Contemporary Romance

Review: The One You Fight For by Roni Loren

10:06

Title: The One You Fight For 
(The Ones Who Got Away #3)
Author: Roni Loren
Date of publication: 1 Jan 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author's links:

My rating: 5 Stars


Blurb
 
How hard would you fight for the one you love?
Taryn Landry was there that awful night fourteen years ago when Long Acre changed from the name of a town to the title of a national tragedy. Everyone knows she lost her younger sister. No one knows it was her fault. Since then, psychology professor Taryn has dedicated her life's work to preventing something like that from ever happening again. Falling in love was never part of the plan...

Shaw Miller has spent more than a decade dealing with the fallout of his brother's horrific actions. After losing everything―his chance at Olympic gold, his family, almost his sanity―he's changed his name, his look, and he's finally starting a new life. As long as he keeps a low profile and his identity secret, everything will be okay, right?

When the world and everyone you know defines you by one catastrophic tragedy...
How do you find your happy ending?

Review

This is the third book in the series but I read it first and loved it so much that it made me go back and read book 1 asap (spoiler, I loved that one too).

This series deals with a heavy subject matter (CWs are at the end of this review). I liked how the MCs' trauma was handled and the story showed them as human beings with complex emotions. The author managed to tell a moving tale of two traumatised people falling in love without making it into tragedy porn.

I loved both MCs, she is the school shooting surviour who lost her younger sister and dedicated her  life and her work as a psychology professor to help put an end to school violence. He is the shooter's older brother. Based on their past, they are two people most unlikely to ever get together. But they are more that the trauma they share, they have their flaws and strengths, their dreams and nightmares and ambitions and hopes.  

Their love is passionate, angsty, they both carry lots of regrets ad very much live in the past. Strange as it may seem, they help each other move on from the tragedy. I appreciate the hopefulness of the story. The support they got from their friends (hers were also survivours of the shooting) is something I loved in the story. They were dealing with their demons on their own and together but they also had people by their side who supported them unconditionally (unlike their families).

I think it is a great series of contemporary romance, I haven't read book 2 yet but I'm planning on doing it soon. I can heartily recommend the series but only if you can handle the subject matter

CW: violence, school shooting (flashbacks), panic attacks, grief

Add to Goodreads/ Purchase on Amazon

Christmas

Review: A Wedding One Christmas by Therese Beharrie

01:49


Title: A Wedding One Christmas 
Author: Therese Beharrie
Genre/Themes: Holiday romance
Release Date: 19 Nov 2018

Author's links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 4 Stars


Blurb

Of all the weddings in all the world, Angie Roux had to be mistaken for a bridesmaid in this one.

Caledon, South Africa, is supposed to be just a stop on the way to Christmas in Cape Town, part of Angie’s long-avoided homecoming. She never expected to star in a bizarre comedy of errors, but here she is: convincing a handsome stranger to be her fake boyfriend for the day. 

Ezra Johnson, the handsome stranger in question, turns out to be a pleasant distraction from both the wedding and thoughts of her first family Christmas without her father. And he seems to loathe weddings just as much as she does. He’s the perfect temporary companion.

But a lot can happen in twenty-four hours. Including a connection so strong it tempts them both into thinking of something more permanent

Review 

This is my second book by this author and just like the first one, I found it very enjoyable and lovely, overall. This one is, as you can guess by the title, a Christmas romance and as such it's full of feels and holidays spirit.

The hero and heroine are two people running from their past who meet by chance at a Christmas wedding and form a strong connection based on sharing secrets they haven't told anyone about before.

This is s quiet, introverted story, very much focused on inner conflict. I have to admit it felt a bit heavy at times - the guilt and self-recriminations both MCs feel are not easy to swallow but they both need to work through their emotions before trying to be with someone, start something romantically. There was lots and lots of inner turmoil and I had to put down the book a few times but it was fitting for characters. They are two ordinary people, albeit rather sensitive and caring about the others, who carry a lot of baggage from their past mistakes. WE see them  trying to stay optimistic, to take a chance and trust their hearts and go after that HEA they both want so much.

The story has the loveliest, epilogues, one full of holidays warmth and happiness.

Add to Goodreads / Buy on Amazon


Contemporary Romance

Review: Best of Luck by Kate Clayborn

00:00

Title: Best of Luck (Chance of a Lifetime #3)
Author: Kate Clayborn
Date of publication: 27 Nov 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author's links:
Add to Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars 

Blurb

Winning the lottery is the biggest ticket to freedom Greer Hawthorne’s ever had. 

Until her best friend’s brother comes to town . . . 

Greer Hawthorne’s winning lottery ticket doesn’t just bring her wealth, it also means her chance at a long-postponed education. She’s finally on the cusp of proving to her big, overprotective family that she’s independent—until a careless mistake jeopardizes her plan to graduate. Lucky for her, there’s someone in town who may be able to help . . . 

