Archives for August 2017

August 31, 2017

Review: A Rake’s Guide to Seduction by Caroline Linden

Reviewed by Jen

Generally I am a fan of all things Caroline Linden, but this re-issue from nine years ago is not one of my favorites from her. It’s sort of a second chance at love story, except the hero and heroine never really made it to the “love” stage the first time around.

Linden introduces us to Celia and Anthony four years prior to the main events of the story. She is a debutante in her first season and he is the disreputable friend of her older brother. Everyone knows that Anthony is a rake of the first order, and a gambler too. The gossip sheets report on him constantly, but Celia remembers the boy he was as she was growing up and isn’t so quick to judge him on his reputation. He is taken by the way she sees him, but he is too late when he asks her brother to court her. She has already accepted another man’s proposal. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Jen, Historical Romance Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
August 30, 2017

Review: Rebel by Rebecca Yarros

Reviewed by Joanna

We’re back at the floating university on the sea, this time with four-time X Games medallist Penna, who’s about to speed her way into love.

Penelope Carstairs is an elite athlete. At age twenty-two, she excels at motocross, winning even all-male competitions and generally kicking ass. But in a previous story, she gets injured and loses her mojo for her sport.

We kick off this tale in Vegas where Penna, known as Rebel, is about to do an illegal and secret BASE jump to get herself back in the zone. Her jump partner turns up drunk, so she propositions the supremely hot guy she’s been chatting to in the bar—Cruz Delgado. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Joanna, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
August 29, 2017

Review: Deacon by Kit Rocha

Reviewed by Jen

I am really enjoying the books in this series so far. Gideons Riders is a spinoff from Kit Rocha’s Beyond series. I did not read those books, but the spinoff will give you no trouble if you are a new reader.

If the name didn’t give it away, this is Deacon’s book. He is the leader of the Riders, tough as nails, but no one really knows him. Turns out, he is a former assassin who was once hired to kill Gideon, the man they all serve with unwavering loyalty. Unfortunately, his old band of killers is back, and it seems that they have come to collect their wayward assassin. Deacon has to finally come clean to the team who has trusted and respected him for so long. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Jen, Dystopian Tagged With: , , Leave a Comment
August 28, 2017

Review: Broken Prince by Erin Watt

Reviewed by Joanna

This is the sequel to Paper Princess, therefore contains spoilers as that tale left off on a big old cliffhanger. Don’t read on if you like wealthy bratty kids and a rags-to-riches story. Go back and pick up the first book instead.

So, Ella Harper was whisked out of her life of poverty and stripping by her previously unknown guardian, Callum Royal, who had been a friend of her father’s. He moved her into his home with his five sons, and Ella had a rapid adjustment to make to the ultra-rich world she now inhabited.

She eventually befriended the brothers, and fell in love with Reed, the second oldest. The first story was told solely from Ella’s point of view. This book is dual perspective and the better for it, in my eyes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Joanna, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: Leave a Comment
August 25, 2017

Review: Blind Fate by Regine Abel

Reviewed by Ronelle

Valena has never known a day of freedom in her entire life. Born and raised in a Guldan breeding compound, she’s been a slave for nearly twenty-two years. Worse, her master burned her retinas as a child to prevent her from using her mind-control ability on those who meet her gaze. But her second psi ability, that of controlling people’s thoughts with a touch, is still very useful to the male who owns her. As a slave in the Xelix Prime Blood Houses, she is forced to use her ‘skill’ to keep the other slaves compliant. It’s an existence she is praying will end soon; there are, after all, only two Blood Houses left and General Khel Praghan is hell-bent on eradicating them.

But when Fate places Zhul Dervhen—an alluring, gorgeous, and powerful Xelixian Councilor—in her path, she decides not to wait for the General’s rescue. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Ronelle, sci-fi romance Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
August 24, 2017

Review: Just Another Viscount in Love by Vivienne Lorret

Reviewed by Jen

I have read and enjoyed all three books in this series, but this installment was considerably weaker for me. Part of it might be because of the inherent problems which often come with novellas. The story is very very simple and the love is Insta. Honestly though, my biggest issue was that I was a little bit bored.

Poor Samuel definitely deserved a happy ever after, considering he was cast aside by the other heroines in the series through no fault of his own. He is handsome, kind, and really quite a catch. Gemma, on the other hand, is essentially a pariah. Her father was a villain in a previous tale and now she is unsuitable in the eyes of the time because of his evil deeds. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Jen, Historical Romance, novella Tagged With: , Leave a Comment
August 23, 2017

Review: Undeserving by Madeline Sheehan

Reviewed by Elle

Ohhhh this book has been a long time coming. The Undeniable series, and Madeline Sheehan will always be one of my favorites, no matter how long she takes to release a book (but please don’t make us wait over two years again! My heart can’t take it!).

This book is a bit different than the rest of the series. We take a break from all the current day drama of the first four books, and go back in time 50 or so years. Now for those that need a reminder, Eva Fox is our book 1 heroine.  She and her man, Deuce, have played fairly central roles in each subsequent book, and this one is no exception. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Elle, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: 1 Comment
August 22, 2017

Review: Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

Reviewed by Joanna

Parker and Ben have been roommates and best friends since freshman year at college. They are walking proof that men and women can be the closest of friends without winding up sleeping with each other. Ben doesn’t want a girlfriend, enjoying serial one-night stands, and Parker has a long term boyfriend in Lance. Until she doesn’t.

When Parker’s relationship ends, she’s a little bit upset, but it’s more the realization she hasn’t had sex in two months that gets her jumpy. So makes a proposal to her housemate Ben – no strings attached sex for as long as they both find it fun. Nothing can go wrong with that, right? [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Joanna, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: Leave a Comment
August 21, 2017

Review: Addicted to Ansley by Linda Kage

Reviewed by Shelly

There’s very little that I don’t like from this author. The hits still outweigh the misses by a long shot. This is a very simple but tragic story nonetheless. It’s the tale of a young couple; the boy is 18 and the girl is 15 when they initially meet. He’s a bad boy through and through, but he’s able to hide the criminal elements of his personality for the small windows of time that he’s with the most beautiful girl in the world. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Shelly, Contemporary Romance Tagged With: Leave a Comment
August 20, 2017

Review: Paper Princess by Erin Watt

Reviewed by Joanna

Ah, books with families of brothers really are my downfall. I can’t remember why, but I was put off reading this series last year, despite the excellence of the co-authors (Erin Watt is Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick). I think I read that it was Young Adult, but I wouldn’t recommend this for teens. Although the protagonists are high school students, it has detailed scenes of stripping, drugs, sexual assault, non-consensual and consensual and sex, so I’d shelve it in the New Adult category.

The story is told from the point of view of Ella Harper, an orphan who is struggling to get by and supporting herself by the trade her mother excelled at – stripping. Her mum died and Ella is forging her signature in order to continue going to school. She’s pragmatic, street wise and sassy. Imagine her fear when a strange, well-dressed man arrives at her school claiming to be her guardian, and when she runs, he finds her and kidnaps her. [Read more…]

Filed Under: by Joanna, New Adult Tagged With: , , 2 Comments
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