The weekend is almost over as I type this but this is me running behind this week. What a week it has been! I have worked a lot at the job, the hubby had surgery, and we celebrated both my 33rd wedding anniversary and Father's Day. I read one ARC, two books from my TBR, and one new-to-me author.
I have found that after I read a really good book I need to read something a little different to get over the book hangover. That happened twice this week. After I finished the Harlow James ARC, I read an escort book by Leigh James that has been on my kindle for ages. After I read Lyndsey Gallagher's newest release, I started Escort Training which I think I picked up free a while back. That led me down a rabbit hole to reading the whole series. I have decided to review that whole series together as opposed to reviewing each book individually as they are really one story on three stages.
It was a fabulous variety of reads this week and now I need to get serious and get back to ARCs.
#Billionaire #EnemiesToLovers #SmallTown #ARC
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
first book in series can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.
Willow is a billionaire and I love it when the heroine has
that power dynamic in a book. When she arrives in Carrington Cove, she is
certainly a fish out of water. She is processing a lot of emotions that are
brought to the surface by the letter that changed her life. She makes
decisions, rolls up her sleeves, and gets to work on the plan that she thinks
she wants. Dallas is an inconvenient speed bump. He is argumentative and
doesn’t hesitate to call her out when she forgets her manners. I adored their
banter. I loved their chemistry. I love that they are both a little grumpy.
They both have emotional baggage. Then they end up being connected in a way
neither of them could have imagined and the secrets almost tear them apart. But
both characters are strong and willing to fight for the life they really want.
Even when that life looks completely different than what they imagined only a
few short months before. There is heartache and so many emotions that I could
feel as the characters experienced them.
The author does an amazing job setting up this series. The setting is a wonderful small beach town that relies on tourists yet has a core group of year-round residents. The characters are introduced and are all likeable. The epilogue hints perfectly at the coming books, and I would be lying if I didn’t say how excited I am for them. This author just keeps getting better. I was completely drawn into this story, and I really didn’t want to leave. In fact, I finished this with a huge book hangover that I am still recovering from.
Wreck Me (Beckett Brothers #1) by L.A. Gallagher
#AgeGap #Billionaire #FakeRelationship #Forbidden #Virgin
The first standalone in a new series of interconnected novels under a new pen name for this author. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV and ends in a HEA. It can be read as a standalone, though I suspect that the feud between two families introduced in this book will continue into other books of the series.
Scarlett (23) is brave, intelligent, and determined to make her way in the world despite her tragic past. James (33) is the oldest Beckett brother, CEO of the family distillery business, and the object of a recent scandal. I love that he is drawn to Scarlett immediately. I love how he cannot get her out of his head. Scarlett has followed him in the media and has harbored her own crush on him, even though she never imagined that they could be together.
This spicy read had me all in my feels. This couple cannot get enough of each other. I love how James wants to give Scarlett the world. I love how safe she feels with him. I adore that they do not have a third act break up and that adversity only brings them closer together. Feelings neither one thought would be possible for them individually sneak up on these two and become unavoidable. I am anxious to read more books set in this world and am only sad that I have to wait for the next book in the series.
Escorting the Billionaire (The Escort Collection #1)
by Leigh James
#Billionaire #Escort #FakeRelationship
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.
While written as a slightly different take on Pretty Woman
mixed with a bit f Cinderella, this was a very enjoyable read for me. I needed
something to move past a book hangover and this smexy book was the perfect
solution.
Audrey has had a rough life that led her to becoming an
escort to survive and take care of her brother. Mercy knows her mother is less
help and more obstacle. When she is given the option of a multi-week contract
with billionaire, James, she jumps at the opportunity. Audrey is a little rough
around the edges, made even more obvious by James’ smooth control and disdain.
He has found himself in need of a way to avoid his parental matchmaking
attempts and Audrey is the solution to his problem. He has no intention of
utilizing the full services offered, but ultimately their chemistry gets to
both of them.
They are fiery together. They argue, make up, change terms
of the agreement, face difficult obstacles, and ultimately fight to be
together. Steamy, romantic at times, and exactly what I needed, I really
enjoyed this book.
The Emma Series by James Grey
Escort Training/Escort Unleashed/Her Calling
#Escort #BDSM #Erotica
Written in first person from Emma's POV, this series must be read in order. Readers should note that this is not a romance series and there is not a romantic HEA. The focus of this series is Emma's s3xual awakening and her journey to acceptance of her desires and her satisfaction with the life she chooses. These were my first books by this author and really the first time I have read erotica written by a male author. I will say, there is a difference.
Most of the series, and all of the physical scenes read like the fantasies of a teenage boy. They are hot but there isn't a lot of depth to them. Emma's journey of self discovery also seems pretty shallow at times. For a woman of 26 and 27, she doesn't seem to adult very well. Her emotions are inconsistent regarding some of her clients and even her friends. She enjoys the physical connections with a variety of client but occasionally struggles with guilt and shame because of it. I found her personal journey interesting, I just wanted more. There are some twists and turns along the way and book two ends on a significant cliffhanger. I found my feelings about this series mixed. I wanted so much more yet it was like a train wreck and I couldn't stop reading. I think part of me kept holding out hope that the story would gain the missing depth if I just kept reading a little more. Ultimately, the series left me unsatisfied.
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