This wasn’t bad, I just lacked the patience to not skim significant chunks of it. IMHO it needed to be cut in half.
The book opens with Tenn rDNF—SKIM
This wasn’t bad, I just lacked the patience to not skim significant chunks of it. IMHO it needed to be cut in half.
The book opens with Tenn realizing his wife (Viki) is cheating with another man (Joel), and immediately decides he needs to tell the other spouse (Quinn). He’s smitten, and the two decide they want revenge. The rest is us pretty much waiting around for the party where the big revenge will occur while they fight their attraction until they can file for divorce. That’s it, which is laid out in the blurb, spread out over 400+ pages.
Bottom Line- It’s my flaw, I’m an impatient reader, and I got SUPER bored waiting around for something different to happen. ...more
Man, I read a slew of cheating bastards this weekend, here we have Ivie and her mate Dante. I thought the bones were good, and I was hooked initially Man, I read a slew of cheating bastards this weekend, here we have Ivie and her mate Dante. I thought the bones were good, and I was hooked initially with all the drama and heartbreak that happens in the first several chapters. I believe it would've benefited from a couple more revisions to catch some of the issues, but the author is creative and shows promise. I do feel it would help to have the world planned out first because the mate rejection was the main conflict, but the actual paranormal aspect faded to the background to the point that I’d forget that they were shifters until some random tidbit would be thrown out when IMHO it should’ve been a major part of the plot.
The blurb gives very little away, so I’m going to spoiler the general outline which is all happens within the first 15% because I like to know what I’m getting in to, but please STOP if you want to go in blind. (view spoiler)[
Ivie is an Omega werewolf that sort of sneaks into a ball when she runs into her mate. After a night together he ruthlessly kicks her out telling her that a Lycan can’t have a lowly Omega mate and that he already has a fiancée. Heartbroken Ivie flees only to learn she’s going to be punished by her pack. Dante turns out to be Prince Dante and he steps in to be her mate on paper only to secure an heir. This is a crappy situation for Ivie because Dante believes she tried to trick him and pretty much hates her. He also cheats on her with his ex-fiancée (Miranda) and kicks her out/formally rejects her when Miranda becomes pregnant. Then we FFW 5 years with both Ivie and Dante not where they expected to be. Ivie has succeeded in the business world and Dante is struggling with his people and mating with Miranda. (hide spoiler)]
My biggest complaint with the book was that the writing was lacking any depth. The world building was skipped over completely; we were told there were wolves and Lycans and Ivie ran into a Beta at one point, but we we’re given nothing on pack dynamics or how the two races interacted. Do the Lycans rule over everyone? Are they older, bigger, much more powerful? Do they have extra powers? Are were/lycan matches common? Are they typically compatible? What happens when they mate, will the kids be were or lycan? All this was skipped over. The only information we received was that Omegas were low man on the totem pole and seem to be fairly powerless. They also didn’t seem to be respected, so I’m unsure what their role was in the pack since Omega’s are usually special for the alphas because Dante acted like she was way beneath him. We were also lacking any knowledge on the mating bond and how that worked since Dante broke it, but somehow it was still lingering.
The flow was awkward as well. We switched scenes abruptly several times without much of an intro making it feel jarring. Other times we skipped or brushed over scenes that should’ve been important to the plot but happened behind the scenes and then were info dumped the details after the fact.
There were also many plot holes and inconsistencies that kept distracting me. (view spoiler)[
➖ If she couldn’t override the command of her beta, how could she override Miranda who was a Lycan and should’ve been more powerful? ➖ If him and Miranda were having sex and he was seeing her naked. How’d she fake a bump? Ivie mentions seeing it in her black dress. ➖ If the bond broke when he rejected her, why could they still feel it? What was up with the BBS? He had no issue staying away from her 5 years earlier when he had access to her 24/7. ➖ The smelling. If they have super-smelling. There’re several times they smell stuff like Miranda smelling Ivie on him. Why couldn’t the others smell that they made out minutes before in the room? How could he not smell the pregnancy and lack of pregnancy? ➖ Back to the smelling. If Mace could tell Ivie and Dante smelled alike why couldn’t anyone else? Why would they smell the same? ➖ How did Miranda keep getting out if she was locked in her room? ➖ Why would the person in on the ploy try to save Ivie? What was the point? The co-conspirators were actively working against each other. One was setting it up and the other was shutting it down. I think the author added it to keep us off the scent, but your red herrings still have to fit logically into the plot when the aha moment is revealed. ➖ If the entire heartache/conflict of the whole book was because the H chose duty over his fated mate then why on Earth would the h promise her son to be betrothed to an ally’s daughter? She said she put in a clause that they could get out once they reached maturity… sure after they were brainwashed their entire lives that they should be together cuz that’s going to be a level playing field to his true mate. She literally just lived that nightmare. (hide spoiler)]
Bottom Line- It was alright. The idea was good, but the execution wasn’t the greatest, but it wasn’t too far off from a 3⭐. It just needed some world building and tightening things up. I did peek to see if the son was going to get a book because I can already imagine the torture his poor mate is going to go through, but I didn’t see it out there.
