Review ~ You've Got Fail by Celia Aaron

Title: You've Got Fail

Author: Celia Aaron

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: December 26, 2017

I single-handedly built the hottest website for dating and relationship advice. Got a question? Scarlet Rocket can answer it for you. I was your modern day agony aunt with the solutions to all your pesky personal problems. The only issue? I was actually a man named Willis Halloran, not the female Scarlet Rocket. I thought my secret was safe. But then a sexy con artist calling herself Scarlet Rocket began showing up at society events, pretending to be me. I couldn’t let it go, so I tracked her down and confronted her. It went well … except for the part where she stole my wallet. Oh, and the part where she conned my agent into having us work together. And after that? Let’s just say she wound up stealing something much more valuable than my wallet or my [fake] name.






My Opinion

I'm not sure what to make of this book. It was the idea that caught my attention; I liked the sound of the blurb enough to take a chance in this author. However, I'm torn as to whether or not I liked it. 

What I liked most about this book was the premise. I thought it was interesting and a little different to things I've read before. The guy being the blogger and then having a women pretend to be his online persona of Scarlett Rocket had a lot of potential, especially when the woman is a thief. 

Moreover, I also liked their meeting. This book started off strong and I had high hopes. 

Sadly, the issue that has split my opinion so much is the characters. I just didn't feel any chemistry between them. If I'm completely honest, their relationship started to bore me as the book went on. I continued to read as I wanted to see how the other plot strands were tied up, but it wasn't because of the romance. I wish there had been sparks and chemistry; I wanted to like Willis and Scarlett, but I just felt something was missing. Considering this book is mostly a romance, without that spark it was a bit of a let down. 


Overall, I think I'm on the fence about this read. The premise was good but the romance was only okay. 

3

Celia Aaron is a recovering attorney who loves romance and erotic fiction. Dark to light, angsty to funny, real to fantasy—if it’s hot and strikes her fancy, she writes it. Want a free bestselling book? 

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Review ~ It Must've Been the Mistletoe by L.P. Dover

eARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: December 15th 2017

Publisher: Self-published

Description:
Finding your soul mate is a dream Adeline Hamilton thought was just that … a dream. After several failed relationships, she realizes she’s not capable of falling in love. The only passion she’s ever had is teaching U.S. History at the local high school. 

A week before Christmas, Adeline is all set for her best friend’s wedding, even though she dreads having to go to it alone. But when she’s given a Christmas wish that could change her future forever, she’s whisked away to the past, to a completely different place and time. It’s also when she meets him, William Blair, the man who steals her heart. 

As their relationship grows, Adeline realizes that true love does exist. What she doesn’t know is that her wish can’t last forever, that soon she’ll have to leave the past behind. Will Adeline and William find their way back to each other? Or will their love have to stay where it all began . . . in 1865? With mistletoe and Christmas magic, anything’s possible.

My Opinion

If you've followed my blog for any length of time you'll know how much I love L.P. Dover and her books. It's always a struggle to wait between her releases, and therefore I was excited to get ahold of this Christmas romance.

However, I will be honest and say this isn't one of LP's books that hooked me immediately--it's probably the first actually. I don't know why, but I just felt something was missing with this read that's present in all of her other books. Maybe because the topic and characters are a little different from her normal? I don't know, but I think I just love her previous series so much that she's set the bar so high.

Regardless, that doesn't mean to say I didn't enjoy this book. It took a while, but it grew on me and by the end I felt festive and it made me smile. I grew to like Adeline and Will's story. It was slightly different to my usual reads, and although I'm not one for books involving historical settings, I think I actually preferred the 1800 parts of this book. It felt more festive and Christmassy. I also liked how the author merged the two worlds.


Overall, although I still love other books by this author more, this read grew on me and I ended up enjoying it. I can't really complain, I got a festive read from one of my favourite authors when I thought I'd have to wait longer for her next release.

3.5

Review ~ The Way Back to Us (Love Unplugged, #3) by Jamie Howard

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: December 12th 2017

Publisher: St Martin's Swerve

Description:
Gavin MacCormack found the one. He fell in love. Hard. Until one night he ran out for some ice cream and came back to an empty dorm room, closets bare and nothing but a quick hand-written note saying, I’m sorry. Those two words taught Gavin the meaning of heartbreak. A feeling he never wants to encounter again. And as the lead singer of a Grammy award-winning band he's had plenty of opportunities for casual, no-strings fun, which is just the way he likes it.

Dani Winters has had more names than birthdays. On the run with her father for nearly as long as she can remember, she’s lived her life by three rules—always plan for the worst, maintain a low profile at all costs, and never let anyone get too close. Except she broke that last rule once and her heart has never forgiven her.

One chance encounter changes everything. Seeing Dani resurrects feelings in Gavin he thought were long buried, and this time he’s not letting her disappear without getting some answers. But Dani’s life is the definition of complicated and she’s playing with fire by letting Gavin back in. When the time comes to run again, Dani needs to decide if a life without love is worth living, or if it’s time to stop running and fight.

My Opinion

This is the first book I've read by this author. I didn't really know what to expect, but the blurb sounded interesting and I love second chance glances so I couldn't resist requesting it. What I got was a pleasant surprise.

