend for Brinley, the guy who didn’t get the girl, but to be fair, he was never really in the running. I like the fact that Mason realizes that quickly and bonus, can tell the difference between a crush and love when he sees Felicity. I’ve wanted to see him get his own love, and while she has her issues, I think they do work well together, and their banter about their “old married couple status,” from the very beginning really establishes their connection. He’s a stand up guy, knowing that to care for Felicity he doesn’t have to protect her from the world. She’s capable of standing on her own. Speaking of...
Felicity loves her Summer Boys: Felicity prefers to hook up (not all the way, just fooling around) with Summer Boys because it’s simple, fun and best of all, over once they leave town. She’s already had a serious relationship that went wrong, and she wants no more of that, thank you very much. Unfortunately, Port Lucia is a small town and it seems like all the guys are determined to protect her whether she wants them to or not. Felicity When she sees Mason, she realizes how well they click, and it’s great...
Until it freaks her out: When I read the first two books, for some reason Mason’s friends felt older than nineteen. Here, I really noticed it. Felicity isn’t that far out of high school, and alot of her anxiety felt as if it stemmed from her age and life experience. She’s determined to control her life and wants to change, but is paralyzed by the thought of it as well. She’s contradictory and frustrating at times, but she has some measure of self-awareness and when she screws up she does stand up.
Plus, she’s not the only one to screw up, since Mason has his own moment. Like I said, it felt like their age and maturity level played a part in the conflict. It made sense and they acted age appropriate. That may or may not be your cuppa, but Ms. Pizzitola made it work for me.
[image] [3 ½ stars] I’ve enjoyed Ms. Pizzitola’s Crush series and Mason could be my fave hero. Felicity and Mason are the on younger side of new adult, so I’d recommend for fans of young/new adult romances.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**...more
[image] I liked it. A bit of Charmed mixed with Liar, Liar, the books plays out like a TV dramedy and for a Sunday afternoon, it suited me fine. There [image] I liked it. A bit of Charmed mixed with Liar, Liar, the books plays out like a TV dramedy and for a Sunday afternoon, it suited me fine. There are cringey moments, and frustrations with the heroine’s tendency towards wishy-washiness (though it is justified by the way her Fairy Godmother’s interference in her life, which affected her personality and even her physical looks). The Firsts are what held me back from rating this higher, since there are questionable things that happen during it all. But if you're into light and airy bit of magic with your wacky romances, you may enjoy this.
Best entry of series with the suspense playing pretty well, and the romance was cute. Still pretty tame on the romance and tQuickish Review 3.25 stars
Best entry of series with the suspense playing pretty well, and the romance was cute. Still pretty tame on the romance and that’s just my personal preference - I like when the romance brings the heat AND the sweet. But the real killer in this whole series is the pacing - it lacks urgency and it was easy to put it down. But it’s cute? ...more
Alternating POVs with third character gave this a little more interest than first book in series and the romance, while still pretty mQuickish Review
Alternating POVs with third character gave this a little more interest than first book in series and the romance, while still pretty mild, had a little more tension than the first. The suspense worked better than first book though the twist wasn’t a surprise. Still missing good heat to kick things up several notches. ...more
Third book in the series features Ginny, friend to Melody and Ellie, the heroines in the earlier books, and Shaun Buchanan, long lost son of Tom BuchaThird book in the series features Ginny, friend to Melody and Ellie, the heroines in the earlier books, and Shaun Buchanan, long lost son of Tom Buchanan, useless mayor of Bluelick. Ginny plans on running for mayor against Tom, when Shaun shows up, haunted from his time as a SEAL. Then, romance….
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
Ginny’s a solid heroine: she’s running for Mayor of Bluelick, which I love - you don’t see alot of heroines involved in civic life, period never mind running for office. Ms. Beck has been consistent with Ginny’s motivation concerning her desire to run for office through the series, and it is a genuine obstacle for Ginny and Shaun to face - dating in a small town while he is the son of the current mayor.
Shaun’s a yummy SEAL: like most military heroes, Shaun is haunted by his service but it is not the focal point of his story. What I found most fascinating is how honorable he is and how he follows through with it when it would be easy, and understandable, to choose another option.
Sexual chemistry up the wazoo: as I’ve come to see in most of Ms. Beck’s work, the sex scenes are fantastic.