Safety- (view spoiler)[We know the H was still sleeping with the OW when he was mated to the h because she claims she’s pregnant, but nothing is ever on page until she catches them kissing. (hide spoiler)]...more
I’m not sure how to rate this. Certain aspects worked but others didn’t. I think for now I'm going to go with a 2.5 round up because it did keep me reI’m not sure how to rate this. Certain aspects worked but others didn’t. I think for now I'm going to go with a 2.5 round up because it did keep me reading even if I hated Grayson at the beginning. She did make me believe his feelings for Clementine by the end and that took a herculean effort, so props for that. But I'd only recommend this if you're in the mood for trashy soap, not a fleshed-out romance or redemption arc.
The blurb pretty much sets up the entire outline, but I’m going tag the rest in case you want zero deets. (view spoiler)[
Clementine has been married to Grayson for two years when she catches him screwing with his coworker and learns their marriage has been a farse. He’s an FBI agent that has been undercover trying to gather info on her father. Then we FFW to five years later with Grayson volunteering to be her protection and is SHOCKED because now his shy/sweet little wife is va-va-voom HOT.
Ok. I’m not even going to touch the writing style or editing because this is KU trashy smut, so your expectation shouldn’t be super high.
The blurb sets it up, Samantha has excitedly waited for her mate for years when she finds out it’s her older packmate Brandon. She’s suspicious becausThe blurb sets it up, Samantha has excitedly waited for her mate for years when she finds out it’s her older packmate Brandon. She’s suspicious because he’s acting dodgy and would’ve known he was her mate for years but avoided her. She decides to follow him and discovers that he has a pregnant fiancée.
The book is told from four POV’s. Brandon, his fiancée Hailey, Samantha, and James who comes onto the scene later in the book, and although Brandon never technically rejects Samantha, it still has rejected mate vibes.
The bones had the recipe to be AMAZING, but for me it fizzled a bit because Samantha left the pack so early in the book (3rd chapter) which tamped down a lot of her torment. She still struggled some, but she was off by herself with side characters, and it felt like filler. IMO it would’ve been much more impactful had she stuck around for a while and had it in her face. It also would’ve provided an opportunity for Brandon and Hailey to experience drama via the disapproval of their fellow packmates. I LOVE the drama. (hide spoiler)]...more
Scuba and Alessia’s story. Alessia was introduced in the last book when she was rescued by Bowie when he was kidnapped. She was sold by her father to Scuba and Alessia’s story. Alessia was introduced in the last book when she was rescued by Bowie when he was kidnapped. She was sold by her father to the cartel where she was raped/abused, but this part is really glossed over, and she has virtually zero residual trauma from that experience.
This is where things started to go downhill for me. Scuba is smitten and claims Alessia fairly quickly, but then he jumps to an assumption (mostly because of an overstepping Old Lady Ivory butting in where she shouldn’t) and decides cheating on her is the way to go rather than actually asking her what she meant. (view spoiler)[
This was ridiculous, but what made it even worse was the aftermath of the action. Which was for him to not apologize, somehow act like he was the wronged party, and generally act like an asshole about it.
She’s pissed, and she is really not letting this shit go. Fuck. I can’t get on my knees for her right now. I can’t climb on the bed next to her either. I need to stand above her, as symbolically assholish of me that is. That’s all I have right now.
This would be a good time to apologize probably, but I’ve never done that before, and I don’t plan on adding that to my list of things I’ve done— ever.
All while Alessia says I can’t forgive you while she goes on smiling, kissing, sexing, talking, hanging, and acting like nothing happened. Empty words are about as effective of generating as much angst as typing Ouch to represent pain.
Don’t blink because the only grovel you’re going to get is…
“I’m hotheaded. I did something I regret.”
