eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 28th 2017
Publisher: Amazon Skyscape
Description:
Lucas Thorn wasn’t born a cheater. All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are simple: No commitments. No exceptions.
But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.
Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.
Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love…
My Opinion
I will admit I had mixed feelings about reading this book. When I first saw it I was excited, because hello, it's another RVD book!! However, the title also worried me. Cheating as a main topic in a book isn't usually something I read ... it's not my thing. But this is RVD I'm talking about. I had to at least give it a go.
Cheater drew a number of emotions from me, but overall I really enjoyed it just like any other RVD books. Lucas made me angry and annoyed the hell out of me. I just wanted to bang his head against something hard for being so stupid. However, I also grew to love and feel for him. He was a guy who cared in the end, he just had lost his way.
As per usual, RVD has brought her usual flare for dramatic comedy into this book. Some of the jokes are almost slapstick, and the characters become a bit over-dramatic, but I love it. This book also had me grinning from ear to ear and laughing to myself. I thought the banter and quick-wittedness of the characters was great.
Overall, I'm glad I took the chance on this book. If you love RVD you definitely won't be disappointed. And if you're like me with the cheating thing, I'd still say give it a chance. It's not exactly what you think it will be.
I would definitely recommend this and am looking forward to Thatch's story!
5
eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 14th 2017
Publisher: Love Swept
Description:
When Lucy Hawkins receives a job offer in San Francisco, she can’t wait to spread her wings and leave her small Virginia hometown behind. Her close-knit family supports her as best they can, by handing over the keys to a station wagon that’s seen better days. The catch? The cross-country trip comes with a traveling companion: her older brother’s best friend, aka the guy who took Lucy’s virginity hours before breaking her heart.
After spending the past four years and every last dime caring for his sick father, Reece Sullivan will do just about anything to break free of the painful memories—even if it means a two-week road trip with the one girl who’s ever made it past his carefully guarded exterior. But after long days of bickering in the car turn into steamy nights in secluded motel rooms, Reece learns that, when it comes to Lucy, their story is far from over. And this time, they just might have a shot at a happy ending.
My Opinion
I was intrigued to read this book because of the blurb. I love the brother's best friend trope and I also love road trips in books. Those two things alone sold me on taking a chance on this new-to-me author.
Love Story was an interesting read. I enjoyed the chemistry between Reece and Lucy. I also liked the angry tension that came from their past. Watching them fight it out while stuck together in a car for two week was amusing. It also felt real and I could sympathise with both characters.
Saying that, this book did lose me for a few chapters when the sex was introduced. For me it felt a little stilted, like the characters were just going through the motions of a romance book. That might not be down to the book though, I just feel every sex scene is the same in romance nowadays. I did end up skimming these chapters, since they went on a bit too long. I wanted to get back to the banter and fighting as they struggled to admit what they both felt.
Nonetheless, this book did win me back after those chapters had ended. I did enjoy the book and I'd recommend it to those who like the tropes I mentioned above.
4
Ebook downloaded for free via Amazon.
Release Date: February 10th 2014
Publisher: Self-published
Description:
Sugar Kisses—nothing tastes sweeter than revenge…
Roxy Capwell couldn’t be more miserable. She just had her heart stomped on by her cheating boyfriend, and the last thing she’s looking for is love. She hates men.
Cole Brighton couldn’t be happier. He’s a player of the highest order, there’s not a girl at Whitney Briggs University that he can’t tag and bag. He loves the ladies.
Roxy’s dream is to own and operate her own bakery one day, but with no oven in her dorm, and a lucrative baking competition on the horizon, she agrees to move in with her best friend’s brother, the obnoxious, womanizing, Cole Brighton.
Between the heavenly scent of baked goods, and Roxy’s perfect body strutting around the apartment, Cole can’t think straight. So when Roxy’s ex starts sniffing around again, Cole volunteers to play the part of her new boy-toy and things get heated both in and out of the kitchen.
Roxy discovers she might not hate every man on the planet, and Cole discovers nothing tastes better than Roxy and her late night SUGAR KISSES.
Roxy is a ball of stress and anger.
Cole is all ego and sex.
Their attraction is unstoppable.
And when their bodies collide—its combustible.
My Opinion
Sugar Kisses is the book I wanted to read as soon as I finished 3 A.M. Kisses a while back. Roxy always interested me as a character and I wanted to see Cole meet his match.
Roxy was certainly that.
This book kept me hooked and I liked the characters. Roxy was tough on the outside, but on the inside she had a softer side that she only showed to a few people. Cole was one of the people who managed to work his way beneath her tough exterior and I liked watching their romance evolve.
Saying that, a couple of times I did think things moved too quickly, such as the characters admitting their love for each other and the resolve at the end. The pace was a little too fast for me at these points for me to really buy into it 100%.
However, I still really enjoyed this book. It was sweet and kept me entertained. I would definitely recommend the series.