Standard storyline: I think it’s fairly clear from the very beginning how the story will end. I still enjoyed it, but there were no big surprises, perhaps a little one towards the end.
The Bottom Line I’ve really enjoyed this series - Shaun and Ginny are a great way to wrap this up...unless there’s more to come and I’d be happy to keep reading.
Merged review:
Third book in the series features Ginny, friend to Melody and Ellie, the heroines in the earlier books, and Shaun Buchanan, long lost son of Tom Buchanan, useless mayor of Bluelick. Ginny plans on running for mayor against Tom, when Shaun shows up, haunted from his time as a SEAL. Then, romance….
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
Ginny’s a solid heroine: she’s running for Mayor of Bluelick, which I love - you don’t see alot of heroines involved in civic life, period never mind running for office. Ms. Beck has been consistent with Ginny’s motivation concerning her desire to run for office through the series, and it is a genuine obstacle for Ginny and Shaun to face - dating in a small town while he is the son of the current mayor.
Shaun’s a yummy SEAL: like most military heroes, Shaun is haunted by his service but it is not the focal point of his story. What I found most fascinating is how honorable he is and how he follows through with it when it would be easy, and understandable, to choose another option.
Sexual chemistry up the wazoo: as I’ve come to see in most of Ms. Beck’s work, the sex scenes are fantastic.
Standard storyline: I think it’s fairly clear from the very beginning how the story will end. I still enjoyed it, but there were no big surprises, perhaps a little one towards the end.
The Bottom Line I’ve really enjoyed this series - Shaun and Ginny are a great way to wrap this up...unless there’s more to come and I’d be happy to keep reading....more
The second book in the Crush series focuses on Fallon, the roommate of the heroine in the first book. Fallon was in a three year relationship before sThe second book in the Crush series focuses on Fallon, the roommate of the heroine in the first book. Fallon was in a three year relationship before starting college, then the a-hole broke up with her and she kinda lost her mind a little with partying and boys. But she’s starting an internship and she’s determined to put her slightly slutty ways behind her and there will be no crushes or sexing up the men at work. So of course, she meets Cade, the therapy dog handler with the program and you guessed it...romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
-Fallon is not your typical virgin princess...and I liked that: So I’ll admit, If this was Grease, Brinley would have been Sandy and Fallon’s definitely Rizzo. I could NOT get that old song, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, out of my head when reading this.
[image]
I could flirt with all the guys smile at them and bat my eyes Press against them when we dance, make them think they stand a chance Then refuse to see it through that's a thing I'd never do
Fallon’s the girl determined to be like the boys, willing to share her body but not her heart. As the story delves deeper into why she feels this way, I grew to like that she’s not the typical virgin heroine. That she’s made her mistakes, she owns her choices and she’s really just finding her way to becoming a woman. Frankly, I think there’s alot of young women out there who sleep with guys because of reasons other than desire and I thought it was a refreshing change from the usual virgin college girl stories. Her self-esteem issues, however...
-Fallon’s also really frustrating at times: Her constant self-doubt was frustrating, if realistic. She has her epiphany towards the end, but she waffles alot, even late in the story, and that drove me a little batty.
**Mild Spoiler Alert** There was a point where she deliberately goes out to hook up so she can take her mind off of her attraction to Cade, and that was a huge turnoff for me. It lead to a great scene with a guy named Luke (a sweetheart that I’d like to see get his own story), but it lead to not so happy feelings for me with Fallon. In the interest of fair play, if a hero did this, I would loathe it, so I have to hold Fallon to the same standard.
I completely understand that part of her self-esteem issues drove her to slut shame herself and while in keeping with her character, it doesn’t make the reading pleasant to see her so down on herself. I would have liked to see her change be gradual and build throughout instead of the one step forward, two steps back dance she did, doubting everything, including Cade, who never gives her a legit reason to doubt him.
-But there’s alot of positive messages as well: I loved that there are several guys in this book who respected women, and refused to use Fallon, even when she put herself out there to be used. Between Cade and Luke, I liked that there was a balance to the men, and that the reader had the chance to see good guys as well as the typical drunken college frat guy types.