Then, after learning that you know he cheated on her because he made an ASSumption unjustly believing the worst in her. What does he do the VERY next time he needs to give her the benefit of the doubt…
That fucking cunt signed herself away and didn’t even tell anyone.
Seriously, he needs to have his brothers tell him he’s being a shitty partner and that he should have faith in his woman. And you know, just maybe, she was forced to sign while being held captive by rapists. And don’t get me started on human traffickers having victims signing freaking contracts giving their ownership away. (hide spoiler)]...more
I read this on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and I’m not quite sure how to rate it. It started out alright with the “Bastard” and the “Homewrecking I read this on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and I’m not quite sure how to rate it. It started out alright with the “Bastard” and the “Homewrecking Skank” detailing how they blew up his marriage to sweet Rachel. I love OW drama, and am always down for the wronged wife getting an upgrade with a richer, hotter, more endowed/better lover beau… so I was digging this.
But then things started going off the rails a bit and going a bit too far into Crazy Town for me and I started having second thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, I do love comeuppance, but this was whacked.
Bottom Line- It actually reminded me of Replacing Her Ex which I liked a lot better. If you find this one too much, you might give that one a try. The scenario is a bit different; his family hates the h in that one and the OW is the one that gets knocked up, but much is the same. New improved H that loves h, OM with second thoughts, scheming OW that we get her POV, comeuppance. Looks like she wrote this one just a few months later....more
I don’t even know where to start with this one, so this will be pretty brief. I haven’t read a ton from this author, but what I have read, I haven’t lI don’t even know where to start with this one, so this will be pretty brief. I haven’t read a ton from this author, but what I have read, I haven’t loved. Cheating isn’t a deal breaker for me at all, but I do require DRAMA. It can be trashy, but I need some OTT shit going on. And I don’t consider the H constantly banging OW OTT or dramatic because the h is clueless.
It honestly got annoying because it went on too long and happened too frequently to make the couple’s feelings believable. It’s hard to believe Hangman’s constant thoughts of Justine being “THE ONE” when (view spoiler)[ he’s banging Shannon before/after dates and everywhere in between. (hide spoiler)] It also ruined all Justine’s spunk when she tolerated it. She suspected it and acted like an ostrich then let him off way too easily. The reconcilement was a joke, (view spoiler)[ the break lasted a week during which they had zero real conversations. Then she’s like “I don’t know how I can forgive you” *they have sex* then when he says sorry, the only time he apologizes for cheating on her "Stop bringing it up. I forgive you." WHAT??? Five pages ago you didn't know how you'd forgive him. (hide spoiler)]
Bottom Line- If you’re looking for romance… skip. If you’re looking for safe… skip. If you’re looking for real authentic grovel, not the “I’ll change but give you space to cool off” variety then an “event” forces the reconciliation… skip. I was still going to round this up because it kept me somewhat entertained in a wanting to kick Hangman in the nuts sort of way, but I skimmed the next book and to say I was PISSED is an understatement.
MAJOR SPOILERS… (and Safety) (view spoiler)[ After reading this asshole cheat on her for almost an entire book… (almost all sex is with the same clubwhore Shannon)
14% sex w/ OW -S 23% sex w/ OW -S before date w/ h 28% claims Justine in front of club 37% BJ w/ other OW 43% Justine- I don’t do cheaters 51% H says exclusive don’t fuck others 57% Shannon bitchy to Justine at club about screwing Hangman. h pissed; H takes her home comes back scolds OW-S then has sex with her but tells her she can have his cock, but she can’t say shit to Justine. 63% He claims her as his Ol’ Lady Here we get her (Shannon) POV there’s been a time jump since the Shannon/Justine confrontation (few months + been a month) so I’m guessing 4 months, she states she and Hangman had sex last week, so I’m assuming they continued to have sex frequently during that time because Justine’s POV said he had been spending more and more time at the clubhouse. 67% BJ from another OW 69% Caught having sex with Shannon
… then listening to him VOW to be a better man and being assured he’s a changed man because almost losing the love of his life scared the shit out of him. We learn in the epilogue of Rage’s book…
HE FREAKING CHEATS ON HER AGAIN WITH NOT ONE BUT TWO chicks on a run. AND she FREAKING FORGIVES HIM AGAIN super quick. Think he’s a changed man?
Here’s a bit from Dirty’s book…
“None of us can, but we try. Hell, my fuck- up was just as bad as yours. I committed to Justine and still fucked it up. We’re used to this way of life. If I could break away, I would. Instead, every day is a struggle with all the hot snatch around.”