Alex Averin plans to show up for his sister’s wedding, then quickly get back to his job as a world-renowned photojournalist. But when gorgeous, good-hearted Greer needs an assist with a photography project, he’s powerless to say no. Showing Greer his professional passion ignites a new one, and rouses instincts in Alex he thought he’d long set aside. 

Can a ceaseless wanderer find a stopping place alongside a woman determined to set out on her own . . . or are Alex and Greer both pushing their luck too far?



Review 

Best of Luck by Kate Clayborn is the last book in the Chance of a Lifetime debut series for the author and it is such a worthy ending to a brilliant series. I absolutely love everything about it – it’s an embodiment of everything I love in contemporary romance and shows how much value there is the this kind of stories – ordinary everyday people struggling with different issues trying to find their place in the world and someone to share their life/love/world with. 

Mental health issues are explored throughout the series and they take central stage here too. Alex is suffering from panic attacks and anxiety and we follow him on his journey of figuring this out and finding a way to deal with it – starting with acknowledging the problem and taking up therapy. 

Greer has a chronic illness and it’s probably the first heroine I have read dealing with this. It shapes a lot of her life and is present in her interactions with her friends and family. There is a certain freedom in her early relations with Alex when he doesn’t know about her health issues. 

I like how the author shows the full complexity of the MCs lives – we see them as professionals and as friends and as sons/daughters/ and siblings. 

The story explores the practical aspects of making the relationship between Alex and Greer work – he travels a lot for his work and has just started treatment for his mental health issues, she is the process of graduating college and building a life on her own where she is. 

It's a best friend's older bother romance and I loved how they were concerned about Kit’s reaction but it was never an issue. None of she/he is not good enough for you, but rather, how would this affect our dynamics as siblings and friends if we break up at some point. They have a strong chemistry but also their relationship is built of supporting each other, caring for each other, sharing their deepest secrets (things they haven't even admitted to themselves). 

Incidental queer rep in all three books, just there in the background as part of the MCs lives, and it made me really happy.  

In short, I can't recommend this book and whole series enough, just so read it! It's definitely going on my Best of 2018 list.

CW for panic attacks, anxiety, chronic illness, bike accident

Purchase on Amazon

EE Ottoman

Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #13

00:00

A long overdue set of mini reviews and reading recap. Work has been too intense over the past few months and I have fallen behind both on my reading and blogging.

A Summer for Scandal by Lydia San Andres

I lovely historical romance set on an imaginary Caribbean island in the early 1900s. It features two MCs who are rival writers under pen names. I loved the strong strong, independent, modern heroine. They made a nice match with hero though he came off as weaker, more confused and uncertain. The story is very atmospheric and you could literally feel the heat coming off its pages. It's fun and relatively low on angst with emphasis on women's issues. hero needed to do more groveling to heroine and to his best friend from make up for his awful behaviour before. I wish his father's mistakes were more strongly condemned. I could see it a movie - the heat in the area at all times, the turn of XIX c fashion, the buildings the scenery - very present without being overly descriptive.
4 STARS

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon 

Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder

This has been a pure awesomeness in a bite size. My first by this author and it won't be my last for sure. 
It's a very sexy and intense story with a cinnamon roll hero in disguise and an active, adventurous Asian heroine

This novella is all about the choices we make, obligation, loyalty and following your dreams, taking chances at being happy, loved. Both MCs felt like real - messy, making mistakes but ultimately good people. 

Lots of sexy times where consent is central, never implied but alwasy explicitly discussed, something that I appreciate so much.
5 STARS

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman
This is a sweet m/f historical romance with a trans MC. It's quiet, low on heat and angst, high on kindness and happy-making. I loved the mutual respect the MCs had for each other as professionals. The story is rich on historical details on blacksmithing and embroidering. We get a strong feminist heroine who genuinely cares about other people and their well being. At the same time she someone who is focused on her profession, proud of it, striving after the same respect and acknowledgment the other craftsmen out there get. 

I very much liked how fundamental for the love relationship was the friendship between the hero and heroine. Both had things in their past making them hesitant to fall head fast in love but they slowly built trusty and intimacy which made them feel comfortable and happy to be together. 

HFN ending and to be honest, I wanted more resolution from it, but it still felt fitting to the characters and overall quieter nature of the characters. 
4 STARS
Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Reviews

Review: Fireworks by Sarina Bowen

08:29

Title: Firework (True North #6) 
Author: Sarina Bowen
Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance
Release Date: 13 Nov 2018

Author's links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 4 Stars


Blurb

Skye Copeland is on paid leave from her broadcasting job after accidentally drawing a pecker on the traffic map.

Let that sink in. Like it’s her fault the traffic pattern created a perfect schlong?

Skye isn’t laughing. She needs this job. And that’s the only reason she’s willing to chase down a story in her least favorite place—that hell on earth known as Vermont.

A quick trip. In and out. Much like - never mind. She can sneak into the town that once tried to break her, get the story and slide back into the good graces of her producer. Easy peasy.

