Book reviews for the week of October 11th

Take A Number (Wait With Me #4) by Amy Daws (ARC)

#FakeRelationship #RomanticComedy

5 STARS

Dean and Norah decide to embark on a fake relationship to get everyone off their backs about settling down, only to find out that real feelings get involved along the way. This is written in first person from a dual POV. I really loved finally getting inside Dean’s head after getting to know him a little in the other books. He is a man of amazing accomplishment, exquisite dress, and unquestionable manliness. He has been a man-whore player but his determination to never have a real relationship is challenged by Norah. Though she is not looking for a relationship either, she cannot deny the chemistry and heat between her and Dean. He brings her out of her shell and encourages her to have some fun. There are funny moments. There are touching moments as they open up to each other and share their insecurities and fears. The heat level between them is super-hot. And their HEA is incredibly sweet. An excellent addition to the Wait With Me series: I highly recommend. The Earl I Ruined (Secrets of Charlotte Street #2)  by Scarlett Peckham #HistoricalRomance #FakeRelationship 4 STARS Dean and Norah decide to embark on a fake relationship to get everyone off their backs about settling down, only to find out that real feelings get involved along the way. This is written in first person from a dual POV. I really loved finally getting inside Dean’s head after getting to know him a little in the other books. He is a man of amazing accomplishment, exquisite dress, and unquestionable manliness. He has been a man-whore player but his determination to never have a real relationship is challenged by Norah. Though she is not looking for a relationship either, she cannot deny the chemistry and heat between her and Dean. He brings her out of her shell and encourages her to have some fun. There are funny moments. There are touching moments as they open up to each other and share their insecurities and fears. The heat level between them is super-hot. And their HEA is incredibly sweet. An excellent addition to the Wait With Me series: I highly recommend. Pumpkin and Spice (The Windy City Holiday Duet #1)  by Abby Knox #SecondChanceRomance #HolidayRomance 4 STARS Maxine and Talbot meet again 20 years after high school. Not only do sparks fly, but love is in the air. This short novella packs a sweet and steamy punch. I love the emotional connection that they share as well as the sparks. The characters and their families are surprisingly well-developed given the shortness of the story and I loved them. I recommend this quick holiday read. Comfort and Joy (The Windy City Holiday Duet #2) by Abby Knox #HolidayRomance 4.5 STARS Brady and Joy do not start out exactly great when they meet again, but that changes quickly. This short novella packs heat and humor into a few pages. Brady is a possessive alpha, there is insta-love and hot times. I love that the characters are well-developed even though this is a quick read. I love Joy's boss-lady mentality. I love Brady's need and ability to take care of Joy. This super sweet treat is a perfect holiday read. A Match Made for Thanksgiving (Holidays With The Wongs #1) by Jackie Lau #HolidayRomance #OneNightStand 5 STARS I thoroughly enjoyed Nick and Lily's story. I love that Lily decides to make some changes in her life and just goes for it. I love that Nick is a good guy, even though he is a player. I love that they have a camaraderie in addition to fantastic chemistry. Nick's family is a riot! I love the diversity of the characters and their struggles. Humor, heat, and romance: really, what is not to like? This was a quick holiday read set around Canadian Thanksgiving and I really want to try butter tarts now. It is written in third person from dual POV. Absinthe Minded (Bourbon Street Bad Boys Club #1)  by Kathryn M. Hearst #MafiaRomance #RomanticComedy #SecondChanceRomance #SingleDadRomance #SingleMomRomance #SurpriseBaby 4 STARS This is my first book by this author and I liked her writing style. This book contains humor, heat, and a small amount of suspense, making it exactly what I needed to meet the challenge of reading a mafia book this month. It is written in third person from a dual POV. It is book one of a series but can be read as a stand alone. Mafia romance is not my normal reading go-to, so I needed a lighter book and one that still meet the requirements. This book did that. Though Gabe's dad is like the Godfather, and Gabe is expected to take over the family business, he has kept most of his activities on the legitimate side of the law. His goal is to break himself and his many brothers away from the seedier mafia ties when he takes over the business. I liked Gabe. He has a good heart. The Sicilian family honor code is built into him so he honors his parents even when he doesn't agree with their methods. There are some extremely funny, laugh out loud moments as he learns to be a father after having a surprise baby dropped off on his doorstep. Maggie is barely treading water after she inherits her deceased sister's children. As she raises the kids, ages 3, 9 , & 13, she has grown up well beyond her 26 years. Though she has never stopped loving Gabe, she also realizes that his ties to the criminal element could put her and the kids in danger. Her struggle felt real to me and I appreciated her ability to roll with the challenges life throws her way. The pace of the book was good. I did have a little trouble staying with it in the first half of the book, but that may have just been my aversion to the mafia book type. The second have of the book pulled me in and kept me up late to finish. I couldn't put it down. The series has pulled me in. I will be adding the rest of the Bourbon Street Bad Boys to my TBR. Five Masks of Sin (Haremworld #5) by Kelli Callahan #WhyChoose #RoyalRomance  4 STARS This was a quick steamy read. It is a reverse harem romance written in first person from multiple POV. I liked that I really felt like I got to know each of the characters, their drives, and their personalities. I liked that story included some suspense and danger once the prince gets involved. Lyric was a fun character to read about as she falls for each of the guys. This was an easy read with more substance to the story that is usually found in reverse harem novellas. Pretend You're Mine by Lucy Score (Re-read) #SmallTownRomance #FakeRelationship #MilitaryRomance 5 STARS I just re-read this fantastic book. I loved it as much the second time as I did the first, over one year ago. I would only add that I enjoy the relationships between Harper and Luke with the secondary characters in the book. The friendship Harper forms with Also is beyond special. I love the relationship between Harper and Gloria, and the understanding of the recovery from trauma that they share. I love Luke and his relationship with his family. And I adore the relationship Harper and Joni build, not as replacement for those lost, but for support of each other. I could say every good thing about this book and it would never be enough. This book came highly recommended by other readers, but I waited a long time to read it because they also said it was emotional. I tend to lean toward happier ROM-com books. That said, I am sorry I waited. This is easily one of the top books I have read this year, and perhaps one of the best romance books I have ever read. Harper is the woman I want to be. She is the definition of resilient. She is intelligent, beautiful, and has a way of rolling with whatever happens to her a person only admire. Luke is damaged by grief, guilt, and a misplaced sense of responsibility. Outside of that, he is hot, hot, hot. Together they have to get through his deployment and grow to overcome the obstacles to their HEA. Their chemistry is magnetic and explosive at the same time. There is a strong sense of anticipation as they get together. Parts of the story are funny, poignant, and suspenseful. This book has everything. I loved how this book really dived into how deployment affects the soldier who is away, and how the families handle being on their own for long stretches of time. The author tackles survivor's guilt, domestic abuse, child abuse and more. The town of Benevolence is the perfect small town USA, with amazing detail to side characters in the story. As a reader, I never wanted to leave or have the book end. Yes, there are some moments in the book which even caused hard-hearted me to shed a tear, however I never felt like the book had angst for the sake of angst or that it was overly emotional. The emotion comes from dealing with real topics faced by so many of our friends and family members in real life. If you have not read this book yet, do not wait a second more. I more than highly recommend that you read this today.