Dagger and Melanie’s story. These two met in Axel’s book while Annie was in the hospital when he was literally banging another nurse (Cassidy) when shDagger and Melanie’s story. These two met in Axel’s book while Annie was in the hospital when he was literally banging another nurse (Cassidy) when she walked in. Unfortunately for Dagger, he made a terrible first impression with the woman he knows is his one.
This book had the potential to be epic, but the execution just wasn’t quite there. They both had terribly abusive childhoods that mirrored each other and should’ve been a great opportunity for the author to utilize as a tool for developing common ground for these two to bond over, but that’s not really how it shook out.
We spent the first 20-25% repeating stuff from the first book, then they continued to dance around each other until midway through the book. Dagger fell hard straightaway, but Melanie kept pushing back, so they never really connected over the fact they have this shared traumatic past which I found super odd.
Things got messy around 50% and there were a couple parts that REALLY confused me that I’ll put at the end in spoilers as well as some safety/trigger info.
Bottom Line- It was heavy and frustrating at times but overall, a good read. I felt there was a missed opportunity with not having them bond and be more supportive over their abuse, but that’s me. I HATED that she left him at his house. I was satisfied with Mel’s mom’s comeuppance, but I felt like Dagger deserved better. His stepmom and dad deserved more than they got, which wasn’t much.
Safety-(view spoiler)[- Dagger gets a BJ from Clitter. I do think the backstory is important with this one…. They were dating, but haven't discussed pasts, no labels, no claim, no sex yet. She got shocking news that had nothing to do with anything he did and told him she needed to process and walked home from his BBQ then left town for two weeks never reaching out or returning a call. He does consider it cheating, but I am torn. I get she had shit to work through, but a text is easy to send. And IMO they weren’t in a solid enough relationship that she could go radio silent with the expectation that he would feel secure enough that the relationship would continue. Basically, they were kind of in a relationship by her choice, so I thought it was a smidge unfair that she took no responsibility when she was the one that ghosted him for two weeks. If the situation was reversed; I wouldn’t have faulted her if she had slipped. (hide spoiler)]...more
2.5 Stars I’ve read several books by this author and really enjoyed them because she typically does alpha males and crazy wannabe OW drama, two things 2.5 Stars I’ve read several books by this author and really enjoyed them because she typically does alpha males and crazy wannabe OW drama, two things I LOVE. Sadly, this was pretty much missing both. And although technically this has a rejected mate scenario, it’s really more of a misunderstanding than a real rejection, so it doesn’t really generate super angsty feels.
The blurb sets it up, the winter wolves have been raised with close-minded beliefs including that fated mates don’t exist, so when Sabine tells Mitchell (the alpha) she’s his mate, he assumes she’s trying to trick him. He doesn’t formally reject her but tells her she is wrong and proceeds to tell the pack she’s a scheming liar, pretty much ruining her business. Stuff happens, and he's forced to work hard to earn her trust and fix his pack.
Bottom Line- It was alright, just a smidge bland at times. Sabine was pretty kickass, but Mitchell was one of the wimpiest alphas I’ve ever read. The pacing was off. It started out good, but the middle DRAGGED on, then the ending was rushed WAY too quickly at 97%. Even the author knew it. “Is it just me or did anyone else find that far too anticlimactic?” I asked. Yes, yes it was.
Safety(view spoiler)[- The day after she tells him they’re mates he has sex with his on/off GF Carmella and almost kills her with cheating mate pains. He didn’t really think they were mates or know it would hurt her. The Dr. has her make out with a dude to prove to him it’s true and so he can experience a piece of the pain. (he may have been spelled/fuddled into the sex as he was under her influence) (hide spoiler)]...more
This was a skim read, so I’m not going to rate it. It’s not the most polished booked and the characters are VERY young acting for being in their late This was a skim read, so I’m not going to rate it. It’s not the most polished booked and the characters are VERY young acting for being in their late 20’s. It’s also not safe.