The Bottom Line While I had some issues with it, I liked it. If you’re in the mood for an NA romance and don’t mind a bit of frustration with your heroine, I’d say check this out.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Merged review:
The second book in the Crush series focuses on Fallon, the roommate of the heroine in the first book. Fallon was in a three year relationship before starting college, then the a-hole broke up with her and she kinda lost her mind a little with partying and boys. But she’s starting an internship and she’s determined to put her slightly slutty ways behind her and there will be no crushes or sexing up the men at work. So of course, she meets Cade, the therapy dog handler with the program and you guessed it...romance happens.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
-Fallon is not your typical virgin princess...and I liked that: So I’ll admit, If this was Grease, Brinley would have been Sandy and Fallon’s definitely Rizzo. I could NOT get that old song, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, out of my head when reading this.
[image]
I could flirt with all the guys smile at them and bat my eyes Press against them when we dance, make them think they stand a chance Then refuse to see it through that's a thing I'd never do
Fallon’s the girl determined to be like the boys, willing to share her body but not her heart. As the story delves deeper into why she feels this way, I grew to like that she’s not the typical virgin heroine. That she’s made her mistakes, she owns her choices and she’s really just finding her way to becoming a woman. Frankly, I think there’s alot of young women out there who sleep with guys because of reasons other than desire and I thought it was a refreshing change from the usual virgin college girl stories. Her self-esteem issues, however...
-Fallon’s also really frustrating at times: Her constant self-doubt was frustrating, if realistic. She has her epiphany towards the end, but she waffles alot, even late in the story, and that drove me a little batty.
**Mild Spoiler Alert** There was a point where she deliberately goes out to hook up so she can take her mind off of her attraction to Cade, and that was a huge turnoff for me. It lead to a great scene with a guy named Luke (a sweetheart that I’d like to see get his own story), but it lead to not so happy feelings for me with Fallon. In the interest of fair play, if a hero did this, I would loathe it, so I have to hold Fallon to the same standard.
I completely understand that part of her self-esteem issues drove her to slut shame herself and while in keeping with her character, it doesn’t make the reading pleasant to see her so down on herself. I would have liked to see her change be gradual and build throughout instead of the one step forward, two steps back dance she did, doubting everything, including Cade, who never gives her a legit reason to doubt him.
-But there’s alot of positive messages as well: I loved that there are several guys in this book who respected women, and refused to use Fallon, even when she put herself out there to be used. Between Cade and Luke, I liked that there was a balance to the men, and that the reader had the chance to see good guys as well as the typical drunken college frat guy types.
The Bottom Line While I had some issues with it, I liked it. If you’re in the mood for an NA romance and don’t mind a bit of frustration with your heroine, I’d say check this out.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**...more
[image] I thought this was a well done little novella. I’d never read the earlier books in this series, but this definitely can stand on its own.
The fo[image] I thought this was a well done little novella. I’d never read the earlier books in this series, but this definitely can stand on its own.
The forbidden feel of this romance was strong, between the boss/secretary angle and the mild BDSM aspects, all covered in a tasty layer of danger because of the historical reality of the need to be subtle about their relationship.
I was really happy to see that Ms. March took time to develop the characters instead of focusing strictly on the hot, smutty sex and the story was all the stronger for it. If you’re looking for a little shot of M/M in an historical setting, I would recommend this. I’ve found a new M/M author to follow.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
[image] I thought this was a well done little novella. I’d never read the earlier books in this series, but this definitely can stand on its own.
The forbidden feel of this romance was strong, between the boss/secretary angle and the mild BDSM aspects, all covered in a tasty layer of danger because of the historical reality of the need to be subtle about their relationship.
I was really happy to see that Ms. March took time to develop the characters instead of focusing strictly on the hot, smutty sex and the story was all the stronger for it. If you’re looking for a little shot of M/M in an historical setting, I would recommend this. I’ve found a new M/M author to follow.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
2.5 stars [image] The Good: Can’t complain about novella length smut with a good amount of sex, and just enough of a story that it doesn’t feel like2.5 stars [image] The Good: Can’t complain about novella length smut with a good amount of sex, and just enough of a story that it doesn’t feel like just sex. The tension between the brothers and the competition for Angelina was a little different than every other MFMM menage, though the rest of the story does follow the fairly standard formula.
