What a week! I read 2 ARCs, 1 new release, and 1 book from my TBR. Maria Luis does not disappoint with the second installment of the Broken Crown trilogy. I am desperately waiting for the third book, which will release soon. Mae Wood adds to Sarina Bowen's True North world with a lovely small town romance between mature characters that I completely enjoyed. Piper Rayne's next addition to the Hockey Hotties series gave me a Russian defender named Maksim, and I fell hard for the big guy. Finally, Annika Marin's next book delivered a grumpy, hot, geek, billionaire who falls hard for a sunshine-infused dancer. I enjoyed my week and I hope these reviews help you determine what could be next to add to your TBR. Happy reading.
#RoyalRomance #DarkRomance #RomanticSuspense
5 STARS
Secrets. Lies. Loyalty. Betrayal. Hate. Love. Passion. Pain. Danger. Destruction. Love. Death. Rebirth.
Damien and Rowena are more alike than they ever would have thought. Their story is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.
Both characters are tough, strong, and ruthless. There are times when it seems like they have no empathy or feelings, and sometimes it makes it difficult to like them. They are both resilient; rising again and again after each knock down. There are so many things that happen in this book that I cannot spoil. There are surprises I never expected and betrayals no one saw coming. I love the kindle-melting heat between the two characters. Things get very hot between them and are described in a way (due to circumstances I cannot reveal) that stands apart from other romance novels. The reader gets a different insight into the characters because of it. I love the vulnerability and support they find with each other. I love their commitment to each other and the sacrifices they are willing to make to see each other whole and living in this life. The words they give each other are powerful, passionate, and devastating all at once.
The author does an amazing job leaving clues and Easter eggs that I know will make sense at the end of book three. And with that certainty, I know I will need to reread the entire series all over again just to catch the things that I realize that I am missing. There was once a movie, back in 2000, titled Memento. When I got to the end of the movie (on VHS) I immediately rewound the tape and watched it again. It carried an even bigger punch the second time through after I knew the end of the story. I have a feeling that the Broken Crown Trilogy is going to be the same way.
Set in London, the war between loyalists and anti-loyalists rages. The more they seem divided, the more alike the two sides become. Both sides are evil and both sides are good. And all are just people hoping for a better world. That world does not come in this book, though Damien and Rowena do find and love each other despite the odds against them.
Wildflower (Speakeasy Taproom #5) by Mae Wood
#SingleDad #SmallTown #Fling
4.5 STARS
This book is written as part of Sarina Bowen’s True North
world and functions completely as a standalone.
It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV and has a
sweet HEA.
Juliana and Riggs both end up back in their small Vermont
town in their 40s. Juliana is working
with three business partners to open a new female owned brewery. Riggs and his teenage son have moved back
after high profile drama with his ex-wife makes him choose a fresh start away
from the city life they have known in Boston.
Though they have known each other since childhood, they were never
close. I love the sizzle between them as
they really get to know each other.
I appreciated the maturity of the characters in their
communication, both in and out of the bedroom.
I love how they have both been career focused and are determined to
succeed with their new ventures. I love
the heat and the fearlessness between them and how they make time for each
other even though they are both busy. I
love Riggs’ relationship with his son and Juliana’s relationship that she is
developing with her teenage niece.
Neither one of these characters was looking for a relationship, yet they
find love anyway. One of the things I
appreciate about this author is her commitment to research. I feel like I learned a lot about beekeeping
and beer that I did not know, without it ever feeling like a textbook
approach. It was a natural part of
Juliana and Riggs learning about each other, and I really enjoyed the knowledge
gained. This was a very enjoyable read
and I recommend it. I look forward to
reading more books in this true North world.
The Trouble with #9 (Hockey Hotties #2) by Piper Rayne
#SportsRomance #ForbiddenRomance #ARC
4 STARS
Maksim and Paisley shared a kiss on New Year’s only to learn
afterwards that she was going to be the team psychologist. Their story is written in first person from
an alternating dual POV. Though this is
the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone and ends with a
HEA.
I really liked Maksim, though there were times he was a
little clueless. He is fierce on the ice
but loving and caring off it. I appreciated Paisley and her attempt to stay
professional despite her attraction to him.
I loved the chemistry between the characters and how comfortable they
were together. I love that they learn to
communicate better with each other over the course of the book. I really liked that Paisley could see the
pain that Maksim hid from everyone else and wanted him to heal. Their conflict of interest, the professional
distance of her being his therapist, is there but not explored as much as I
would have liked. I would have like
Paisley to be a little tougher with the people in her life that seem to make
many of her decisions for her. There are
steamy and romantic scenes between Maks and Paisley. I love the original dates that Maksim comes
up with. The secondary characters and
the world of the Florida Fury provide a setting with friend support that I
really enjoyed.
Just Not That Into Billionaires
(Billionaires of Manhattan #6)
by Annika Martin
#GrumpyHero #Billionaire #OppositesAttract #AccidentalMarriage
#ARC
4 STARS
This is book 6 in the series and though there are cameos of
characters from previous books it can be read as a standalone. It is written in first person from an
alternating dual POV.
Francine is sunshine.
People are drawn to her happy and sparkling personality. She has spent her life committed to dance and
is near achieving her dream of a ballet world tour when she discovers that she
has been married for 9 years but she did not know it. She tracks down her former coworker/husband
to get her divorce and he refuses to give it to her unless she spends 3 weeks
as his wife first. Benny is a hot, geek,
billionaire who has changed a lot since they first knew each other. He always knew they were married but never contacted
Francine to correct it.
I will be honest; it took me a while to get into this
book. At 40%, I hated both characters. I have read this author before and I was
surprised. The only reason I continued
to read is because I have history with her.
Hot geeks are normally one of my favorite heroes, but Benny is mean and
manipulative. Francine is goofy and treats
everything too lightly. Neither
character communicates effectively, and it seemed like the banter was more
important than actually saying anything.
At about 60%, they begin to have some chemistry. By 75%, I felt like I was beginning to
understand the motivations of both characters and began to like them and become
vested in their HEA. By the end of the
book, I was happy that they had gotten together and was able to enjoy their
relationship.
Once the characters found their chemistry, there are some
steamy moments. They finally drop the
walls and get real with each other and become friends. I do love how Francine can read Benny and
thinks the best of him, even when he seems hard to like. This was a different twist on the accidental
marriage trope, and it was ultimately an enjoyable read.
Comments
Post a Comment