The blurb pretty much outlines the entire book. Cooper has a long-term gf Maci; she pays to get a demo made. He starts partying with famous artists and changing his look and attitude, starts hanging with Serena and lying to Maci. Maci does move back home, and a sex tape is leaked. And Cooper eventually must come home with his tail tucked between his legs. The only part the blurb misses is that (view spoiler)[he’s too big of a coward to talk to anyone and basically ghosts all his friends including Maci who he strings along by leaving messages when he knows she won’t answer rather than breakup, so they are still in a relationship when he starts sleeping with Selena and the sex tape is made. (hide spoiler)]
Bottom Line- I dislike reading third person present tense. It bugs me and always feels clunky, but that’s a Jac thing. The bigger issues were that nothing is really fleshed out or developed. Why did Cooper suddenly change his whole personality? He gave up his soulmate to the point of feeling ZERO guilt for cheating on her. He humiliated his best friend on a national radio program and felt nothing. He cut off his father. Why? How did his moral compass change that quickly and then how did it change back so quickly? Then, they aren’t working through their problems communicating like adults. There’s a lot of punching and yelling going on. I needed more.
Safety- (view spoiler)[ He has sex with Serena within days of her returning to Georgia (at that point they are still very much together) that one is on page- no condoms mentioned. The sex tape is the 3rd interaction but barely discussed her watching the thrusting. I can’t remember anymore actual scenes on page, but they do stay together after the tape.
This started out with a bang. It opens with the H (Derek) having an affair with another woman (Mari) and deciding he wants a divorce from the h (JilliThis started out with a bang. It opens with the H (Derek) having an affair with another woman (Mari) and deciding he wants a divorce from the h (Jillian) after 20-ish years of marriage. It was terrible, in a super yummy way, like Derek was a total asshole, and I wanted to kick him in the nuts.
And then he gets some well-deserved KARMA that I was SO ready for… but then all my yummy karma and angst crashed and burned because Jillian has to take the high road and be the bigger person and live by her do no harm creed and in sickness and health vow. ARGH It was so frustrating.
No, she didn’t immediately forgive him, but she basically told him he hurt her while cooking him breakfast, fixing his dinner, and rubbing his feet all while putting her life on hold to orbit around his… and that wasn’t satisfying at all.
Then things get weird with some strange stalker/ creepy neighbor subplot, and the reconciliation took a backseat.
Bottom Line- He was such a jerk and deserved to squirm, and he got off with little effort or consequence. Cheating isn’t a deal breaker for me, but IMO, I didn’t feel like the author balanced his crime with the time. We were never really provided with a good enough explanation of why he messed up (view spoiler)[ TWICE (hide spoiler)] and I’m not really confident that he won’t do it again. Derek is all about Derek. He never really even admitted or acknowledged the level of betrayal and initially even blamed her and their unhappy marriage like he didn't make the decision to cheat. It's also hard to sell his complete change of mind about the OW being meaningless when he was planning on leaving his wife of 20 years for her.
Safety-(view spoiler)[ Situation 1- (the current Mari) H says that he never had sex with the OW. He said she wouldn’t have sex until he was divorced, but he had spent the night, and I REALLY think he would’ve done it had she agreed because he had a sleeve of condoms in his wallet. His exact words were "I kissed her. We fooled around some, but I never slept with her. ..."I was never inside her. She wouldn't let me in her bed until the divorce went through." Situation 2 - (Colleen met a few years earlier) They met she had a flat tire; she took him for coffee to thank. That lead to a lunch date, after the third lunch they went to a hotel for sex. (one time only because she never called again and didn't return his call so he let it go) He may have impregnated her because she was pregnant when she died, and her husband was sterile. (and the dates matched)
I wouldn’t call it an affair, not entirely.” “Then what is it?” she asks. “She flirted with me, gave me attention.” “No, it’s more than that.” “What do you want me to say?” "The truth. I want the truth."....
“Fine. You want the truth? Here’s the truth. She filled a need that made my life more tolerable. I wanted to feel like a man, wanted, desired, needed beyond just work, finances, yard work... "You've changed, Jill"... “You used to be fun,” I say.(hide spoiler)]...more
This book made my head hurt because I really wanted it to make sense, but it just didn’t. The plot was Ok and fairly entertaining, but I never understThis book made my head hurt because I really wanted it to make sense, but it just didn’t. The plot was Ok and fairly entertaining, but I never understood Everson’s thought process, and the reconciliation left me wanting more. I can’t really review this without giving spoilers, so I’ll tag the rest. I’ll try to be vague, but most of the dicey stuff happens within the first two chapters of the book. It actually starts with him already in a bad situation, so these aren’t major spoilers. (view spoiler)[
Everson’s choices at the start of the book felt so extreme in comparison to his inner thoughts. It was so nonsensical to take the GINORMOUS leap to lie to his wife and sneak away for a weekend getaway with his ex to see if there were any lingering feelings while insisting on separate rooms and insisting that he wasn’t cheating. Then after going through all that, potentially risking his marriage, he just suddenly has zero feelings or interest in her. What??
