Archives for November 2016

November 30, 2016

Review: Bad Neighbor by Molly O’Keefe

bad-neighborReviewed by Joanna

This is a sneaky novel by my new favorite author, released with little warning and fanfare. Mean guy? Dark secrets? Hell yes. My grabby hands swiped it up.

Charlotte is a slightly geeky, rather body conscious, absolute sweetheart. She moved into the run down development of Shady Oaks after selling her home and giving away all her money. Her twin sister was in trouble, and our girl is a total giver.

As an illustrator, Charlotte can earn her way out of poverty, so the duration of her stay in the slums is limited. Unless, that is, she has a reason to hang around. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Joanna, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: 4 Comments
November 29, 2016

Review: Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

duke-of-pleasureReviewed by Jen

I am such a huge fan of Elizabeth Hoyt and her Maiden Lane books. I feel like I say that every time I read one, but they’re just so good! This installment is one of my favorites, and that is thanks to a heroine unlike any of the others.

We’ve met Alf in the previous books, a street urchin who pretends to be a boy for her own protection. She procured information. She was cocky and sure. She knew how to keep herself alive. And now… she is the Ghost of St. Giles. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Jen Tagged With: , 3 Comments
November 28, 2016

Review: When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

when beauty tamed the beastReviewed by Jen

Beauty and the Beast stories are some of my very favorites –and this historical was a total win for me. I felt connected to both the hero and heroine and their chemistry was absolutely fantastic. They have great witty banter, hot sexual tension, and –best of all– can see past each other’s facades to the hidden truths beneath.

Linnet is the beauty of this tale and she was a coveted catch, until an unflattering dress and some food poisoning had the combined effect of convincing the ton she was expecting a baby. They are wrong, of course, but she is ruined nonetheless, leaving her with very few choices for her future. Just one choice, really: she must use her so-called pregnancy to her advantage. Her father ships her off to an Earl in Wales with a beastly reputation and a known injury that leaves him unable to produce an heir. Linnet should be the answer to his prayers. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Jen, Historical Romance Tagged With: Leave a Comment
November 27, 2016

Review: His to Cherish by Stacey Lynn

his-to-cherishReviewed by Shelly

This is my first story by this author and I have to admit, the entire story made me sad. The 3rd story in Lynn’s Fireside series speaks of grief. The grief of losing a child, an only child at that, of divorce, of losing both your parents on the same day, in the same accident. It’s rare that I read a story where I’m miserably turning the pages because it’s got to get better. Something good has to happen soon. There’s no way that these two people can have such misery put upon them. But yes, it was just page after page of misery. I wish this story was different – happier, more romance driven versus the onslaught of sadness – crying, crying and more crying (that’s not even me, that’s the heroine). [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Shelly, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
November 26, 2016

Review: The Pacifist by Jenny Holiday

pacifistReviewed by Janell

This is the third in Jenny Holiday’s adorable eighties-set New Wave Newsroom Series. In the first, we met Jenny and hot moody art guy Matthew (excuse me I died of his hotness). In the second, Dawn stood out as the smart, driven investigator who’s noticed by the campus cop (swoon). Here, newspaper photographer Tony pursues Laraline, the grad student just itching to break free from her father’s control.

I have to say off the bat that Tony didn’t do it for me. Usually I’m all about the less alpha hero, but his casual demeanor didn’t have enough fire for me. Tony loves women. He has a twin sister, he’s friends with a lot of women, he enjoys sex with them. He’s a nice guy who’s gotten distracted in college, so now he’s in his fifth year, trying really hard to graduate. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Janell, Contemporary Romance, novella Tagged With: Leave a Comment
November 25, 2016

Review: Red Winter by Annette Marie

red-winterReviewed by Janelle

Kimura Emi has dedicated every waking moment of the last ten years to being the perfect kamigakari. Now, only a few short weeks remain before her life as a mortal will end and her new existence as the human host of a goddess begins. She’s heard tales of the good she will be capable of once she’s imbued with Amaterasu’s divine power. Not once has she doubted her responsibility, her purpose, nor has she deviated from the stringent preparation of mind, body, and soul.

