This is the first week in forever I do not have ARCs in review. The result is that I was able to read six books by authors I will meet at the Indies Invade Philly event next month. In addition, I read several short stories written by other attending authors. Reviews for the short stories will come later after I have completed reading the anthologies as part of the anthology reviews.
I love finding new authors and I certainly found some new favorites this week. My TBR just keeps growing. (I hope I have enough life to read all these books.) I feel like I am getting more used to audio books. In addition to reading K. Loraine's All the Queen's Men, I listened to it on audio. IT IS AMAZING! The all-star cast brought the story to life in a way I absolutely appreciated. I adored that there are multiple narrators in each chapter, making it almost like radio theatre. I am so glad I bought it because I can see myself listening to it over and over gain.
I hope my reviews give you an idea of whether these books will bee good additions to your TBR. Have a good week and happy reading.
Raging Inferno by Janine Infante Bosco
#Firefighter #FatedMates
4 STARS
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this book follows Jimmy and Melissa as they fall in love and realize that fate has had a large role in their lives and bringing them together.
I loved Jimmy who is the epitome of a NYC Italian firefighter. He even has a Joey Tribiani "How you doin'?" moment. Melissa has not had the easiest time in the last few years. I loved her strength and ability to take the time she needed before moving forward from the tragedy of her past.
Though there were some minor proofreading and timeline errors to the story, there was more to love than to criticize. I love the thread of fate that ties these two characters together. I love that their story is rooted in a timeline that I can appreciate. I adore the message that life is too short to waste not loving those who are connected to you. I felt drawn in by the concept of this story and I thoroughly enjoyed the depth of characters created in a a relatively short book. There was a lot of emotion, steam, and romance in this story. This was my first book by this author in preparation of meeting her in Philadelphia at Indies Invade Philly. I was completely captured by her story telling and I cannot wait to meet her and read more of her work.
Melody is a bartender in Brooklyn who has perfected her bar flare skills when Trevor sees her and is captivated. Trevor returns to his home in Vermont. After some events in Melody's life, she ends up in Vermont where Trevor runs into her again.
I appreciated Trevor's patience and persistence with Melody. Unfortunately, they both have a lot of baggage that do not do a good job communicating. Melody has a personal journey to complete to where she feels like she deserves love and happiness. I found her journey both understandable and heart-breaking. There are some dramatic moments and the characters share some physical heat between them. I love the True North world. I really just felt like this was missing something for me. Maybe it was that I never really felt the connection between the characters. Maybe it was irritation with the lack of communication and the secrets between them. That said, this was a good book. I just wanted more. I look forward to reading some of the author's other work in the future.
Brazen Bossman (Cocky Hero Club) by Emma Nichole
#Billionaire #Workplace #OppositesAttract
4 STARS
This is my first book by this author in preparation of meeting her in Philly next month. It is a standalone set in the Cocky Hero world and is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.
I found both Piper and Nathanial to be complex characters dealing with difficult issues within their families. Piper is an incredibly hard worker who is trying to help her mom and brothers keep the family restaurant afloat while working full time as Nathanial's assistant. I love how she tries to remain positive and is still kind and caring to the people around her. Nathanial is not handling his issues as well. He becomes angry, grumpy, and sometimes mean. He is listed in Piper's phone as A$$hole and it is a well-earned title. As the story progressed, the reader learned why Nathanial reacts the way he does. I was personally disappointed with his lack of control on that front, even though I did feel like I understood the character. Having experienced his father's decline and illness with my mother first hand, I felt that part of the story was handled well and was very realistic.
The story is steamy and there are some funny moments. Nathanial is an excellent dirty talker and Piper is fearless and uninhibited. The book touches on some difficult topics in the family dynamics that Piper and Nathanial are experiencing without becoming overly angsty. The pacing of the story was good and the characters were well-developed. There were a few minor timeline and detail inconsistencies that should have been caught prior to publication. That said, this was an enjoyable read with characters that had depth and felt real. I really enjoyed it.