Everything in Between: There was nothing really objectionable with the story...or particularly compelling. There are some curious moments considering these are brothers, and the thought of swords crossing, even when it’s all focused on the heroine, is….yeah, it’s a bit weird. Angelina’s reluctance fades away fairly quickly, considering how long she was gone.
[image] 2.5 stars This is short, smutty and sweet. If you’re into menage romances, you may enjoy this.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
Merged review:
2.5 stars [image] The Good: Can’t complain about novella length smut with a good amount of sex, and just enough of a story that it doesn’t feel like just sex. The tension between the brothers and the competition for Angelina was a little different than every other MFMM menage, though the rest of the story does follow the fairly standard formula.
Everything in Between: There was nothing really objectionable with the story...or particularly compelling. There are some curious moments considering these are brothers, and the thought of swords crossing, even when it’s all focused on the heroine, is….yeah, it’s a bit weird. Angelina’s reluctance fades away fairly quickly, considering how long she was gone.
[image] 2.5 stars This is short, smutty and sweet. If you’re into menage romances, you may enjoy this.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**...more
The Premise Lexie Tindall knows a few things about herself. She's a great fire dispatcher. She looks good in cowboy boots. And she'll never date a fireThe Premise Lexie Tindall knows a few things about herself. She's a great fire dispatcher. She looks good in cowboy boots. And she'll never date a firefighter. They're her family, and besides that, she knows from deep personal experience how it feels to lose a man on the fireline. But Coin is different. He's her best friend. Why, then, can't she stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss the handsome firefighter?
Coin Keefe has been in love with Lexie since he first met her in dispatch when he was still a rookie. Now he realizes he can tell her everything except the truth--that he can't think about anyone else.
My Thoughts The second book in the Firefighters at Darling Bay, you can see the familiarity that the author has with that line of work, but it doesn’t become an instructional pamphlet, so that was well done. I liked Lexie’s confidence in herself, and Coin’s crush on her was cute. The story felt a bit short and the ending a bit rushed.
The Bottom Line I liked it. I’d read more by this author and when the next in this series comes out, I’d purchase it.
Merged review:
The Premise Lexie Tindall knows a few things about herself. She's a great fire dispatcher. She looks good in cowboy boots. And she'll never date a firefighter. They're her family, and besides that, she knows from deep personal experience how it feels to lose a man on the fireline. But Coin is different. He's her best friend. Why, then, can't she stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss the handsome firefighter?
Coin Keefe has been in love with Lexie since he first met her in dispatch when he was still a rookie. Now he realizes he can tell her everything except the truth--that he can't think about anyone else.
My Thoughts The second book in the Firefighters at Darling Bay, you can see the familiarity that the author has with that line of work, but it doesn’t become an instructional pamphlet, so that was well done. I liked Lexie’s confidence in herself, and Coin’s crush on her was cute. The story felt a bit short and the ending a bit rushed.
The Bottom Line I liked it. I’d read more by this author and when the next in this series comes out, I’d purchase it....more
[image] The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between
The Good -Love seeing a Latina heroine. Her little moments with her grandmother, the Spanish sprinkl[image] The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between
The Good -Love seeing a Latina heroine. Her little moments with her grandmother, the Spanish sprinkled into their conversations is comfortable and familiar to me and was easily my favorite part of the book.
-Likeable characters. Isla and Colby do have some chemistry that comes out from time to time, especially when there’s references to their long history and their familiarity to each other. In general, with a couple of glaring exceptions (more on that later), all the characters are pleasant and generally young, if not particularly fleshed out.
The Bad -Uneven pacing. There’s a bit of a twist towards the end of the story and without giving details, it felt forced and tacked on just to give a bit of a surprise. There is barely any buildup to it and as a result, the potential emotional fallout just didn’t resonate with me. I just thought the people involved were all one dimensional shytes.
-Underdeveloped triangle. Now I’m not a fan of triangles, but I can look past that if it’s written well and it’s either a) so compelling that even I’m torn (fyi this almost never happens); or b) it’s very mild and there is no doubt who the couple is. This is definitely in the latter category. Unfortunately, I struggled to even know which other brother was interested in Isla. Had it not been mentioned in the blurb that there was a triangle AND that I vaguely recalled a mention of these characters in the earlier book by Ms. Pizzitola, I would have thought there really wasn’t a triangle. By the time any movement happens in the triangle, it ceased to work.