And for June, I TOTALLY understood her feelings of betrayal because I agreed completely with her. IMO him simply making the plan was a betrayal, but they never really worked through it. I’m not sure that Everson ever got that he did anything wrong, and June acted like the solution was her getting a job. It was weird.
It almost had a soapbox feel to it. Politics are mentioned at least once and there’s this slightly negative-ish vibe surrounding housewives and Everson’s narrow view on June’s place being at home or traveling with him. Which I totally get, what left me scratching my head was the emphasis that frumpy homemakers can't keep their husbands from being tempted by polished businesswomen.
Trust me, you’ll grow sick of seeing your wife with her hair done up in a ponytail, wearing sweats because she had to keep up with the kiddies all day. That’s why men cheat.
Like that's why the OW tempted him because she was such an exciting career girl. Then at the end, all their problems will now be solved because she has a job and won’t have to worry…
While he finds other women attractive— especially businesswomen— because his wife walks around the house in pajamas all day with Honey Nut Cheerios stuck in her hair.”
And that felt lazy, sort of how the Christian romances pray the betrayal away. If your husband cheats with a businesswoman, it’s because he’s a selfish asshole, not because you’re rocking a messy bun and yoga pants. And considering her man got bored after one year of marriage… “No, but our life has turned into a monotonous routine, June. Everything from the days of the week in which we dine out, right down to the time and place we make love– it’s routine. I wanted some excitement— I wanted to feel the way I felt before we married and settled down in the suburbs... things aren’t looking promising.
Bottom Line- This was just ok for me. It generated some feels for me, but I needed A LOT more working through stuff. They didn’t even start to talk stuff through until the end of the book. I hate it when marriage in trouble couples avoid each other.
Safety- Very a little OW drama; she’s not meddling or around much after the first couple chapters. They kiss, turns into make-out kissing with him on top of her in bed. (fully clothed-just kissing) (hide spoiler)]...more
**spoiler alert** I've read at least two of the previous books, but it's been a couple years. I didn’t remember any of the characters and never felt l**spoiler alert** I've read at least two of the previous books, but it's been a couple years. I didn’t remember any of the characters and never felt lost, but, this ends in a bit of a cliffy for the first book's couple Addison and Cade. I couldn’t stand Addi and have ZERO interest in their story, but FYI if that will bug you. I believe she plans on releasing another book titled Cade at some point (per her author bit at the end of the book).
Moving on, the blurb sets this up. Muff and Janine have been married for a while and have a baby together when his first wife (Harper) returns from the dead. Muff is torn and this has a smidge of a love triangle, but Janine pretty much takes herself out of the race immediately when he doesn’t pick her straight away.
This is one of those books that as a whole had issues, (especially if you’re looking for romance) but I GOBBLED it down because I was desperate for the resolution. In the interest of time, I’ll just say that I had my doubts about Muff for the majority of the book and his dedication to his lady love. I agreed with Janine that I don’t think it should’ve been that hard of a choice, Harper had been gone for a decade, and they had kids. (I also thought it was shitty of Harper to try to split up a family after she left him. She had her reasons, but whatever. She survived just fine for a decade… just keep doing that.) BUT I thought the author did a decent job showing his dedication by the end, but I suspect it will not be enough for strict romance readers.
I did love that Janine had fight in her, and her reaction to demand more would be awesome in the real world, but it didn’t generate a ton of drama in PretendLand… because she basically said go kick rocks. BUT I did love this….
You’re going to regret this one day, Muff. You know that, don’t you? One day when I’m with a man who would fucking turn this world upside down for me, you’ll regret it.” … I lean in closer. “His babies, growing inside my belly as he becomes a father to yours.”
Bottom Line- I devoured this, but it could’ve been so much better had the couple interacted more. The angst was there, but I wanted them all to fight it out more. Janine does a lot of running and avoiding, and there isn’t much drama in that. IMO they also needed more conversations after the fact about why he struggled so much other than him repeating over and over that it was hard, and she didn’t understand. What I wanted to know is why he didn’t fight for her and just shrugged and ran to the other when she said she was out. That’s what she needed to ask, but she didn’t which was a bummer. I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone looking for a completely fleshed out betrayal/reconciliation, but if you’re in the mood for some angst, it does deliver… It’s just not super satisfying.
Safety-(view spoiler)[ Kisses OW once on page. Has sex once off-page, we’re told after the fact with no details.