But things go sideways the moment she steps over the county line. Her stepsister is running from a violent drug dealer. And the cop on the case is none other than Benito Rossi, the man who broke Skye’s teenage heart.

His dark brown eyes still tear her apart. And even as she steels herself to finally tell him off after twelve years, the old fireworks are still there.

Things are about to go boom.

Review

This is the next installment in the True North series and it's a small town romance mixed with second chance at love with heroine returning to her hometown.
Benito and Skye's story has an easy, natural flow, though I was not a fan of the childhood/young adulthood flashbacks. The felt the narration style and the omniscient 3rd person POV clashed with the rest of the story. I liked the perspective their added to the present-day relations between the MCs (the supporting cast) but not the way it was presented. 
Benito is close to perfect as any romance hero can be in my eyes – caring, loving, fighting the good fight (a police officer going after drug dealers), loyal to his friends and family.
The heroine was more complex, there a bigger internal conflict with Skye –  having to do with her past, her job, her future as a whole. I’m conflicted about her view of her own sexuality but I would say is demisexual, just doesn’t know the word for it. Either way, he is patient and supportive and I love him for standing by her but also giving her time/space to figure things out.
Overall it's a light-hearted, easy read despite touching on some heavy subjects as poverty, abuse, broken families, drugs
Loved catching up on the Rossis and the Shipleys, loved the small town sense of community and support. It could be just wishful thinking of everyone running a successful business in a small town without a single financial care in the world, but it’s a wishful thinking that makes feel good and happy and that’s why I read romance. Sometimes I am all about the darkness and drama, other times good people getting good things works perfectly for me.
CW for crooked cop, verbal (sexual) abuse

Add to Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Ainslie Paton

Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #12

00:00

Tinsel in a Tangle by Ainslie Paton

This is a sweet low-heat holiday novella. Nice but I expected more. I liked the cinnamon roll kind of hero – a geek with a bit of rough exterior but with the most caring heart. A lively, bubbly sort of heroine who tries to please everyone and needs help going after what she wants for herself. One office Christmas party gone wrong. It’s perfectly nice story but too low on conflict, too tame and just skimming the surface of a potential love connection.

I really enjoy this author’s voice and writing style but this was not one of my favourite books of hers. 3 stars


Add to Goodreads / Buy on Amazon


Sin and Ink by Naima Simone


I had great expectations but this story didn’t quite work for me. I’m here for all the angst and they can’t be together because heroine was married to hero’s brother who died but wanted more depth of the story and more character development. There were lots and lots and lots intense erotic scenes, a bit much for me, and not enough other things. I understood the lust and pining but wasn’t on board with the animalistic comparisons all the time. It really bothered me the way her love/sex life with her dead husband was presented as lacking in comparison with her time with the hero. Why make her discover her wild side when she was happy and satisfied with her first lover/romantic partner/husband? 

I didn't like his family for their lack of support, his mother came off a caricature image of evil and hate and I didn’t appreciate that at all.

There was little character/plot development for most of the story – just lust and lots of regrets and guilt. Things picked up in the last quarter of the story but it was not enough to save the story for me. They got their HEA but I wanted to see how their relationship will affect those around them. 2 stars


Add to Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein


I was reluctant to pick this up despite all my friends really loving because it’s a former bully redemption story and I wasn’t sure the author can pull it off. And she did in a spectacular way! I don’t think I have seen another male character do so much, including emotional labour, to make amends and redemption.

The story is very emotionally intense, the physical violence the heroine suffered from the bullies in her past is truly horrific. The story worked for me because I saw the former bully is a cinnamon roll hero at heart who truly regrets his behaviour and wants to be and do better. The author managed to convince me of the sincerity of his regret and I could understand the heroine forgiving him.e

Emotionally charged, painful, story but ultimately hopeful which what I value the most in romance. High heat level. Multidimensional characters. The hero’s vulnerability, his insecurity about his body, her own view of herself being fat really stood out for me. It was all about building trust and both characters moving from their past selves and getting to feel comfortable about who they are now and about the happiness and satisfaction they feel when they are together. 

The dark moment was terribly dark, for a moment I was worried they won’t be able to come back from it but the HFN was perfectly fitting for their relationship. 5 stars
Add to Goodreads / Buy on Amazon


I also finished Fireworks, next book in the True North series by Sarina Bowen. I quite liked it despite some minor issues. And we got to catch up on the rest of the Shipleys and Rossis siblings, so that was fun too. I will review it closer to release in November.

Currently reading A Summer for Scandal by Lydia san Andres, historical m/f romance set on a fictional Caribbean island. Heroine writes naughty serial under a pen name, hero is a writer too. I'm only a couple of chapters in and it grabbed me from the start.

Historical Romance

Review: Band Sinister by KJ Charles

00:00


Title: Band Sinister 
Author: KJ Charles
Genre/Themes: Historical, MM romance
Release Date: 11 Oct 2018

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Facebook Group / Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars


Blurb

Sir Philip Rookwood is the disgrace of the county. He’s a rake and an atheist, and the rumours about his hellfire club, the Murder, can only be spoken in whispers. (Orgies. It’s orgies.)

