Title: One Night with the Sexiest Man Alive

Author: Ainslie Paton

Genre: Contemporary romance, Hollywood star

Release Date: 27 Feb 2020

Author's links:

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My rating: 5 Stars

What happens in the stacks stays in the stacks…

Professor Victoria Reese knows an uphill battle when she sees one. Convincing her narrow-minded colleagues at the elite Pembroke University to back a partnership with the local library is a fight she saw coming and already has a plan for. What she didn’t see coming? The wildly hot librarian who makes it clear books aren’t the only thing he’d like to handle.

When a tightly wound, sexy-as-hell professor proposes a partnership between his library and her university, children’s department head John Donovan is all for it. He knows his tattoos and easygoing attitude aren’t quite what she expected, but the unmistakable heat between them is difficult to resist.

And then there’s the intriguing late fee on her record. For the Duke’s Convenience… A late fee and a sexy romance novel? There’s more to Dr. Reese than she’s letting on.

John might like to tease her about her late fee, but when he teases her in other ways, Victoria is helpless to resist. Mixing business with pleasure—and oh, it is pleasure—always comes with risks, but maybe a little casual fun between the sheets is just what Victoria needs.

This was my first book by that author and was drawn to the premise of a romance between a female academic and a male librarian. There were things I enjoyed in the story but also quite a few things in it left me annoyed and disappointed.

The heroine is a Black professor in an elite private college with the all the struggles and hard work and fighting discrimination this entails. I enjoyed that aspect of the story very much. Her professional life made a big portion of who she was and I liked getting such an in-depth view of it.

At the same time her relationship with her family was hard for me to buy into. They treated her and she acted with them like she was not 34yo professional woman but rather a child that needs constant guidance and advise. The age thing in fact is something I struck me as not quite right for both MCs - most of the time they read to me as much younger than 34 and 38 respectively. His moms (birth mother and step mom) referred to him as kiddo all the time, acting like he was incompetent/unrealiable because of his ADD and this really bothered me.

The MCs start a sex pact relationship, a sordid affair, though he knew he wanted more from the start. I had no real issues with the back and forth of their relationship, the hesitancy, the doubt, it all was relatable. Still, he kept thinking she is so much better than him and I just didn’t see that big of a social difference between them, I couldn't understand his lack of self-confidence. 

My biggest issues was the character development which seemed inconsistent to me. It's minor things, starting with appearance, for example. She was described as having thick thighs and big boobs, he kept saying how soft she was and he is described numerous times as super big and tall, she calls him the Viking and then suddenly they are sparring in the gym and she is some master fighter who beats him down. Nothing until that moment suggested she was athletic in any way. And he was not just tall but described and strong and very toned, it could be me but this didn't read as accurate to me.

Then there is a whole incident with her at her parents' party that I found to be completely out of place and out of character for her. I didn't expected it, still don't see what it added to the story or to her character. 

We know the hero is a librarian but we barely learn anything about his job, why he chose it for himself, what his dreams and plans were. In contrast there is quite a lot of page time dedicated to her career (which I liked reading about). I would have preferred to get more of his professional life as well. It would have made him more real, tangible, given him substance which I found he overall lacked. 

There was a lot of going on in that story, lot of side characters with their own plotlines and in the end it felt chaotic and overburdened, lacking depth. 

These are all small things but they added up for me and took out a lot of my enjoyment of this story.

PS: A couple of librarians have noted on Twitter about something the hero does that is a cross violation of his professional ethic and irl would lead to him getting fired. I admit I missed it when I read it but after seeing their comments, I absolutely agree it was inappropriate and could have been easily avoided. 

CW: misogyny, bullying (side character), drinking-related accident

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Title: Whiteout 

Author: Adriana Anders

Date of publication: 28 Jan 2020

Genre: Romantic suspense, Antarctica

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 5 stars

Blurb

Angel Smith is ready to leave Antarctica for a second chance at life. But on what was meant to be her final day, the research station is attacked. Hunted and scared, she and glaciologist Ford Cooper barely make it out with their lives…only to realize that in a place this remote, there's nowhere left to run.

Isolated in the middle of a long, frozen winter with a madman at their heels, they must fight to survive in the most inhospitable—and beautiful—place on earth. But the outside world depends on what Ford and Angel know and, as their pursuers close in and their new partnership burns bright and hot, they will stop at nothing to make it out of the cold alive.