Conflicting Bits - and part of me would love to keep goin’, but I’m married, and I’m no cheater.
”Have you slept with her?” “Once.”
Her refusing to see me gave me no choice but to spend all my time with Harper. Not seeing Janine and reconnecting with Harper had me thinking maybe she was what I wanted.
“You won’t spend any quality time with me to get to know me again. If you did, you’d see that I’m the same woman you loved. (Harper) (hide spoiler)]
If you did like this or this sounds good to you, it reminded me of a couple other books.
Cooper --Has a wife come back from the dead, but Cooper is a mega-dick and mega-cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater.
AND
Me, Please ---Same author, another triangle. This MC only sleeps with his h though, but it also has a bit of an unsatisfying resolution.
I didn’t realize until after I finished that there was a previous book (More Than Enough). I know I missed out on some of their backstory, but I neverI didn’t realize until after I finished that there was a previous book (More Than Enough). I know I missed out on some of their backstory, but I never felt lost, and honestly, I’m glad I skipped it because I suspect it was very YA/NA.
I did read a few spoiler-y reviews after the fact, so if you want to skip it or need a refresher, here are the cliff notes. (of book 1)
Elizabeth and Brady had a FWB relationship. It sounds like they both had feelings (Brady loved her), but Elizabeth pushed for a break. They both slept around a fair amount including each other’s friends. During the first book Elizabeth was interested in Jacob when she found out she was pregnant with Brady’s kid. I guess conveniently the two had decided to be exclusive for a month when she got pregnant. After some back and forth, (and being rejected by J) she decided to make a go with Brady and just be friends with Jacob.
We learn in the prologue that Brady “dated” Elizabeth’s friend Trina the summer before she told him she was pregnant. (I’m not sure if that was disclosed in book 1 or not) This book picks up after the birth of their son Grant with the couple engaged when Trina rides into town on her broomstick causing all kinds of issues.
At first, I was sort of love/hating this because I was devouring all the OW drama while wanting to throat punch Brady and his lack of control while he’s deep breathing from jumping her. It also had an immature feel to it that I wasn’t digging. Then the betrayal happened, and it was a big one. YUM I LOVED that Elizabeth didn’t immediately forgive him.
Bottom Line- It wasn’t perfect, the characters started out quite immature (like constantly screaming while their baby was sleeping in his playpen), and after Brady’s actions I really didn’t think the author could pull off a believable reconciliation. And it probably won’t be enough for some readers BUT I thought she did a great job of showing growth for the couple and their relationship. We’ll all look at it differently, but to me this reminded me of old school Teen Mom. They were young making dumb choices and rushing things before they built anything solid. Brady said it best…
“You and I have never had a proper relationship. At college we were together when it was convenient for one of us, for four years, but only spent a little more than one month exclusive. Now, because of Grant, we have just sort of been thrown back into something.”
Fortunately, they realized it and made changes. Unfortunately, this part was breezed through in the last chapter. ...more
I don’t really do Christian romances. I might’ve read one other by accident, but I do love cheaty/marriage in trouble books. There’re numerous musingsI don’t really do Christian romances. I might’ve read one other by accident, but I do love cheaty/marriage in trouble books. There’re numerous musings, conversations, prayers, and counseling discussing Scripture and God speak, so if you have low patience for that sort of stuff… I’d skip it. But if you’re in it for angst and that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach while reading two people fight for their marriage… give it a shot. (view spoiler)[
Kellen and Juliet have been happily married about 10 years and trying to have a baby for a couple. Everything is going great until Kellen meets Chloe and unwillingly (he really does try to fight it) finds himself very intrigued and attracted to her.
Kellen is guilt ridden and miserable, but lines are blurred as he fights his attraction while guiding his new client. Stuff happens, guilt leads to avoidance that all comes to a head when the couple kiss. He immediately realizes his love for his wife, but is it too late?
I liked that the situation didn’t go too far with Chloe, and that it all came to a head around 30%, so there was plenty of time to work through their issues. I LOVED that Juliet wasn’t a pushover.
Bottom Line- I liked this, but I felt like the religious stuff was pushed a smidge too far as the plot device for saving the relationship. I think faith and spirituality can be very important, but I’m not sure it should be considered the main reason for being a “good” spouse or working on your marriage. To me, you do that stuff because you love your partner, not only because you love God. They can certainly go hand in hand, but here for example, IMO it was implied that Kellen was tempted by Chloe because he lost his faith, but to me it should be more complicated than that. He shouldn’t have been tempted because he loved his wife, so it felt a bit unsettled.