Guy Frisby and his sister Amanda live in rural seclusion after a family scandal. But when Amanda breaks her leg in a riding accident, she’s forced to recuperate at Rookwood Hall, where Sir Philip is hosting the Murder. 

Guy rushes to protect her, but the Murder aren’t what he expects. They’re educated, fascinating people, and the notorious Sir Philip turns out to be charming, kind—and dangerously attractive. 

In this private space where anything goes, the longings Guy has stifled all his life are impossible to resist...and so is Philip. But all too soon the rural rumour mill threatens both Guy and Amanda. The innocent country gentleman has lost his heart to the bastard baronet—but does he dare lose his reputation too?

Review 


This story is such a delightful queer historical romp made up of fun and fluff and gorgeous writing. There are none of the murders and gore we have come to expect in KJ Charles' romances, just a nasty broken legs and some alluded beating in the past. What we get is the same wonderfully complex and morally dubious characters . 

It's the story of Guy and his sister Amanda, both discovering the hellfire club Murder and falling in love. I loved the MCs, as well the supporting cast of diverse characters. Amanda was awesome, often eclipsing even Guy and Philip and she is the kind of female representation in m/m romance that I want to see more often, not to say always. 

I won't be going into details of the story because the plot is suspenseful and dramatic and I feel would work better to go into it blind. I found the first part really funny, light-hearted while things a more serious turn in the second half. 

Guy is a virgin hero discovering the possibility for love, affection, friendship, in a way he is having his whole world turned upside down and his journey of self-discovery and world-discovery is a pleasure to follow. He is the embodiment of quiet strength and resilience, appearing meek and bland on the surface but full of fire and life and curiosity. 

Philip is basically noble bastard hero who becomes aware of his own position of privilege and falls for the least likely man. He gets to teach Guy a lot of things, to open his eyes and turn upside down his beliefs and principle but he also learns a lot from Guy. His relationship with Guy makes him re-examine and re-evaluate his own position and principles in life. I'd say they both bring out the best in each other and that is what makes their relationship so special in my eyes. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the secondary plot with Guy’s sister – she did steal the show in the early pages of the book and was a delight to read throughout. She is his opposite – outgoing, adventurous, taking risks, not a virgin! And I loved seeing the beauty in their difference and how being one or the other doesn’t make you less deserving of HEA. 

There are many discussions on social norms and propriety and how false all this can be and how much more satisfying it can be to follow your own counsel and not public opinion. At the same time there is a dose of reality with all the hardships lack of money and the possibility for earning one’s living. It’s a theme common of KJ’s books – a privileged character comes to realise their own privilege and respectively see the marginalised/underprivileged situation of the other MC(s). 

In short, this a very entertaining diverse queer romance with great MCs and fascinating supporting characters. It has a similar feel to The Henchmen of Zenda - fun and light-hearted while still tackling serious social and moral issues under the guise of adventures and humour. 

Highly recommended!

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Carla de Guzman

Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #11

00:00

Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh

I love her Psy-Changeling series but her contemporaries have been a hit or miss for me. This one was on the hit side, I'm happy to say. It’s modern arrange marriage romance of sorts set in the Indian community in New Zealand. The story is full of cultural and everyday details about the community and the tension between tradition and modern values/desire for freedom which cause the main conflict in the story. I’d say it’s a kind of an epic love story, one about choice and freedom, loyalty to oneself and one's family. I liked seeing how immersed in the community/their families both MCs are. And I absolutely loved them both. 

Nalini Singh tells a moving story about how one’s dreams can change because one’s circumstances change. It’s about finding a way to make things work, about trust and compromise which are at the centre of any relationship. Breaking free is not a goal in itself, it's a means to achieve happiness and when being with another person is what makes you happy, you two work to give each other that freedom and that connection and support.

It’s a past paced story, rich in details and ultimately one big celebration of love (it features multiple wedding, mostly Indian style ones but also one non-Indian beach wedding). And it has a fabulous ending full of love and quiet happiness. 

Highly recommended read! 5 stars

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

How She likes It by Carla de Guzman

This a romanceclass title (a community of Filipino authors who write romance in English, and also the readers of these books) and my first by this author. It was absolutely lovely. I enjoyed everything about it - older successful CEO heroine, younger single dad hero, one night stand and then he ends up working as her assistant. Great fat rep in the heroine, awkward, a bit clumsy giant of a hero. It's practically my catnip and I loved the romance arc, the way they dealt with the power imbalance between them, them being at different stage sin their lives and yet, complimenting each other. Tense, dynamic story, lots of reflections on family/friendship dynamics. 

A bit of the evil ex trope which I didn't particularly like. I could understand his resentment and conflicting emotions re the mother of his child, yet she was continuously presented in negative light and judged for her (non-traditional) choices. Unlike the heroine who made her own non-traditional choices and was applauded, admired by the hero for them. 