That is, until the discovery of a book in an abandoned storehouse shatters her perceptions of what it means to be a kamigakari. Angry, frightened, and desperate to have one experience for herself, she makes a reckless choice that puts her in the path of danger… and Shiro. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Ronelle, Fantasy Romance, YA Tagged With: Leave a Comment
November 24, 2016

Review: Graced by Amanda Pillar

gracedReviewed by Jen

I’ll give credit to Amanda Pillar. I’ve read a lot of PNR books and this definitely has its own feel. Maybe it’s not exactly PNR, but I wouldn’t call it Urban Fantasy either. It’s set thousands of years in the future in a world that humans share with Gifted, weres, and vampires. The Gifted are special humans (like our heroine’s family) who have gifts like telekinesis, telepathy, or empathy, and they are marked by the color of their eyes.

Elle is not exactly Gifted herself, but she is a little more than human. She works in law enforcement. She is a disappointment to her highly gifted grandmother. And the most important thing in the world to her is protecting her young teal-eyed sister from the notice of the vampires. You see, vamps like to collect interesting humans and there is very to stop them. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Jen, Paranormal Romance, Shifters, Vampires Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
November 23, 2016

Review: Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kelypas

marrying-winterborneReviewed by Shelly

My first Kleypas. What I was waiting for, I have no idea. This is the 2nd book in the The Ravenels series and I’m not sure how much these two had a presence in the previous story. What I do know is that this works well as a stand alone. The characters follow the storyline as it’s a family oriented saga, but their personalities are suitably represented in this installment.

Rhys Winterborne is a hero I can behind. He grew up rough, in North Wales, as the son of a working man. There’s no nobility or a gentleman’s background for him. Instead he’s a working man who made his own fortune. He owns a department store in a time when people had people to who did things for them – clothes were individually made. Mass production was not the in thing of this time. Rhys employed different people to satisfy either the needs of his customers or the needs of his employees. He’s a demanding employer, but he knew what he wanted both in business and in people. He wanted Helen. He’s always wanted Helen. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Shelly, Historical Romance Tagged With: Leave a Comment
November 22, 2016

Review: Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier

den-of-wolvesReviewed by Jen

This book gave me everything I wanted to wrap up the trilogy of Blackthorn and Grim. Sadly, when I started, I didn’t realize this was the last story in the series, but by about halfway through, I had no doubts. These characters have come so far, their relationship forged in fire. Finally, here, we see the fruit of all their labors, the light at the end of the tunnel. There’s just one more set of trials they must endure before they get there.

A teenage girl, Cara, has been sent away by her father to live with Prince Oran and his wife, Flidais. This, after a strange, wild man named Bardan arrived at their home.  Her father doesn’t explain much to her, but Bardan was once the builder of the unfinished “heart house” that was started before Cara’s mother died. Now her dad is hellbent on resuming the project, only it’s shrouded in secret. Grim is tasked with helping Bardan complete the design. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Jen, Fantasy Romance Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
November 21, 2016

Review: Managed by Kristen Callihan

managedReviewed by Joanna

Scottie is the utterly beautiful manager of Kill John, super rock band. He’s excellent at his job, but has a stick up his ass and is as approachable as a cranky bear. He also doesn’t do well with flying, and is not best pleased to find a chatty American girl in the adjacent seat in the first class cabin as he flies to London. Chatty girl, Sophie, is a photojournalist heading for a job interview. She’s blinded, but not awed, by Gabriel Scott’s incredible looks and steps up her standard teasing attitude to try to weasel out any signs of humanity from the stiff. She messes with him, he gets stiffer. It’s cute. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Joanna, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: Leave a Comment
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