The Meh -Too isolated. Too much time spent in Isla’s head isolated her and she wasn’t a good narrator for the characters around her. Her strongest moments were with her grandmother, not Colby, and that’s a problem when telling a romance.
-Needs context. Also, there’s a definite disadvantage if you haven’t read the earlier Crush series. I think the book would have benefited tremendously if some time had been spent building up Port Lucia for a new reader, as well as refreshing the memory of a past reader who may not have read the Crush series prior to picking this up. It jumps right into Isla and Colby’s simmering attraction, without some real context to it. Had this book taken more time spent setting up the dynamics of the Port Lucia relationships, romantic and otherwise, it could have really cemented the series opener and given it a solid foundation.
[image] Too many flaws make this just an ok read. It’s a shame because I’ve certainly enjoyed Ms. Pizzitola’s earlier series. I wouldn’t rule out another shot at this, but I’m not sure I’d rush to read the next one either.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
[image] The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between
The Good -Love seeing a Latina heroine. Her little moments with her grandmother, the Spanish sprinkled into their conversations is comfortable and familiar to me and was easily my favorite part of the book.
-Likeable characters. Isla and Colby do have some chemistry that comes out from time to time, especially when there’s references to their long history and their familiarity to each other. In general, with a couple of glaring exceptions (more on that later), all the characters are pleasant and generally young, if not particularly fleshed out.
The Bad -Uneven pacing. There’s a bit of a twist towards the end of the story and without giving details, it felt forced and tacked on just to give a bit of a surprise. There is barely any buildup to it and as a result, the potential emotional fallout just didn’t resonate with me. I just thought the people involved were all one dimensional shytes.
-Underdeveloped triangle. Now I’m not a fan of triangles, but I can look past that if it’s written well and it’s either a) so compelling that even I’m torn (fyi this almost never happens); or b) it’s very mild and there is no doubt who the couple is. This is definitely in the latter category. Unfortunately, I struggled to even know which other brother was interested in Isla. Had it not been mentioned in the blurb that there was a triangle AND that I vaguely recalled a mention of these characters in the earlier book by Ms. Pizzitola, I would have thought there really wasn’t a triangle. By the time any movement happens in the triangle, it ceased to work.
The Meh -Too isolated. Too much time spent in Isla’s head isolated her and she wasn’t a good narrator for the characters around her. Her strongest moments were with her grandmother, not Colby, and that’s a problem when telling a romance.
-Needs context. Also, there’s a definite disadvantage if you haven’t read the earlier Crush series. I think the book would have benefited tremendously if some time had been spent building up Port Lucia for a new reader, as well as refreshing the memory of a past reader who may not have read the Crush series prior to picking this up. It jumps right into Isla and Colby’s simmering attraction, without some real context to it. Had this book taken more time spent setting up the dynamics of the Port Lucia relationships, romantic and otherwise, it could have really cemented the series opener and given it a solid foundation.
[image] Too many flaws make this just an ok read. It’s a shame because I’ve certainly enjoyed Ms. Pizzitola’s earlier series. I wouldn’t rule out another shot at this, but I’m not sure I’d rush to read the next one either.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**
This was the author’s tweet-pitch for her book: She was an assassin; now she’s retired, but a sexy MI6 agent from her past missed the memo. The price This was the author’s tweet-pitch for her book: She was an assassin; now she’s retired, but a sexy MI6 agent from her past missed the memo. The price on her head doesn’t help, either.
Best. Synopsis. Ever.
The Good, The Meh and Everything In Between -(Brutally) Good prologue: The prologue got my attention and the story never let me go. It established the heroine, Beth, as a survivor, made you root for her and want to find out how she ended up in that situation. It really gave me a snapshot of Beth’s personality - she’s someone who has been through a hell we are only getting a glimpse of, and yet she is standing. You may even think you know what she’s gone through because of that prologue, but you have no idea. I loved that.
-Non-linear storytelling: Beth and Vick’s relationship is revealed layer by complicated layer through flashbacks and it gave me great insight to their history, and how they came to be in this situation. This is something that may or may not work, but I think it would have been a difficult story to tell in a straightforward fashion.
