To the shock of absolutely nobody, I am head over heels in love with this book. Parker St. John writes in a way that just does it for me. Heavy on theTo the shock of absolutely nobody, I am head over heels in love with this book. Parker St. John writes in a way that just does it for me. Heavy on the hurt, heavy on the comfort, heavy on real people going through real things and behaving like real people--imperfect, not always logical, and emotional. We were introduced to Aiden a few books ago, and I am so happy that we finally got to hear his story. Most books in this series come with a heavy backstory, but this one has a particularly emotional backstory (warning for animal death, abusive parental relationships, parent death). You don't have to read everything else in the series to read this book, but if you have read them you get to visit with lots of other characters. I am going to come back and write more later, but this was such a beautiful end to the series. I am going to miss this series so, so much! err, who am I kidding, I'll probably keep rereading it once a year :) ...more
One of the biggest reasons why I love Emmy Sanders so much is that things that aren't usually my thing (like exhibitionism) become my thing because ofOne of the biggest reasons why I love Emmy Sanders so much is that things that aren't usually my thing (like exhibitionism) become my thing because of how beautifully she writes them! As with the other books in this series, it is high steam and intimacy is a central part of the plot. I adored the dynamic between the two characters (and I'm impressed that she made the way the characters meet feel cute and not creepy). Emil and Christian were such a wonderful pair, and I loved seeing how sweet they are together. It's really hard to find books where sex is such an important part of the book and things still feel deep and real, and Emmy does it again here. This is absolutely one of my favorites in the series.
*Thank you to the author for generously providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate the opportunity!*...more
I haven't read the original book that this is a renewed version of, and I also haven't read any of the Rebel Kings series. Despite that, I di3.5 stars
I haven't read the original book that this is a renewed version of, and I also haven't read any of the Rebel Kings series. Despite that, I didn't have any difficulty following along and getting immersed in the story.
This book was a good read but not my favorite by the author. I wasn’t wild about the way that Lena was shoehorned into the story, and anyone who does not like stories where exes are involved should steer clear. I also felt like it took a while to hit its stride and then before I knew it we were at the end.
One of the things that I love the most about Garrett's stories is that they feel authentic. Everyone isn't a billionaire, every situation doesn't pan out perfectly, and sometimes misunderstandings just happen. In this story, Jas and Kim fall in love through plenty of real life issues, confusion, and hard work.
The relationship between Kim and Jas starts as instalust, which normally isn't my thing, but it grows through plenty of (signature) angst and hurt/comfort over the course of the book. It is always nice to see how Garrett's characters work through everything :)
Altogether, I did enjoy the book, just not my favorite from the author....more
This was unbelievably good. I've been looking forward to the third installment in Coven Ties since I finished the second in the series, and it was morThis was unbelievably good. I've been looking forward to the third installment in Coven Ties since I finished the second in the series, and it was more than worth the wait. I was a little bit nervous that I wouldn't be as in love with this book since the others set such a high bar, but I was wrong to have any doubt. If you love hurt/comfort, this is the perfect book for you. Cross is carrying so much pain and anguish, and seeing him find his match in Alex was lovely. Their relationship starts as a professional one, but the slow burn of feelings growing on both sides as things progressed was delightful. If you're a fan of the series or of serious hurt/comfort, this is a perfect read for you.
Thank you to the author for generously gifting me an ARC of this book for my honest review.
Merged review:
This was unbelievably good. I've been looking forward to the third installment in Coven Ties since I finished the second in the series, and it was more than worth the wait. I was a little bit nervous that I wouldn't be as in love with this book since the others set such a high bar, but I was wrong to have any doubt. If you love hurt/comfort, this is the perfect book for you. Cross is carrying so much pain and anguish, and seeing him find his match in Alex was lovely. Their relationship starts as a professional one, but the slow burn of feelings growing on both sides as things progressed was delightful. If you're a fan of the series or of serious hurt/comfort, this is a perfect read for you.
Thank you to the author for generously gifting me an ARC of this book for my honest review....more
I dropped everything I could to read this as soon as possible, and I am so happy that I did. Parker St. John has become an insta-buy author for me, anI dropped everything I could to read this as soon as possible, and I am so happy that I did. Parker St. John has become an insta-buy author for me, and I haven't been proven wrong yet. The entire Down Home series is a favorite of mine, and Throw Down is no exception. Ever since Briar was introduced a book or two ago, I was hoping that he would be part of another story. I was a little shocked to see that he was paired up with Derek. Like with plenty of other books in this series, I went in being unsure about one of the characters involved and ended up absolutely loving them.
This is going to give you the best reading experience if you've already read books in the series, as there are appearances from Cal and Eli and the others. I would say you can also read it as a standalone, but you should be prepared to not know who a lot of people are and not quite follow the story as well.