Still, this is a very intense, compelling but also down-to-earth contemporary romance. I loved that it allowed for the heroine to be determined, business savvy, in control and professionally successful while the hero was still finding his way professionally, happy and satisfied to be a father, not focused on professional success so much. 4 stars

I already have If the Dress Fits, an earlier romance in the same setting, and I want to read it as soon as possible.

Add to Goodreads / Buy on Amazon


I just finished Best of Luck by Kate Clayborn and I’m lost for words to express how much I loved it. It’s the perfect ending to a great series of contemporary romance. It releases in November and I will be reviewing it in detail closer to release date. For now, I will only say that Kate broke my heart with these books and put it back together in a most delicious way. I just can't recommend this series enough.

Currently reading: Band Sinister by KJ Charles and it’s such a fun, feel-good historical romance, a romcom, I dare say and I’m having so much fun with it. It releases on Oct 11 and I will review it properly soon.


Historical Romance

Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #10

00:00

I finished two historicals by Joanna Shupe in the past few weeks - A Daring Arrangement and an ARC of A Notorious Vow (out on Sept 25) - books 1 and 3 in her new Gilded Age series.

A Notorious Vow
A historical romance with a deaf reclusive hero, and a virgin noble heroine as MCs. I liked the disability rep (I have no experience with deafness myself, so I'm speaking from the position of an outsider), we see the deaf hero in a position of privilege and how the support and the good financial situation helped him and provided him with opportunities to succeed despite being deaf. Still, there was a poignant plot element revealing the vulnerability (in legal and purely personal sense) of deaf people at the time.

I loved the hero but I was not the biggest fan of the heroine. He was interesting, smart, caring, loving and I enjoyed following his character journey. She, on the other had, she was very much the meek, clueless virgin heroine we so often see in historical romance. It took a while for her to stand up for herself and to act with more confidence and determination and by the end of the book I had much more respect for her.

My main complaint was that the villains felt like caricatures of evilness rather than real people. Her her parents, his cousin, they were over the top in their villainy and lacked nuanced and character development. 3.5 stars

CW for scenes of violence and abuse in mental hospital, ableist language (that got challenged on page). 

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

A Daring Arrangement
I loved this fun fake engagement romance. And it was all because of the heroine who was, bubbly and energetic, doing everything for love, daring, spontaneous while also having moments of self doubt and insecurity. 

The hero was rather interesting too - successful and smart, bon vivant, not ashamed of how much money he makes and he spends freely and with abandon. He does everything to help the heroine while trying in vain not to fall for her.

Like book 3, I found the villain here to be too villainous though there was more background and motivation to his actions.

The story gives us interesting reflections on the change of morel values, with the heroine coming to realise that there might not be just one and only true love.

There was a lot of action and plot twists towards the end which I quite enjoyed. I loved seeing the excess and glamour of the Gilded Age all through the story.

Overall, this was an interesting and very engaging historical romance with a wonderful heroine and a most caring hero. 4 stars

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

I'm finally giving up on Stripped by Zoey Castile. I left it at 60% a couple of weeks ago and I'm not motivated to finish it. I was drawn to the premise of a Latina school teacher and a male stripper getting together but the book didn't deliver. It's told in dual POV first person present tense and it felt juvenile and flat. Both characters were in their late 20s and were going through some sort of of early mid-life crisis. While we got some insight as to why he was starting to feel dissatisfied with his job and his life in general, her total loss of control over life was never properly explained. I needed to see more of their motivation.

I hated the subplot with her school principal, it was silly and didn't add anything important to the story. On the plus side, I liked the hero, his band of stripper brothers and their interactions were quite entertaining, I also found the relationship between the heroine and her best friend interesting but that was not enough to save this for me. 

Currently reading: Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh, contemporary m/f romance with Indian MCs, arranged marriage. I have some minor quibbles but it's mostly good so far, very romantic.


Ada Harper

Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #9

00:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I did my last Mini Reviews and Reading Recap post. Life has been busy but I did read some great books and here are my reviews of them.

A Conspiracy of Whispers by Ada Harper


What a great sci-fi/dystopian romance! I don't reach much SF but some friends on Twitter were raving about it so I decided to give it a try.

It depicts a futuristic world with genetic engineering and fertility/reproduction issues (CW).

I enjoyed the story a lot, both the twisty thriller/royal coup plot and the romance arc. Both leading characters had powerful presence and together with the supporting cast made their world vibrant, diverse and memorable. This is very heroine-focused story and Olivia was an amazing character and had me rooting for her to succeed from the very start. She is a wonderfully drawn, complex, a prickly assassin who can be deadly for her enemies and loyal to her friends. I loved her growth and opening up to caring about others and allowing herself to ask for help. 

Hero is the most kind and caring partner but also a deadly warrior like her. I loved his devotion to his family (his support for his sister who is the Empress) and his people. His love for Olivia was a thing of beauty. There was so much care and consideration and respect for her boundaries. He was patient and supportive and in total awe of her strength and skills. 