In a nutshell, I don’t think Kellen will be tempted again, but I don’t understand why he was tempted in the first place. Or why kissing her suddenly “opened” his eyes and killed his attraction. How did it go from “ mind- dizzying flashes of color" intriguing and desirable to rancid in a second? What changed? I really need to understand that to believe in the reconciliation.
Safety- Kellen is attracted to Chloe physically and emotionally. They go to lunch, email, and speak on the phone. Most is professional, but there’re a few conversations where they address their attraction. (that were stomach dropping in fear that they’d act on it) He touches her hand a few times, but they share a kiss. (hide spoiler)]...more
I put off reading this for a while because I was skeptical with the novella length handling a marriage in trouble/cheating situation effectively. (vieI put off reading this for a while because I was skeptical with the novella length handling a marriage in trouble/cheating situation effectively. (view spoiler)[
**spoiler alert** This was alright, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I really thought it would be more focused on the h (Meg) overcoming **spoiler alert** This was alright, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I really thought it would be more focused on the h (Meg) overcoming her betrayal and moving on with her new man, but they didn’t get much of the page time.
In a nutshell this book has 3 main characters, 1 minor, and a slew of secondary friends/family. Meg- The wife that is cheated on. Dan- The cheating husband. Ashley- The homewrecker that purposely goes into it wanting to wreck the marriage. Hugo- The new love interest that seems like a nice guy but isn’t around a ton.
I don’t mind several POVs, I don’t even mind the OW’s POV. Jordan Silver does this all the time, but I don’t want her to have equal page time as the FMC. I just want snippets from her seeing her miserable as her life is falling apart. So, IMHO Dan and Ashley had WAY TOO much page time, and, too much consideration/chance for redemption.
The two were TERRIBLE people and deserved some comeuppance, not the h taking them under her wing and offering forgiveness. Where is the fun in that?
Bottom Line- The ingredients were there for a drama-llama ride, but the execution killed it. I didn’t want to sympathize with Ashley, I wanted to hate her. I wanted her and Dan to suffer. I also wanted more angst generated from Hugo being hung up on his dead wife. (I don’t think he was hung up at all) Regardless, too much page time was dedicated to Dan and Ashley’s POVs making Hugo and Meg’s relationship feel rushed and forced. They even took up most of the epilogue leaving us with no long-term HEA for Meg and Hugo. Pfft....more
I’ve been enjoying this series. It’s not as trashy as her typical stuff, but this one had loads of drama-llama. The blurb sets it up, Amanda learns heI’ve been enjoying this series. It’s not as trashy as her typical stuff, but this one had loads of drama-llama. The blurb sets it up, Amanda learns her husband (Dan) has not only cheated but impregnated another woman. (Diedra) She tries to push through but is pushed too far and moves on to greener pastures.
This is a fun little read about a wronged wife (Callie) getting revenge on her cheating husband (Justin) and the manipulative skank (Daisy AKA The BitThis is a fun little read about a wronged wife (Callie) getting revenge on her cheating husband (Justin) and the manipulative skank (Daisy AKA The Bitch) that tempted him. The tone isn’t serious, and the book starts after the divorce and cheating, so this isn’t an emotional/angsty read. It’s OTT trashy soap.
Callie and Justin had been married for years when she learned he was having an affair. She decided to get her man back while making them both pay for YEARS.
Bottom Line- The characters aren’t realistic. The relationships aren’t healthy. Nothing resembles real-life. It’s a nonsensical entertaining read. I liked getting all three POV’s and LOVED that she made him work for it. ...more
I’m not going to rate this but will leave a review in case someone follows the same path. This came up as a recommendation for a cheater read, and I dI’m not going to rate this but will leave a review in case someone follows the same path. This came up as a recommendation for a cheater read, and I didn’t pay attention when I downloaded it. This is only 26 pages of smut. There’s no fallout, feels, grovel, etc.
In a nutshell (view spoiler)[ the H is a happily married man who has a great sex life with his wife (we read a couple scenes with them) but has started lusting after his nanny. One night while boinking his wife he notices the nanny is watching, so he leaves “to get some water” naked and waylays her in the hall. There’s some oral/digit action that lasts for several pages and then they’re interrupted by the wife. She has no clue, but he tells the nanny he can’t because he loves his wife. The end. (hide spoiler)]
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