Bad Alibi (Redemption #1) by Jessica Prince
| #SmallTown #HealingLove 5 STARS This is my first book by this author, and I am in love. Cannon and Farah’s story is set in the small town of redemption, Tennessee, and it is written in first person from an alternating dual POV. Farah is an amazing main character. She is strong, brave, fierce, kind, sweet, and giving. She is a survivor of terrible things while keeping her kind spirit. I love her bravery in starting over. I love the relationship she has with her brother Jase and with Bennett. I really appreciated her desire and ability to learn to trust her gut in her decision making. When she meets Cannon, she is nervous about her reaction to him, yet still moves forward getting to know him. She is probably one of my favorite heroines of the year. The story kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want to put it down to go to bed and I couldn’t wait to start reading again the next morning. When you wake up thinking of the characters in your book, you know the author has done a good job. Farah is healing, and the author did an amazing job of how that can be one step forward and two steps back. Cannon is a playboy before meeting Farah, but he falls for her quickly and completely. I love how tender he is with her. The passion and chemistry between them are electric. There was a lot of steam, some drama, some heartache, and some laughs in this wonderfully written book. There were a handful of errors that should have been caught by a proofreader prior to publication, though they did not detract from the story. I cannot wait to read more by this author. Trigger warning: Heroine has experienced violence in her past that could be triggering for some readers when mentioned in the story. Hero is not part of that violence. |
Pieces of Rhys by L.D. Davis
| #Workplace 3 STARS This is my first book by this author. In preparation for Indies Invade Philly, I am attempting to read something by each author. This sounded interesting. It is written in first person from Linsey's POV. Though there are a few funny-ish moments in the book, I would not label this as a comedy. There is some steam, but again, I would not call it erotica. I liked Lindsey most of the time. She is sarcastic and feisty. I cannot say I understood her though. The way she handled things with her abusive ex completely baffles me. She crushes on her co-worker and when he finally notices her, they fall into a very strange, non-functional, non-committed relationship. I did not love it, but like a train wreck I could not look away. Rhys is struggling with some obvious commitment issues. The two characters kind of communicate without really communicating. Reading this was a little like watching a foreign film without subtitles. It was different and interesting but I am not sure I really understood it. The writing felt a little choppy and I never felt like the characters were very well-developed. It felt like a lot of tell and not a lot of show. The read was ok and I wasn't sure where the story was going for a while, but I read till the end to see. Reviews for this author and her other books are good. I will have to try another book in the future. Trigger Warning: Heroine has been and is abused by her ex-husband in this story. |
All the Queen's Men: A Fae Romance by K. Loraine
Audiobook Narrated By: Stella Hunter, Shane East, Jason Clarke, Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan, Wesleigh Siobhan, and Kylie Stewart
| #WhyChoose #Fantasy #Paranormal #ActionAndAdventure #RoyalRomance #FatedMates 4.5 STARS I will be attending Indies Invade Philly next month and I am trying to read something by each attending author. Though I have read this author before, I picked up this book because I have discovered that I love a good fae romance and enjoy the RH reads every now and then. The audible narration also includes several of the narrators who I will meet at IIP. I borrowed the KU book and read it and then listened to the audible narration. (Knowing from experience that I do better with audio if it is a book I have already read, especially with the number of characters in this story.) The book is written in first person from an alternating multiple POV. It follows Maeve from her birth through her ascension to Queen of the Shadow Court. This edition contains both parts of the story which was originally published separately as well as a short spin off novella. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and plot. I was on the edge of my seat and really unable to put it down as the group faces challenge after challenge to their HEA. The heat and connection between the characters was fun to read. I loved the adventure and I always enjoy the creativity required of an author to make the fantasy world real. The characters were likable and in the instances that I had doubts, those doubts were intentionally created by the author to further the plot. I really loved the story and how they have to come together to win. I loved the way the story addresses the jealousy that occurs on the way to a healthy poly relationship, and that they do get there. Aside from some minor inconsistencies, I absolutely loved this book. I purchased the audio of this book as well. It is probably one of the best audios I have heard. The large cast of narrators does an AMAZING job bringing the characters and the story to life. I can tell you that this will be an audio book that I listen to over and over. Entertaining and almost like a radio theater, the narration makes it impossible not to become immersed in the story. I cannot wait to meet some of these incredibly talented individuals in Philly. |
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