I liked how the author weaved together a story of fated mates, mixed with complex issues of fertility, consent, agency and choice. I absolutely love the idea of the mating bond not necessarily being romantic, it's the strong connection of support and care and understating between any two people (On a side note, I would have loved to see the bond Galen had with his best friend and if/how it was affected after the romantic and sexual bond between him and Olivia happened).

There is great supporting cast, including a gay couple and a transgender boy, whom I really liked and felt fitted well into the story/the world 

A SF romance full of lots of action and plot twists, court intrigue, ancient culture and futuristic technologies co-existing to create and intriguing and unforgettable tale of love and war. 5 Stars

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

A Treason of Truths by Ada Harper
This is the second book in the series but works well as standalone too. There is intriguing world-building, lots of description on nanotechnology and bio-engineering. I liked it but felt the focus was more on the action/adventure than the romance. Lyre and Sabine both are interesting characters and there was some angst in their relationship but not enough tension/conflict. 

This story is a curios mix of futuristic world and adherence to all royal/noble traditions. We get a f/f romance set in a world where queer relationships are a part of the world in the same way as heterosexual ones are. The love scenes were tender and low-heat compared to book one.

In short this story gives the readers a fast-paced, cleverly built dystopian world, interesting MCs, some pining, some tender loving and a most glorious declaration of love at the end. 3.5 stars

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Fool Me Forever by Ainslie Paton

This is the second book in her modern day Robin Hood series The Confidence Game. This time we get the shy, bookish hero and the only woman who knows he is a con and doesn't want to have anything to do with him.

There is great chemistry between the MCs but she carries lots of baggage because of her family and his family and what they do/want in life. There is a a strong conflict at the heart of the story which leads to bot MCs reevaluating  their principles and core values. I loved how life is shown to be complex and sometimes you are faced with impossible choices. This story shows how love can make two people happy being together and what they have to sacrifice to make things work between them. 

It's an escapist fun kind of story, yet very real about relationships both love and family ones, and the choices we make that define who we are. 4 stars

Add to Goodreads / Buy on Amazon
Currently reading: A Notorious Vow by Joanna Shupe, m/f historical set in New York at the Gilded Age, deaf reclusive hero, virgin noble heroine. I'm enjoying it a lot so far. It comes out on Sept 25.


Alyssa Cole

Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #8

00:00

I haven't done much reading while on vacation but I did read some amazing stories. Here are my short reviews on the first two books in Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series. 

A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole

In three words - I loved it. So fun and so much depth. Entertaining, everything I need in my romances - real, flawed characters, messy emotions, a bit (royal) drama, interesting family and friendship dynamics. There is so much to talk about in this book. Heroine discovers she has ADHD, she is not messy and flighty and unreliable but brilliant and determined. Divorced older hero who doesn't want to fall in love. No cheating evil ex, but rather an amicable divorce where they are still friends. I can't recommend it enough. I loved the female friendship, old and newly emerging ones, his family is pure gold. On top of the fabulous romance this story also presents a topical comment on immigration, gentrification, the aristocracy. I related so much to her way of expressing love  through care.Brilliant, one of my top reads of 2018!
5 stars


Add the Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

I read this after book 2 but it didn't affect my enjoyment in the least (other than seeing the old Portia in not so flattering light). This is a light, fun, sort of dreamy, sweep-me-off-my-feet royal romance. I loved the STEM heroine, the prince in disguise also worked well. Alyssa Cole tells a modern-day fairy tale which the perfect feel good read. I enjoyed the details of life in New York and then in second half, all the magic and beauty (and court intrigue) of a made up kingdom of Thesolo.
I loved the female friendships in the story, both old and new. I was not happy with he way Thabiso lied to her and misled her initially but I managed to forgive him by the end.
Overall, this is a magical, fun and relaxing read which I enjoyed immensely.
3.5 stars

Add the Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

*** *** *** 

Currently reading: I started Stripped by Zoey Castile but had to stop at 70% because it was not working for me and I was getting close to hate reading it. I will try to finish it in order to write a proper mini review, hopefully next week. So, now I'm reading A Conspiracy of Whispers by Ada Harper. I'm less than halfway through and I'm riveted, such a brilliant sci-fi, post-apocalyptic m/f romance. I can't wait to finish it and start the next one, A Treason of Truths. It's a f/f romance and I already have an ARC. 


Charlie Adhara

Min Reviews and Reading Recap #7

00:00

Post vacation mini reviews. I'm behind both on reading and on reviewing but here is some books I read lately and really enjoyed.