I enjoyed the way that the relationship between Briar and Derek developed, especially since it felt different from other couples in the series. There are plenty of heartbreaking moments, but they're evened out by the sweet ones.
perfect for you if: you love cowboy romances, you've read other books in the Down Home series, you love hurt/comfort books, you love hurt characters working together to find love, you love the grumpy/sunshine or country boy/city boy dynamic, you don't mind the third act drama happening very close to the end
warnings (not comprehensive): (view spoiler)[mentions of past abuse, physical violence (not between the two MMCs), internalized homophobia, some homophobic characters in town, sick dog in the beginning of the book but the dog survives (I always worry about this so I'm just gonna spoil that for y'all) (hide spoiler)]...more
I am incredibly sad to be DNFing it, but reading through reviews from people I trust, I think I'm doing the right thing. Normally NR Walker is a one-cI am incredibly sad to be DNFing it, but reading through reviews from people I trust, I think I'm doing the right thing. Normally NR Walker is a one-click buy for me, but I might need to switch back to Kindle Unlimited instead. The dialogue is really struggling, and I'm hoping that's just a natural result of the characters being very flat. Still going to look forward to whatever NR Walker puts out next, just majorly disappointed with this one.
Oh boy, this was not to my taste at all. I'm glad I've read other Lily books, because this would be a tough first impression! Really stilted and cringOh boy, this was not to my taste at all. I'm glad I've read other Lily books, because this would be a tough first impression! Really stilted and cringey (at times) dialogue, forgettable characters, predictable plot. ...more
This is really probably a 4-star book, but I can't give it anything but 5 in the immediate aftermath! This book has lots of tropes that I really disliThis is really probably a 4-star book, but I can't give it anything but 5 in the immediate aftermath! This book has lots of tropes that I really dislike (as well as one MMC being intimate with other people on-page and an extended time spent in the past), but it was such a lovely story. The plot is not perfect and I'm sure I could use a fine-toothed comb to find some issues, but the whole thing left me feeling so happy I can't give it anything but 5 right now! Emmy is truly the perfect writer for emotional books. ...more
I partially love Emmy Sanders books because they let me turn my brain off and enjoy a fluffy alternate reality for a while. However, sometimes things I partially love Emmy Sanders books because they let me turn my brain off and enjoy a fluffy alternate reality for a while. However, sometimes things go a little too well at every turn and the conflict feels shoehorned in. This couple went from being two individuals in complicated situations to being madly in love and banging at every opportunity in the blink of an eye, and it just didn't work for me. Definitely might just be my mood this week, and I'll keep reading in this series, but this one was a miss for me. ...more
This was cute and fun! 3.5. I am always a sucker for holiday romances, and EM Lindsey remains one of my favorite writers, so it was an easy sell for mThis was cute and fun! 3.5. I am always a sucker for holiday romances, and EM Lindsey remains one of my favorite writers, so it was an easy sell for me. I also love the trope behind the story (waiter/bartender/server seeing the same person return on multiple failed dates with different people). The story was cute with the anticipated EM Lindsey touches of angst and hurt/comfort, and I did enjoy the relationship between the couple.
There were some things that didn't necessarily work for me as much. I have a personal dislike for any book where there is a traumatic situation and the aftermath involves sex, but I very much realize other readers don't mind (and some actively seek that plot element out). I would also definitely recommend heeding the content warnings, as the dates that the MMC goes on do include people who say things that are homophobic, sexist, etc. I do wish that there was an epilogue one year in the future too to bring everything full circle. Also, I do agree with the reviewers who mention this isn't really a romcom.
Altogether, a good cute holiday read.
*Thank you to the author for generously providing me with an ARC copy of this book. As I read an ARC version, I will not point out any typos/grammatical errors or formatting issues that I anticipate will be corrected before the final version is released.*...more
Lost track of how many times I've reread the original, and it was lovely to revisit the book with so much more added! Marina Vivancos is such a giftedLost track of how many times I've reread the original, and it was lovely to revisit the book with so much more added! Marina Vivancos is such a gifted writer, and this novella ticks so many boxes for me. 4.5 rounded up to 5 because I just loved getting to spend more time with these guys. ...more
Emmy Sanders is such a wonderful 'popcorn read' author (and I mean that as a compliment). I can always rely on books from her to be fluffy, not too haEmmy Sanders is such a wonderful 'popcorn read' author (and I mean that as a compliment). I can always rely on books from her to be fluffy, not too hard to get into, and a nice break for my brain. This is no exception to that!
tags/tropes: age gap, corporate/business MMC, sex worker MMC, disability rep (one character is blind), mental health rep (one character has on-page panic attacks, anxiety, and PTSD)...more
I am SO glad I took a chance on the second book in the series, as I liked this one so much more. The sex scenes still aren't really for me, but they dI am SO glad I took a chance on the second book in the series, as I liked this one so much more. The sex scenes still aren't really for me, but they don't make up the entire second half of the book so they are much more skippable. This is super heavy on hurt/comfort and angst, and it is perfect for people who love a cozy read that breaks your heart and puts it back together again. The way kids are written in Fae's book is perfect IMO, and much better than lots of other authors. I cannot wait for 2024's Christmas book, as it is going to be Robin and Ben!...more
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