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Book reviews for books read December 8th-15th

 


It has been an insane month so far. I can't believe that next week is Christmas! I was traveling a good portion of last week but I still managed to read one full length book and four novellas.  I love being able to variety read again. It was such an enjoyable week of reading for me. Check out my reviews and add these to you list today.  Happy reading.


Santa Monica, Baby (Holidays in LA #3) by Kelly Reynolds

#OppositesAttract #Holiday #Novella

Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.

Austin is not your typical MMC as he is on the fluffy side.  I appreciated that he was not 6’4” and built of muscle.  He was a regular guy who was sweet on the inside and had a talent for playing Santa. His artistic soul fit his photography profession perfectly. Who knew that under the unassuming exterior was a soft dom with a heart of gold? Nellie is working as a corporate lawyer. She is a goal-oriented, driven, successful “Elle Woods” type of girl. In a life where she controls everything so completely, Austin is exactly what she needs behind closed doors. She is quick to cede control to her Santa Daddy when they get frisky.

How both characters think and feel about Christmas has been shaped by their families and their upbringings. This was a sweet yet steamy read as they learn to embrace the holidays in their own way while finding home in each other. They learn to embrace the beauty of the messes in their lives and love each moment anyway. This was a fn steamy holiday read that was completely enjoyable.

Dr. Scandalous (Boston’s Billionaire Bachelors #1) 

by J. Saman

#FakeRelationship #Billionaire #SingleMom

Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.

Oliver is from old money Boston. He has never really wanted for anything. Even his family is loving despite their money. Amelia has grown up middle class until her parents died suddenly in a car crash when she was 20. She is buried in debt and responsibility. What starts as a fake engagement for a night quickly spirals into a more long-term ruse. Both characters catch feelings. It always amuses me when the guy falls hard and fast without even realizing he is sunk. I loved what a good person Amelia was. Oliver may be a little clueless but underneath there is a soft heart who wants to give Amelia everything. 

This was a steamy read that I really enjoyed. It was my first book by this author, and I have more queued up and ready to read. I enjoyed the layers of the plot and depth to the characters. I am looking forward to reading more HEAs by her.

Alien Pleasures by Sinistre Ange

#Erotica #Alien #SciFi #Virgin

Written in third person, this is an erotic standalone that incorporates a little love and a bit of a HEA.

Shansa (18) makes the decision to sell herself as an indentured servant to an alien pleasure house to pay for her passage and set herself up away from earth in the hopes of finding her brother. She quickly embraces her new lifestyle and enjoys pleasing several types of aliens. One Torian lord also captures her emotions as well as physical satisfaction.

This was super steamy read. I was very impressed with the author’s creativity with the variety of aliens and their physical coupling with Shansa. I appreciated her willingness to embrace all the new things, finding pleasure in each new experience. I loved how feisty she is and her sass. With Tyander, she is a little bratty and then faces the consequences of lots of sp@nking as foreplay. I really liked their dynamic.

I needed a palette cleanser, and this book was exactly what I was looking for.

X-Mas and Ohs (A Very Alpha Christmas #2) 

by Francesca Penn

#BWWM #OppositesAttract #FlingtoForever #Holiday #Novella

The nerdy girl reforms the playboy.

Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this is a standalone that ends with a HEA.

Aubree is a research scientist. Her brain is very curious, and she has all the questions, especially about her neighbor. She wonders if the screams of “Oh, Jason” that she hears through the walls regularly are real, because she has never had THAT kind of O experience. I loved her logical approach to her problem.  Surely propositioning the neighbor to give her what he regularly doles out can’t be too much to ask.

Jason is a playboy who never has trouble finding a woman to take home. He has a one-night rule that is iron clad. Until Bree. I loved how he accepted her challenge. I loved how he worked with her mentally and physically so that she could peak. I loved how he falls hard for her without having a clue he has fallen.

This was a fast and steamy read with enjoyable characters who shared realistic emotional and physical connections. There were a few minor typo and word usage issues, but the most distracting thing as a reader hinged on the formatting. Breaks in the middle of words, sentences, and paragraphs where there shouldn’t have been any was jarring at times. I did love the premise and the characters. This was still a solid holiday read.


You Are Mine (Morales Coven #0.5) 

by Amy Oliveira/Scarlett Reyes

#AgeGap #FatedMates #Paranormal #Witches #Holiday #Virgin #Novella

Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. This novella is set outside of San Francisco and takes place beginning on Halloween 2022.

Marnie is the youngest of seven sisters who are witches, and each have a special gift. Marnie’s gift: to know her soulmate. She is 22 when she meets Grayson, who is 19 years older and a successful CEO.  I loved the first two chapters. After that, I felt like the story was a little rushed to fit inside the novella format. I liked both MCs but I wanted more development of their relationship.  They get physically hot and heavy pretty fast, but I felt like their emotional connection fell short outside of the magnetic draw of being soul mates. I also really want more of the sisters and their relationships. I have the next book downloaded, and I am hopeful that it will provide even more insight into their relationships with each other and their family history.


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