Review

Suspense is not my to-go romance subgenre but I was interested in this one being set in the Antarctica. It’s a new-to-me setting and not very common one. I have read this author before and her books have been hit or miss to me and I am very glad to say this one was definitely of the hit variety. 

I liked both the suspense plot and the romance, they were in perfect balance and none overshadowed the other. It’s a kind of sunshine / grumpy romance and I found it to be well done and relatable. Hero is a loner scientist who is hiding from himself and the world in Antarctica. Heroine is a journey of self-discovery of her own. They get stuck together and by themselves being chased by criminals amidst the cold of the winter season on Antarctica.

I liked how the romance happened between them, the strong chemistry which he tried to resist, lots of cuddling together for warmth. And I was happy to see the physical intimacy happening only after they managed to secure a real shelter from the elements and unlike often in rom suspense, they were not in imminent danger.

I liked how their relationship progressed and how their views of each the changed as they got to know the other preson better. He no longer saw her as this bubbly, caring young woman, but also as someone who is strong and determined and loyal and he was in literal awe of her. She got to see more of him too, he really opened up to her, sharing painful stories from his past and being slightly hopeful for the future. 

The setting was very atmospheric, the harshness of the elements at the pole really stood out for me. I have never been to Antarctica or a similarly cold place and after reading this story, I don' want too.

Ooverall, this is an action-packed story with engaging suspense plot (it did go a bit over board towards the end, but I can let that slide) and a solid romance. I am definitely there for more of this series.

Title: A Madness of Sunshine

Author: Nalini Singh

Date of publication: 3 Dec 2019

Genre: Thriller 

Author's links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Rating: 4 Stars

Blurb

On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbors; the children, more than schoolmates.

That is until one fateful summer—and several vanished bodies—shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement not to look back. But they can’t run from the past forever.

Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.

It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light. 

I love Nalini’s PNR, Psy-Changeling series in particular. THis is her first thriller and there were some great things in it but also some not so great ones. 

Review 

This is Nalini Singh's first thriller and since I am a big fan of her Psy-changeling series of PNR and I have enjoyed some her contemporary romances, I was curious to see her attempt to write in a completely different genre. I have mixed feelings, but it was a compelling read and I am here for more thrillers by Nalini Singh is she goes in that direction.

I loved the heroine, she is returning to her small town on the NZ coast, angry and bitter, rightly so and never just forgives the people who hurt her. I loved her voice, her strength and determination but also her empathy and compassion.

As a romance reader, I am glad that the author included a solid romance arc here. It worked well for me, I could see the connection between Will and Anahera and also understand their reluctance to start anything. Two people with difficult past, with lots of baggage caught in the middle of a small town murder investigation.

While I loved Anahera, I had some issues with Will. He was not very professional in getting her involved in his investigation and sharing info with her. He was quick to judge people and I was not always a fan of how he treated everyone but I managed to overlook this because of the way he treated Anahera - always respectful, supporting, never pressuring or dismissing her. 

Best elements in the story was the very strong atmospheric representation of the small town and the wild nature around it. Nature with absolute untameness was almost like another character in the story. 

Miriama was put on a pedestal by practically everyone in town because of her beauty and vivacity and I am not too happy about it. I would have liked more substance to her character, to be honest.

I guessed the murderer at some point but this is not really an issue for me. What bothered me though was the implication that what happened to him in the past made him the monster that he is. It’s lazy and stereotypical writing and also insulting to survivors of abuse.

The story also portrayed great female friendships, to see how people change and grow and their friendship changes with them, how difficult it is to make/keep friends.

It’s not a perfect book but captivating nevertheless. I think it shows it’s Nalini’s first attempt at thrillers. There were gorgeous bits in the story and her writing was as polished and engaging as I have to come to expect. Still, there were problematic aspects, deeply hurtful ones that could have been avoided. 

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I have been meaning to try writing a series of posts with recs for romances with specific tropes, around specific topics, etc. I was inspired to for this list of 10 grumpy and sunshine romances after I finished Whiteout by Adriana Anders last week which fits this category - the heroine is a ray of sunshine and the hero is a grumpy loner. I will be reviewing the book in full next week.