Make Me Fall by Sara Rider

It's the second book in the series but works well as standalone too. I often read m/f for the heroes but this series is all about the heroines I love them both so much. It's enemies to lovers with some opposites attract romance. 
Nora is a germaphobe and is very particular and rules and order, all things that make it difficult to make new female friends in her 30s and to start dating again after her divorce. I loved how Eli treated her, how he cared about her, doing everything to make her feel comfortable, accepted. He loved her because of her quirks and not despite them. And she got to make friends with people who appreciated and valued her in all her complexity. Like the previous book, interesting family and friendship dynamics on top of a great romance arc. I highly recommend the series and I'm already looking forward to the next book. Out on September 24

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

The Wolf at Bay by Charlie Adhara

This is the second book in m/m romantic suspense/mystery series with werewolves. It follows the same couple and you need to read The Wolf at the Door first. A bit of uneven pacing but an intriguing suspense plot and a strong romance arc + great family dynamics! I will review it in more detail closer to release date (Sept 24). I appreciate the anxiety rep and greatly recommend the series. 

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Currently reading: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole. I finished A Duke by Default last week and immediately went back to read book 1. They are so much fun and I'm enjoying them immensely. I will review them together in the next Mini Reviews and Reading Recap post.

Book recs

What to Read: Pirate Romances

00:00

I haven't read any pirate romances, well except Peter Darling by Austin Chant which is a trans retelling of Peter Pan and which I absolutely love. Here is what my Twitter friends came up with when I ask for romances with pirate MCs. Some are older historicals (which might have some problematic aspects). There are also somemore recent romances across different subgenres (queer retellings, steampunk).



Guardian Angel (Crown Spies #2) and The Gift (Crown Spies #3) by Julie Garwood

Gentle Rogue (Malory-Anderson Family #3) by Johanna Lindsey


The Captain of All Pleasures  Sutherland #1) and The Price of Pleasure (Sutherland #2) by Kresley Cole

The Captain’s Lady by Jo Goodman 

The Pirate Lord (The Lord trilogy #1) by Sabrina Jeffries and Deborah Martin


The Charm School (Calhoun Chronicles #1) by Susan Wiggs

The Pirate Prince (Ascension Trilogy #1) by Gaelen Foley

The Regency Pirates series by Jennifer Ashley

Never Trust a Pirate (Scandal at the House of Russel) by Anne Stuart 

Memoirs of a Scandalous Red Dress (The Bachelor's Chronicles #5) by Elizabeth Boyle


Blow Me Down by Katie MacAlister, swashbuckling romcom

Iron Seas series by Meljean Brook, steampunk pirate romance.

The Windflower by Laura London


Her Pirate from the Past: A Time Travel Romance by Caro Carson 

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, YA fantasy loosely based on The Little Mermaid


Queer Pirate Romances

Branded Ann by Merry Shannon, f/f pirate romance

Peter Darling by Austin Chant, trans retelling of Peter Pan

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody, f/f pirate romacne

Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews, m/m pirate romance


On a Lee Shore by Elin Gregory, m/m pirate romance

Ransom  (Royal Navy #1) by Lee Rowan, m/m pirate romance (although the pirates are the bad guys and our heroes are officers in the Navy)

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee, historical YA, out in October 2018. I believe the heroine is on the ace spectrum.


Some Goodreads lists with pirate romances

Historical Pirate Romances

Best gay Pirate/Sailor Romances

Pirate/Swashbuckling Romances

____________

Note: The book titles are Amazon affiliate links. The series titles link to the first book in the series. 

Comedy

Review: Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid

00:00

Title: Dr. Strange Beard (Winston Brothers #5)
Author: Penny Reid 
Publication Date: 30 July 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Humor, Romance

Author's links: WebsiteTwitterFacebookGoodreads
Add to Goodreads

My rating: 4.5 Stars


Blurb

Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak

Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.

Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be. . .

Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.

But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor . . .

Review 

I have been a fan of Penny Reid and her books ever since I read her first Neanderthal Seeks Human back in 2012. The spin-off of the Knitting in the Cities, the Winston Brothers have become one of my all time favourite romcom series.

Every time I think I couldn't like her characters more and she comes up with another great, unique hero or heroine. I never thought I would care so much about Roscoe but by the middle of his book he was there together with Cletus and Drew, as one of my favourite heroes in this series.

He is such a gentle sweetheart through and through. His love for Simone is everything. Add his relationship with his family (older brothers and sister) - admiration, gratitude, respect - and he is pretty much perfect in my eyes. This book brought me so much happiness (after a great deal of angst).

He has eidetic (situational) memory and it was not something I am familiar with but I feel Penny created a compelling, multifaceted character where his mental illness is just one aspect of him - something that he has to deal with all the time but it doesn't define him. He is a professional, a loyal brother and friend and most of all, totally and absolutely in love with Simone. And he is a virgin!

Simone is a young Black woman, childhood friends with Roscoe, someone who is not looking for love. After avoiding each other for years, she finds herself in love with Roscoe, it was sudden and not at all welcome at first and following her as she realises and gives in to her feelings, is such a treat. 

The plot was intense, especially towards the end. I find the mystery/thriller aspects on her stories a bit over the top but I can suspend my disbelieve this time since everything that happened helped show off the characters and their growth.

There is a cute epilogue though I wanted to see more of Roscoe and Simone living as a couple, navigating the changes in their lives.