-Kickass former assassin heroine: the family business for Beth Faraday is established early on. The Faradays are in the business of secrets and weapons and the best way I could describe it is, take Tony Stark and give him brothers and sisters, all with special abilities in spying, assassinations, etc. She was trained early on, but she's retained her soul and she's given up the spy games business for a very good reason. Beth's conflict at being dragged back in, the blood on her hands, even knowing the things she's done, I still loved her and wanted her to win, no matter what.
-Protective alpha spy hero: Raleigh Vick’s obsession and love for Beth really helped anchor this tale. He has been intrigued, and half in love with Beth from the moment he saw her (which is ten years before the events of the book) and I believed in his all-consuming love for her. When I say the storytelling isn’t linear, you see glimpses of their relationship over the course of ten years through flashbacks, and it established their connection from the very first moment. That build was solid, and I thoroughly believed in their HEA because of it.
-Enjoyable world-building: Getting to know Beth and her family’s unusual circumstances was done slowly throughout the story and never felt like an info dump. Meeting each of her siblings made me want to know more about them.
-Suspenseful, yet focus is on romance: Spy games give an excitement to the story, but I never doubted that I was reading a romance. Beth and Vick’s story is front and center through it all. Their chemistry is combustible from jump and their love scenes were never lacking in heat.
-Standalone HEA with potential for more: No cliffy (though a thread is left for future stories), I felt that Beth and Vick’s story was told and I was thoroughly satisfied.
-Vick could have been more active: I would have liked to see Vick do more through the story, and I think Beth would have liked it too. I loved her resilience, but I like my heroes a bit more swashbuckle-y. Not to say that he doesn’t do anything, but without going into spoilers, the big climactic end would have had even more punch for me if he had been more active participant. This is a minor quibble on my part, since I still loved it.
-Villain wasn’t a surprise: There aren’t alot of twists and turns when it comes to the suspense part, and I would have liked to see more tension and action prior to the climax - however, the romance more than satisfied me. If the spy games had been delved into more (and to be fair, Beth is retired, so I understand why it wasn’t a big part of this), I think it would have been even more suspenseful. The setup for the next book leads me to believe that it can be even more exciting in this respect and I look forward to it.
The Bottom Line I loved it and I recommend it. I really loved Beth and I am very eager to read more of this series, because there are several Faradays I'd like to get to know better.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
This was the author’s tweet-pitch for her book: She was an assassin; now she’s retired, but a sexy MI6 agent from her past missed the memo. The price on her head doesn’t help, either.
Best. Synopsis. Ever.
The Good, The Meh and Everything In Between -(Brutally) Good prologue: The prologue got my attention and the story never let me go. It established the heroine, Beth, as a survivor, made you root for her and want to find out how she ended up in that situation. It really gave me a snapshot of Beth’s personality - she’s someone who has been through a hell we are only getting a glimpse of, and yet she is standing. You may even think you know what she’s gone through because of that prologue, but you have no idea. I loved that.
-Non-linear storytelling: Beth and Vick’s relationship is revealed layer by complicated layer through flashbacks and it gave me great insight to their history, and how they came to be in this situation. This is something that may or may not work, but I think it would have been a difficult story to tell in a straightforward fashion.
-Kickass former assassin heroine: the family business for Beth Faraday is established early on. The Faradays are in the business of secrets and weapons and the best way I could describe it is, take Tony Stark and give him brothers and sisters, all with special abilities in spying, assassinations, etc. She was trained early on, but she's retained her soul and she's given up the spy games business for a very good reason. Beth's conflict at being dragged back in, the blood on her hands, even knowing the things she's done, I still loved her and wanted her to win, no matter what.
-Protective alpha spy hero: Raleigh Vick’s obsession and love for Beth really helped anchor this tale. He has been intrigued, and half in love with Beth from the moment he saw her (which is ten years before the events of the book) and I believed in his all-consuming love for her. When I say the storytelling isn’t linear, you see glimpses of their relationship over the course of ten years through flashbacks, and it established their connection from the very first moment. That build was solid, and I thoroughly believed in their HEA because of it.
-Enjoyable world-building: Getting to know Beth and her family’s unusual circumstances was done slowly throughout the story and never felt like an info dump. Meeting each of her siblings made me want to know more about them.
