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.
Vegas Love by Jillian Dodd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Vegas Love was a cute and lighthearted read. It was fun book about a Vegas wedding that held my interest more than I expected it to.
I checked out the reviews before downloading this book even though it was free. I was slightly torn about whether I'd like it since some of the more negative reviews flagged some things not a fan of. However, I decided to give it a go and I'm pleased I did because I didn't agree with the 1 and 2 stars I read. I ended up really enjoying this and it was a perfect read to relax with.
I will agree with other reviews and say it didn't exactly delve too deeply into the character, either their backstory or their personality. However, I didn't care. I wanted a chilled read I didn't h e to think about and that's what I got. Cash and Ashlynn were a cute couple and I did think there was chemistry between them.
Overall, this book surprised me in a good way. It was exactly what I needed.
*Ebook downloaded for free via Amazon.
Game On by Katie McCoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Game On was a cute read. I found it via BookBub, but had never heard of the author before. The cover initially pulled me in and the blurb sounded interesting. Therefore, considering it was free I couldn't really resist downloading it.
Not knowing what to expect from this author, I found myself pleasantly surprised. McCoy's writing flowed well and I quickly became lost in her story. It was a sweet romance and things developed at a good pace. The events kept me interested and intrigued, but they weren't too drama-filled. It was a perfect book to relax with. It was something easy that could put a smile on my face.
As for the characters, I enjoyed watching Nathan and Sophie grow together. I definitely believed in the spark between them and thought they bounced off each other well. I especially liked the arcade section.
Overall, this was a pleasant read to relax with. It was an easy story that didn't require much thought from me, which was what I needed, but it was paced well and held my attention. I loved the sport element and would definitely recommend it.
*Ebooks downloaded via Amazon for free.
Fame And Obsession by Cora Kenborn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Actual rating 3.5
This is another new author to me. I've had Fame & Obsession on my kindle a while, since I downloaded it when it was free on Amazon, but never had a chance to read it even though it's a book I've wanted for a few months.
Now I've read it I'm torn. In general, my feelings can be summed up with: liked the plot but it could have been executed better.
I'll start with the story. I enjoyed the plot and the idea behind this book. I also enjoyed the romance. I connected with Julian and Phoebe, and I wanted them to work things out. I also thought the suspense element was well developed--even though I knew who was behind everything. It kept me engaged and was interesting.
However, where I felt this book was let down is in the length. It took too long for things to get started, and personally, there were sections that dragged. I think it could have been paced better and another content edit would weed out the slower, unnecessary sections that stalled the events. I also think this would have allowed for less of a cliff hanger ending. I assumed this was a standalone and one plot thread wasn't going to be tied up, but it turns out that plot thread will be the basis for book 2. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'm not sure a second book would have been needed with better editing. I'm not sure I want to start the drama all over again once the characters reach a happy place.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot but think it could have been cut down to improve the pacing. The characters were well-rounded and I enjoyed the romance. I might read book 2, but I'm not quite sure yet.
*Ebook downloaded for free via Amazon
Harley by Michelle Jo Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Actual rating 3.5
I've been dying to read this since I saw the cover when it was released. However, with my out of control tbr pile I could never find the time to buy it since it would have sat on my kindle unread. However, I happened to come across it on a free day on Amazon and couldn't resist downloading it. It renewed my interest in the book and I had to make time for it.
Harley is a mixed bag of emotions for me. On one had I enjoyed it. For the most part it was a sweet read with a little romance thrown in. It did hold my interest, but on the other hand I wanted to like it more than I did after waiting so long to read it. That's not to say I didn't like and enjoy it, it just didn't live up to my hope.
The main reason for this is that it felt underdeveloped. There are a lot of plot strands in this book, yet they never seemed to flow and merge. They also didn't seem fully fleshed out. For example there's Cade and Jax's relationship, the situation with Fiona, the issues Cade has with her job and more. Individually they all had the potential to be intriguing plot threads. However, it felt like altogether they were never really expanded upon or brought into the same book. It felt a bit disjointed whereby the book skipped from one idea to another randomly.
The other reason was things fizzled out in the end. This book started strong but because of the issue above it fell apart at the end.
Overall though, I did enjoy this book. I think it has more potential and could be a great read but as it stands now it's only a good read.
*Ebook downloaded for free via Amazon
