Book reviews from the week of April 3rd

 

Happy weekend!  I read four full-length novel ARCs this week and they were all so good! Nadia lee's book gave me a boss who wasn't always nice and a heroine full of fire.  Lauren Blakely's new release offers a grumpy Englishman and the quirky but fierce heroine who melts him. The Secret by Max Monroe releases today and you definitely want to read it.  Ty, playboy and professor, falls for his TA who is most definitely off limits.  (And the fall is glorious.)  Finally, Julie Capulet has the first book of  a new series releasing April 14th and I loved it.  Set in tropical Hawaii, there is insta-love, family feuds and alliances. It sucked me in with a heroine who was tough as nails and the hero who wants to keep her more than anything.  I hope my reviews help you decide which ones to add to your TBR, though honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them.  I had a fabulous week, and I hope you have a good one too.  Happy reading!

Baby for the Bosshole by Nadia Lee

ARC: Release Date- 04/07/2022

#Billionaire #Workplace #SurprisePregnancy #ARC

4 STARS

This standalone is written in first person from an alternating dual POV and ends with a very happy HEA.

I loved Amy from the beginning.  She is smart, beautiful, and focused on her career.  The first sentence of the book is, “I’ll show him”.  It perfectly exemplifies her determined spirit to succeed in the face of she feels is doubts her boss has in her abilities.  She is a planner.  When she veers from her plans, things get messy in the best way.  She has a wonderful father and I love her relationship with him.  She also has some mommy issue baggage that she eventually has to deal with.

Emmett was difficult to like at first.  He is obviously super intelligent but lacks some social communication skills.  As the book progresses, I learned to like him.  I understood why he acted in certain ways.  I also really appreciated his feelings and desire to basically worship Amy.  He has massive daddy issues that he refuses to address until it is almost too late.  I love the relationships he has with his brothers, and I have a feeling we will see more of them in the future.  They are all very different and interesting characters.  I also think that their differing reactions to their father will be interesting to read.

There is lots of heat and a few laughs on the way to this HEA.  Though the story line of how they end up with a surprise pregnancy is somewhat implausible, I still found the idea of it enjoyable.  If you like the accidental/surprise pregnancy trope, you will not want to miss it.

 Kismet (Happy Endings #3) by Lauren Blakely

ARC: Release Date- 04/08/2022

#GrumpyHero #OneNightStand #Workplace #ARC

4.5 STARS

This is book three in the Happy Endings series, but it can be read completely as a stand alone and ends with a HEA.  It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

I have loved meeting Jo in previous books, and I was so excited for her to get her HEA.  She is smart, driven, kind, and enthusiastic about her life, friends, and her career. Heath is a little grumpy, prefers books to people, and feels like he should accept that he will be loveless for the rest of his life.  I adored him.  I love how he and Jo communicate clearly and openly from the beginning.  There is plenty of heat between them with many steamy scenes.  Even their work relationship it is full of respect, light flirting, and the real friendship that they form. I love how they make each other laugh, smile, and crave adventure as they explore London together.  This book was a sweet love story with heat added.  It left me feeling warm and fuzzy.  I read this in one sitting and really enjoyed the love story with very little angst but a whole lot of happy.

The Secret (Winslow Brothers #3) by Max Monroe

ARC: Release Date 4/9/2022

#AgeGap #Forbidden #Workplace #ARC

5 STARS

Book three in the Winslow Brothers series can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.  Readers will want to read all the books though, as all the brothers are lovable in their own way.  This book is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Rachel and Ty have lived similar lives where they rebel against expectations, take the pleasure they want, and are always up for a challenge and a good time.  They both love English literature.  And they both have daddy issues.  At 39, Ty sees his brothers settling down and has zero desire to follow in their footsteps.  At 26, Rachel has just returned to New York to complete her master’s degree at NYU.  Her goal is to get her life and career on track while avoiding her father and his expectations as much as possible. When a challenge leads to her first meeting with Ty, it is supposed to be a fleeting memory.  They are both surprised to find out they will be working closely together over a semester. Games are played.  They both enjoy the game and gaining the upper hand over each other.  When they finally combust, have an ice pack ready for your e-Reader because it is HOT! What starts as fun soon involves feelings and a forever neither of them pictured: but it is not without obstacles.

I loved Rachel and her confidence and bravery.  I really understood and appreciated the feelings that sometimes motivated her actions.  Reading as Ty falls so hard he sometimes loses his words and even his ability to walk, was fun perfection.  When Ty turns on the romance, get ready to swoon. They are evenly matched in wit and intensity. Their physical chemistry is off the charts. I also love the friendship they form that allows them to support each other emotionally.  This book includes references to Friends, a shoutout to fellow authors (subtle, but if you know you know), a discussion on obscene banana eating, brotherly banter, A Hip-Hop class from H3ll, and so much more.  I couldn’t ask for a better read this week and I cannot wait for Remy’s book.

Devil's Angel (Paradise #1) by Julie Capulet

ARC: Release Date- 04/14/2022

#InstaLove #FatedMates #NewAdult #Billionaire #ARC

5 STARS

Book one in a new series can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. It also sets the stage for more books to come in the series that centers on a feud and alliances between four families.  The setting is the luxurious Hawaiian Islands.  No one does a better job at describing lush luxury than this author.  You can feel the breeze, taste the champagne, and smell the ocean as you become immersed in this world.  This is written in first person from an alternating dual POV.

Knox and Cassidy meet under some unusual circumstances, leading to near death experiences for each of them. The connection between them is instant and intense.  I adored Cassidy.  She has not had an easy life and she is fierce and tough because of it. She has also maintained as much of her innocence as she could while fighting her whole life to survive.  She is creative, determined, and brave.  When luck gives her a shot at a new start, she jumps with both feet.  Knox is bound by duty to an arranged marriage within the alliance or submit to the curse.  His feelings for Cassidy are so instant and intense that he questions if submitting to the curse might be worth it.

This is a hot, hot book.  Readers who like high heat are going to love this. The hero is a protective alpha male who needs his heroine with everything he has.  Cassidy, who has never experienced love, gets to experience it in near-obsessive way from Knox.  The underlying story of the families in alliance, the feud, and danger they face is well-crafted and sucked me in.  I love the way the family relationships felt real while being diverse and somewhat eccentric at times.  I read this whole book in one sitting.  Though the first few chapters were used to set the scene, once I engaged, I could not stop. The author does an incredible job setting up for the next books, leaving the reader wanting more right now. I have really enjoyed all the other books by this author, but I think this may be my new favorite.

TW: Heroine faces an attempted sexual assault from a side character but she escapes before he succeeds.