-Suspenseful, yet focus is on romance: Spy games give an excitement to the story, but I never doubted that I was reading a romance. Beth and Vick’s story is front and center through it all. Their chemistry is combustible from jump and their love scenes were never lacking in heat.
-Standalone HEA with potential for more: No cliffy (though a thread is left for future stories), I felt that Beth and Vick’s story was told and I was thoroughly satisfied.
-Vick could have been more active: I would have liked to see Vick do more through the story, and I think Beth would have liked it too. I loved her resilience, but I like my heroes a bit more swashbuckle-y. Not to say that he doesn’t do anything, but without going into spoilers, the big climactic end would have had even more punch for me if he had been more active participant. This is a minor quibble on my part, since I still loved it.
-Villain wasn’t a surprise: There aren’t alot of twists and turns when it comes to the suspense part, and I would have liked to see more tension and action prior to the climax - however, the romance more than satisfied me. If the spy games had been delved into more (and to be fair, Beth is retired, so I understand why it wasn’t a big part of this), I think it would have been even more suspenseful. The setup for the next book leads me to believe that it can be even more exciting in this respect and I look forward to it.
The Bottom Line I loved it and I recommend it. I really loved Beth and I am very eager to read more of this series, because there are several Faradays I'd like to get to know better.
**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Nikki Case, PR whiz, joins the New Jersey Sonics in their quest to change their reputations as the Garden State Goons. Jake Baldwin, player in every sNikki Case, PR whiz, joins the New Jersey Sonics in their quest to change their reputations as the Garden State Goons. Jake Baldwin, player in every sense of the word, makes a bet that he can get Nikki to fall for him. And then, romance.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
-The sports is strong in this one: the schedule, the training, the road trips, it all felt authentic-ish.
-Jake’s secondary story more compelling: Jake helping a little boy named Joaquin had more genuine moments than the romance. Seeing him reach out to the kid, and making a difference in his life was a highlight of the story.
-Didn’t feel that spark: I just wish I’d felt more between Jake and Nikki. It felt more like I was being told that he wanted her and appreciated having to work for her, than being shown that.
-I couldn’t stop side-eyeing Nikki: she’s a PR whiz who has reached the top of her field after working for three years? I felt that she made an occasional smart move, but for the most part she wasn’t familiar enough with sports. As a public relations "whiz," I felt she should have actually had better people skills than she had. She seemed nice enough but there were definitely moments that spoke more of social awkwardness than someone who knows all about the power of perception. When there was a big disaster, she had to be told that the Sonics would need her more than ever. Her relationship with Jake wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t strong, and the only other thing she had going for her was her job and I didn’t quite buy it.
The Bottom Line (2.5 stars) Too Hot to Handle is a little bit too tepid for my taste. My (very) conditional recommendation is if you like sports romance, especially where the sports is stronger than the romance, it may work for you.
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Merged review:
Nikki Case, PR whiz, joins the New Jersey Sonics in their quest to change their reputations as the Garden State Goons. Jake Baldwin, player in every sense of the word, makes a bet that he can get Nikki to fall for him. And then, romance.
The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
-The sports is strong in this one: the schedule, the training, the road trips, it all felt authentic-ish.
-Jake’s secondary story more compelling: Jake helping a little boy named Joaquin had more genuine moments than the romance. Seeing him reach out to the kid, and making a difference in his life was a highlight of the story.
-Didn’t feel that spark: I just wish I’d felt more between Jake and Nikki. It felt more like I was being told that he wanted her and appreciated having to work for her, than being shown that.
-I couldn’t stop side-eyeing Nikki: she’s a PR whiz who has reached the top of her field after working for three years? I felt that she made an occasional smart move, but for the most part she wasn’t familiar enough with sports. As a public relations "whiz," I felt she should have actually had better people skills than she had. She seemed nice enough but there were definitely moments that spoke more of social awkwardness than someone who knows all about the power of perception. When there was a big disaster, she had to be told that the Sonics would need her more than ever. Her relationship with Jake wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t strong, and the only other thing she had going for her was her job and I didn’t quite buy it.
The Bottom Line (2.5 stars) Too Hot to Handle is a little bit too tepid for my taste. My (very) conditional recommendation is if you like sports romance, especially where the sports is stronger than the romance, it may work for you.
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**...more
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