4
eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 10th 2017
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Description:
What happens when life in Verbier suddenly goes off-piste?Lucy’s been bowled over by the sexy extreme skier who’s hurtled into her life. But can she accept Seb’s commitment to his adrenaline-filled career?Trusting any man is out of the question after what’s happened to Beth. So why is she so drawn to twinkly-eyed Dan when he’s leaving at the end of the season?Sophie’s madly in love with her gorgeous fiancé, Luc. Only instead of gleefully planning the winter wedding of her dreams, all she wants is to run and hide…Three Chalet Girls are about to strap on their skis and find out!
My Opinion
I love this series.
When I heard we would be getting a full-length Chalet Girl novel I squealed. Literally. I've been following this imprint of HarperCollins since it was set up, and Lorraine Wilson was one of the first authors I requested a book from. Ever since then I've been dying to be taken back to the snowy world with another Chalet Girl story.
While I wouldn't exactly call this an official full-length novel, it was a great read I couldn't put down. It's more like three novella-length stories--Lucy, Sophie, and Beth's--all linked into one book. It's told in first person from the POV of the girls.
At first I was a little put off by the separateness of the characters and their stories. It felt like every chapter I went back to the beginning of a new story and wasn't really making much progress. However, once I got over that I fell in love with Lorraine's writing all over again. I got lost in the sweet world of the chalet girls and could put the book down.
The one thing I love most about these books is the sweetness. While there are some hot and steamy sections, the writing is also unashamedly cute. They are perfect reads to curl up with in the winter; they're cosy, easy books and I can't help but smile while reading them.
As for the characters, I enjoyed all three stories in this book. I was also glad a number of previous characters--Holly and Tash--we're included. All three romances were cute and had their own twists to keep things interesting. They also all flowed together well to culminate in the wedding. I thought the author did a good job of merging the stories so that, while it's technically three novellas split up, it felt like one book.
Overall, I love this series. It's been awhile since I've had the pleasure of reading a Chalet Girl book, but it was worth the wait. I'd definitely recommend these books to anyone wanting an easy, feel-good read that will put a smile on your face.
5
Today we have the release day for A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart! I love this fantastic new contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Check it out and grab your copy today!
Title: A Thousand Letters
Author: Staci Hart
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About A Thousand Letters:
Sometimes your life is split by a single decision.
I’ve spent every day of the last seven years regretting mine: he left, and I didn’t follow. A thousand letters went unanswered, my words like petals in the wind, spinning away into nothing, taking me with them.
But now he’s back.
I barely recognize the man he’s become, but I can still see a glimmer of the boy who asked me to be his forever, the boy I walked away from when I was young and afraid.
Maybe if he’d come home under better circumstances, he could speak to me without anger in his voice. Maybe if I’d said yes all those years ago, he’d look at me without the weight of rejection in his eyes. Maybe if things were different, we would have had a chance.
One regretted decision sent him away. One painful journey bought him back to me. I only wish I could keep him.
*A contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion*
My Opinion
I wanted to read A Thousand Letter from the moment I saw the cover. I don't know why, but it was one of those books I just had to read. Thankfully it didn't disappoint at all.
This book kept me up until the early hours of the morning. I kept telling myself just one more chapter but by the time I finally stopped I'd read 80% of the book. Elliot and Wade's story kept me hooked and I couldn't put it down. Their story is both beautiful and painful, but it kept me turning the pages. It was well written and just a heartfelt story.
I will admit Elliot annoyed me with her attitude sometimes. She seemed to allow people to walk over her a bit too much. Even though she grew, I wanted her to get there quicker. I also wanted to bang her and Wade's head together for being so stupid at times.
Overall a great read and one I really enjoyed.
4
About Staci Hart:
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.
From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics.
Connect with Staci:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/stacihartnovels.com
Twitter: @imaquirkybird
Instagram: @quirkybird
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/imaquirkybird
Website: http://stacihartnovels.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Staci-Hart/e/B00BFCANRW/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: February 6th 2017
Publisher: Self-published
Description:
A killer . . . that’s what I am.
It’s what I do.
It’s what I live for.
I’m no longer the Preston Hale everyone knew. I left that life and the people in it a long time ago the second I made my first kill. I wasn’t going to give in, but when I heard the screams there was no going back.
It triggered the pain, the need.
I knew what I had to do, and I did it well. But I never expected for Emma Turner – the only link to my past – to come back into my life.
She triggers a different emotion inside me, something I hadn’t ever felt.
It’s not a want to kill . . . but a need to CLAIM.
My Opinion
I'm slightly confused on what to make about this book. One on hand it's an L. P. Dover book. It's filled with her easy writing style that I love to get lost in as she transports me into her worlds. On the other, it's a little different to what she's written before whereby the leading male isn't completely the good guy.
For the most part I did enjoy this book. Although it might not be my favourite of hers, it held my interest well and I couldn't put it down. I liked the suspense element as always and the plot moved at a fast pace. This book is slightly darker than LP's usual books what with Preston's job as an assassin.
As for the characters, I liked Emma and Preston together. I will admit I found Preston a little hard to like due to his job. I'm still not totally convinced by him, but I liked him around Emma. I'm also not sure I bought into some of the details about his job, but hey, it is fiction.
Overall, another good read by LP. Her MMA guys are still my favourite, but I'd recommend any book by her.
4