Highly recommended read, one of the best in the series for me, a bit melancholic, a lot tender and showing the biggest, greatest,all encompassing love story.

PS: I can't wait for Billy's story! We got a glimpse at him and he is everything I have expected him, to be. Now I have the highest expectations of his book which can't come soon enough.

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks / Smashwords


M/M romance

Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #6

00:00

Vanilla Clouds by Roe Horvat

Fluffy m/m contemporary set in Sweden. I love Roe's writing and the strong European feels of his stories. This one was sweeter, less intense and agnsty than his previous books and while I liked it OK, I missed the depth of feeling and intensity that I have come to associate with his books. Online relationship turning into an offline romance was at the heart of this book and I liked the premise a lot, a variation of friends to lovers. I found the ways the guys finally met in real life really disturbing. It felt stalkerish and I had a hard time forgiving one of them for misleading and outright lying to the other. I did believe they had genuine feelings for one another but felt that way he approach the situation was wrong. Things worked out for them in the end and their HEA feels true but I couldn't quite overcome the discomfort these couple of scenes caused me. 3 stars

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Surprise Baby, Second Chance by Therese Beharrie

This is a marriage in trouble romance, closed door sex scenes, my first by this author. I love seeing established couples overcoming issues and making things between them work in the long run. This was a very emotionally intense read, very character focused. I had to take a break before finishing it and it was all worth it. It's own voices anxiety rep, there is panic attack happening on page as well two grown up people dealing with the problems in their relationship, facing past trauma head-on. There is a lot of honest and difficult talk in this romance and could very much relate to the idea that you can love someone with all your heart and still find it difficult to share your deepest fears. Well worth a read! Reminds me a lot of Snow-kissed by Laura Florand which is the most heart-breaking romance I've ever read. 3.5 stars

Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Last week I also finished Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid (out on July 30) and I loved it so, so much. It's one of my favorite in the series. I will be reviewing in depth next week. 


Currently reading A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole (Out on July 31) and it's so much fun. I haven't read the previous book (yet) but this works pretty well as standalone and I will probably start A Princess in Theory right after I finish this one. 


Argentina

Review: The Gaucho's Lady by Genevieve Turner

04:40

Title: The Gaucho's Lady (Los Caballeros #1)
Author: Genevieve Turner
Genre: Historical romance, ranchers

Author's links:
Add on Goodreads

My rating: 4 Stars

Blurb

After a self-imposed exile in Argentina, Juan Moreno is ready to return home to California, wiser, wearier, and a widower. But the night before his departure, a wealthy landowner’s daughter appears in his simple room with a gun and demands that he kidnap her.

Eliana Suarez never wanted to leave home; the pampas are deep in her blood. But when her cruel father insists she marry a man even crueler than he is, she must flee. Luckily for her, one of her father’s gauchos is leaving Argentina—and only if she can convince him to take her along, will she be saved.

Juan never could resist a lady’s desperate appeal and soon they’re racing to Buenos Aires, barely two steps ahead of their pursuers. They’ll have to deal with outlaws, anarchists, and her father’s fury in their flight to freedom and safety. But no matter how fast they run, they can never escape their growing attraction… and their own hearts. 

Review

This is my first book by Genevieve Turner and my first historical set in Argentina/California in 1905. I loved everything about it - the  easy and twisty flow of the story, the engaging plot and writing, the depth of characterisation and and the interesting supporting cast. The author plays with a bunch of tropes making me examine my own attitude towards them. It'a mix of virgin heroine, forced proximity, road trip (sort of), cinnamon hero. It's a very character driven story and I loved both the hero and heroine and found their character journey (both literal and metaphorical) really interesting and empowering.

On the surface Eliana is this sheltered rich girl with no experience of real life and no direction in life, and she starts with the only goal to run away from an arranged marriage. Yet, what we discover,  is her inner strength and determination which came as a surprise to herself and to Juan who admired her for that. She comes to realise what she wants from life and finds the strength and words to articulate it clearly. He acts a teacher to her in a way, helping her find herself, but at the same time this provokes him to re-examine his own moral grounds and opinions and see some truth about his own character. I loved how different aspects of freedom of choice and consent (in sexual and other situations in life) were presented in the story.

Juan is my favourite kind of beta hero - strong and ready to act but ultimately caring and respectful of Eliana's wishes. In a way both of them bring the best in each other and it's something that i loved about their relationship. 

The story tackles an issue that's extremely topical all over the world, but in the US especially - immigration and exile. There is a scene of Eliana  being kept in adetention centre at the border and refused entry in the US, which might be difficult for some readers. As an Eastern European myself who is still living in her hometown, I'm in the position of an outsider but still found this very heart-breaking. I found her reflections on living in exile and making a new unfamiliar place your home very poignant and touching. 

I highly recommend this romance to anyone looking for a different historical read - compelling, empowering, moving, topical. This is an unforgettable journey from Argentina across the ocean to California, from being alone and on the run to settling down and building a home and family. 

Purchase links: Amazon / Kobo / B&N

Flickr Images