I will admit when I started this book I was kind of in a funk. Nothing was holding my attention and I wasn't getting anything done during the day. Therefore, when I started this book and it also didn't make me feel better I put it to one side. And I'm so glad I did because when I returned to it I could appreciate it fully. My mood had completely overshadowed this story and once I got into it a second time I couldn't put it down

Gavin and Dani's story was interesting. I liked the mystery and I believed in the emotions between them. I felt their angst and they love. While I would have liked to witness a few of their past moments, their story held my attention well and I rooted for them. I liked Gavin's tight-knit group of friends as well and thought it created an intriguing and comical addition to the story. 

The only criticisms I have are: one,the cover doesn't fit the story for me. It misled my expectations a bit. Second, I would have liked a bit more finality about the ending. It gave satisfaction in terms of the relationship, however, other strands were left open and I felt they should have been tied up. Unless there's going to be another book on Gavin and Dani, I had one too many questions left. 


Nevertheless, overall, I enjoyed this book and I'm I intrigued to back read about other characters. 

4

Review ~ Every Moment With You by J.E. Parker

Title: Every Moment With You

Series: Redeeming Love

Author: J.E. Parker

Genre: NA Romance

Release Date: November 24, 2017

Two broken hearts. One second chance. Maddie

I've loved Hendrix Cole ever since I was a little girl.

From the moment I first saw him, I knew that one day, he'd be mine.

And he was. At least... until he threw it all away.

I gave Hendrix my heart and he shattered it into a million pieces.

I begged him not to leave. Still, he walked away.


It's been six years since I've seen him.

But now a cruel twist of fate just brought us face-to-face.

He swears he never meant to hurt me.

He begs me for another chance.

I still love him. Always have. Always will.

But can I trust him?

Losing him once almost killed me.

I won't survive if it happens again.

Hendrix

I've loved Maddie Davis ever since I was a kid.

From the moment I first saw her, I knew that one day, she'd be mine.

I was right.

Maddie gave me her heart and I gave her my ring.

But like the screw-up my father says I am, I blew it.

Before I could explain, she vanished.

Our love? Gone in the blink of an eye.

I know I hurt her and I hate myself for it.

Now she's back.

This is my chance.

I won't let her walk away.

Not again.

Maddie is mine.

My Opinion

Let me start this review by saying I love second chance romances. The drama, the pain, the angst, and of course the make-up and forgiveness. I love watching two people reconnect so I couldn't resist requesting Every Moment With You when I saw it.

Now, I haven't heard of this author until I saw the email with this title. Therefore, I didn't know what to expect in regards to style or writing. What I ended up getting was a book that kept me hooked from start to finish. I struggled to put it down even though I was staying up well into the morning.

Every Moment With You was a captivating read. I liked the emotional intensity between Hendrix and Maddie. I felt the connection between them and thought they worked well together. Their bond was strong and believable. I felt for them both.

As for the plot, the majority of it was good. It kept me hooked and I found it an enjoyable read. In general I thought it was paced well too. My only reason for not rating it a 5 is that I felt the author skipped over some significant scenes by fast forwarding 6 years too soon. There was one vital scene that was the basis for the entire need for a second chance romance missed out and I would have liked to see that conversation/fight play out. It would have added a lot more emotion for me. 

Nevertheless, overall, I did enjoy this book. I'd definitely recommend it.

4

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J.E. Parker is an American romance author who was born and raised in the great state of North Carolina. A southern belle at heart, she’s addicted to sweet tea, Cheerwine, and peach cobbler. Not only is J.E. married to the man of her dreams (albeit a total pain in the rear), she’s also the mother of a herd of sweet (sometimes), and angelic (only when they’re sleeping) children. Despite their occasional demonic behavior and bottomless stomachs, J.E. loves her little tribe more than words could ever express. On the weekends, you can find her sitting on the couch, cheering on (or cursing) her favorite football team, stuffing her face with junk food, and guzzling a bottle of cheap red wine. When she’s not busy making sure her husband doesn’t burn the house down or acting as a referee for her fighting children, J.E. enjoys reading, writing (obviously), and listening to a wide variety of music.

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Review ~ Imperfect by Willow Winters

Imperfect by Willow Winters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was okay. It started off strong but it had me skimming the more it went on. I knew there would be a cliff hanger and I'm torn about whether or not to continue. There's a part of me that wants to finish Mason and Julia's story, but there's also a part of me that doesn't want to read another book about them. I don't know why, but I struggled to connect with them. I wish it had been kept as one book-because it could have been--rather than split. I'm not sure how much longer my attention will last and I don't want to pay for a book I'm not sure will give me the satisfaction and resolve I want based on how quickly the end comes about in this one.

*Ebook downloaded for free via Amazon.

Review ~ Finding Lyla by Cate Beauman

Finding Lyla by Cate Beauman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For the most part I liked this book. The story and relationship interested me, but I think it could have been cut down a bit. I felt at times pacing was the issue. I knew what was going to happen and I just wanted it all to kick off. Personally, I thought it took too long to get to the action.

Nevertheless, it did hold my attention until the end. I might have skimmed more during the last 40%, but I did enjoy the story.

*Ebook downloaded for free via Amazon.