10 Grumpy & Sunshine Romances

1. Austen’s Playbook by Lucy Parker. I’d say most of Lucy Parker's romances fall in this category but I chose that one because Freddy is just the sunniest sunshine possible and Griff is the grumpiest grump in the world and they ork together so, so well.
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2. Glitterland by Alexis Hall. Ash is not just grumpy, he is a true misanthrope and at the same I couldn’t help but fell for him. And Darian, well Darian is a glitter pirate through and through and that’s all you need to know him. And they make the unlikeliest, yet perfect couple.
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3. Ashwin by Kit Rocha. A genetically modified perfect soldier, how can he be anything but taciturn and grumpy, heroine is a healer (also genetically modified), most caring and selfless.
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4. Love Experiment by Ainslie Paton, m/f contemporary romance. He is a big short investigative journalist, she is a new-on-the-job colleague, doing listicles and light content for the online version of the newspaper. They fall in love testing an experiment of 20 questions to see if two people are compatible.
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5. A Conspiracy of Whispers by Ada Harper, dystopian m/f romance, she is a badass assassin who is as grumpy as they come, he is the queen’s brother and military general who does his best to make her happy.
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6. Brooklynaire by Sarina Bowen, m/f hockey romance, hero is a self-made millionaire, tech geek who owns a hockey club, she is his office assistance. He is silent and brooding, she is an eternal optimist, happy and easy going.
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7. Silver Silence by Nalini Singh, m/f PNR, first in a spin-off series. Silver is a powerful psy, Valentin is the alpha of the bear clan. She has her emotions locked tight, he is surprisingly playful for an alpha. They are total opposites but both care deeply for the ones they love and this brings them together.
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8. Once Upon a Rose by Laura Florand, m/f contemporary. Dominque is a top French chef, big and brooding, silent and only expressing his feeling through the chocolates he makes. Jaime is bruised and battered at this point in her life but her sunshine nature comes through.
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9. A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole, Portia is a firecracker, full of life and new ideas, Tavish is quieter, a bit sullen, somewhat disillusioned and they make a great pair bringing out the best in each other.
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10. What Kind of Day by Mina V. Esguerra, hero is having the worst day, heroine is having her fair deal of problems but is rather optimistic and hopeful. Falling in love with someone on the worst day of your life, works amazingly well in this contemporary m/f romance set in Manila.
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1/ Hearts on Hold by Charish Reid, m/f contemporary. I have not read that author before but I was drawn to the premise of a small-town romance between a Uni professor (the heroine) and the local librarian (the hero). Out on 3 Feb. 

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2/ A Heart of Blood and Ashes, fantasy romance by Milla Vane (aka Meljean Brook). I have read and enjoyed some of this author’s steampunk romance in the Iron King series. This is her first new book in a couple of years and I looking forward to trying it. Out on 4 Feb.

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3/ House Rules by Ruby Lang. The final novella in a series of three, all stand-alones, contemporary m/f romances involving city planners/architects/real estate agents. I like Ruby Lang’s voice and her writing generally works for me. Out on 10 Feb

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4/ The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood. This queer adult fantasy is on my TBR list  because I want to read more fantasy and its cover is simply gorgeous. Out on 11 Feb

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5/ One Last Chance by Therese Beharrie, another final book in a series of m/f romances, standalones. I have enjoyed the first book and need to catch up with the second before this release. Out 17 Feb

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6/ Fire & Water by Alexis Hall is the next installment in his Urban fantasy f/f series. Alexis Hall is one of my favourite authors out there and I am here for all his books. The first two books in this series were published by Riptide and since then have been polished and re-released. This book is brand-new, never-before-seen and I am binge-reading them all starting at the beginning of February. Out on 24 Feb.

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7/ A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon. I'm not much of a reader of cowboy romances but I am intrigued by this one, it features a Black cowboy written by a Black author. Out on 24 Feb. 

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I already tweeted abut that book but I'm giving up on it after reading 70%. I just can't accept the romance between the MCs when the heroine was engaged the the hero's dead brother but both hero and heroine now claim to have been in love from the first time they met. Do not recommend!

9/ One Night with the Sexiest Man Alive by Ainslie Pato. Book 1 in a new series of contemporary m/f romance, described by the author as her attempt at category style romance. I already have the ARC and I can't wait to read it. Out on 27 Feb. 

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