Opinion Breakdown The Good: The potential for angst with the premise
The Not-So-Good: The h and her communication skills
The Bad: The H and his w2 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The potential for angst with the premise
The Not-So-Good: The h and her communication skills
The Bad: The H and his words/actions and especially how the crazy OTT OW's behavior took away some of his accountability for them
Overall: This was rough for me. I didn't necessarily like either character. I didn't get emotional like I hoped to with the angsty potential of this premise. While I'm not fully opposed to the cheating storyline every once in a while, mainly for the potential angst, but this H was infuriating. I don't think what he did, or mostly said, was forgivable for me. The h put up a good fight for a bit, but didn't communicate enough for him to know what her issues were. The OW was OTT manipulative and vindictive to the point I was rolling my eyes. A good bit of my GR friends enjoyed this, so it very well could've been a me thing since I seem to be in a rut rn...
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Isla and Cillian's story. They are each others first love and when Cillian moves away to start his professional hockey career, they both feel as though they will be just fine with long distance. Only there is another woman that always seems to be around and the phone calls and promises seems to be falling short after a while. When Isla finds out he cheated one her, she blocks him out of her life, and it isn't until ~4 years later that he's now of the professional hockey team that her dad coaches and she works for that she has to reveal some big secrets herself. There are a good bit of secrets revealed, some fighting, some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Isla and Cillian's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Okay. I skimmed a good bit after about the 70ish% mark because I was bored and irritated at that point.
Instalove: No, they still have feelings from before
H (Hero) rating: 2 stars. Cillian. I struggled with him. I didn't think he had any room to be so mad at the h after his words/actions
h (heroine) rating: 2.5 stars. Isla. She was alright, I wanted her to be stronger and communicate better though.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[they both push away (h more so) and I'd say they both pursue the relationship (H more so) at times (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Alight. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I honestly skimmed most of these scenes because I was irritated.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes (view spoiler)[ see spoiler below and there are other nude pictures of the H with this OW the h gets sent from OW (hide spoiler)]
Cheating: Yes (view spoiler)[the H cheats on the h, unknowingly confesses to some of it when she overhears, and FaceTimes the h while OW is giving him a hand job (hide spoiler)]
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated for ~4 years, and both mcs had other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Cheating - emotional and physical (on page), bullying by OW (mostly off page), drugging/assault with a weapon/stalking (mostly off page), and unexpected pregnancy/secret child (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This had a decent ending with what I would call a HEA ending (view spoiler)[they're married with children (hide spoiler)], but tbh I was skimming a lot by that point so I really just fully read the (view spoiler)[daughter's pov (hide spoiler)]epilogue
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does have cheating - Does have a descriptive sex scene with the H and OW - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a ~4 year separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse by mcs - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall: I'm a sucker for the fake-to-real typ2 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise.
The Not-So-Good: The characters.
The Bad: The connections.
Overall: I'm a sucker for the fake-to-real type relationship! I remember liking this author in the past, but it very well could be another instance of my likes changing -- or this just wasn't executed well. Either way, I was rather confused by this book. It frankly felt all over the place, I felt absolutely no connection to either character nor did I feel their connections to each other (even the sexy times felt surface and kind of cringey in the dirty talk, which I usually like!). I'm honestly surprised I finished it because it made me feel this odd sense of confusion and that wasn't all that enjoyable! I guess it just was not for me.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ella and Logan's story. Logan's job gets stripped from him because it has become his life and his parents want to see him happy, and the only way to get it back is if he gets married. He find Ella, who is desperate to get her dead father's company out of her evil step-mother's hands, to agree to a marriage of convenience. Though lines get crossed, secrets get revealed, there's some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Ella and Logan's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it mostly flowed well.
Instalove: Kind of only because I didn't get it.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Logan. He was okay.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Ella. She was okay too.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ they both push away at times and I'd say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No, other than mild jealousy from the H
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes (view spoiler)[They are separated shortly (2ish weeks), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Loss of a parent (off page), parent with Parkinson's (on page), vandalism (on page), and marriage of convenience (on page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in an alright place and what I would call a HEA ending, but tbh I didn't care that much by the end to be picky like I usually am (view spoiler)[they're still married (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise with the idea of unrequited love/arranged marriage/sister's man and the potential for some yummy angst.
T2 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The premise with the idea of unrequited love/arranged marriage/sister's man and the potential for some yummy angst.
The Not-So-Good: The speeches the H would give. They were super long and repetitive and then the h would be the martyr (doormat) that we were supposed to feel bad for......more
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The overall premise and the blurb that sucked me in.
The Not-So-Good: The ex's dad's drama with the H. I thought it 2 Stars
Opinion Breakdown The Good: The overall premise and the blurb that sucked me in.
The Not-So-Good: The ex's dad's drama with the H. I thought it all was pretty eye roll inducing. I get that it was probably included to help with making the impression of the H better after him starting off as kind of a jerk, but really?! If you read this -- you'll know what I'm talking about.
The Bad: The romance. There were glimpses where I thought "oh, this might be where it gets better" (like when he was confessing to his old coach that she was different) -- but nope! It was lackluster just like their overall characters. It fell super flat for me. I also was literally cringing at the sex scenes and how Ms. Brown worded things. Ex: "The imperative prods seeking entrance. When he found her, she was open and giving and glazed with want. Intent and possessive, he penetrated, grafting himself to her completely." Like, what? This was published in 2022?! Totally off-putting to me and I would've rather had fade-to-black tbh.
Overall: I struggled with this one. After such an interesting blurb, I'm really disappointed! Very cool premise because it makes you think about what you would do in a similar situation, but I felt as though it was very poorly executed.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Kate and Zach's story. Ex-superstar quarterback Zach's life changed the night that his ex wife's sex games put her in a coma and he was the person to decide if she stays on life support or not. Years after he left it to her family to make the decisions, he is approached by Kate to help with her legal case against the man who put his ex that way. The man has been released from prison but in order to put him back, Kate needs to be able to try him as a murderer -- after Zach decides to stop the life sustaining care and his ex dies. There are some secrets revealed, some mild sexy times, and some suspenseful scenes...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing mainly on Kate and Zach, but some parts were focused on side characters too.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. There were times that felt slow but I never skimmed.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Zach. He was just alright. Grumpy at first then misunderstood.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Kate. I thought she was just okay too.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ The h pushes away because of their situation and the ethical issues of being together (but doesn't really stop her) (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Low. They have some mild tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Kind of. It was actually kind of cringy at times in how it was worded, definitely not sexy!
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[There is a deputy sheriff that is pursuing the h that causes some drama and the H's ex is the root cause to the main drama of the story (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: No (view spoiler)[mildly descriptive of the H's ex and the ménage before her brain injury (hide spoiler)]
Cheating: No
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Assault/attempted murder/drug use/murder/vegetative state due to asphyxiation (on page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in an alright place but with what I would call a HFN ending (view spoiler)[they've shared "ILYs" (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have the h pushing the H away - Does Not have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse by mcs - Does Not have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: Uuugh! I hate this. I hate giving KA such a low rating! I read (more like skimmed in hopes of not ruining it/getting my hopes2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Uuugh! I hate this. I hate giving KA such a low rating! I read (more like skimmed in hopes of not ruining it/getting my hopes too high) some of my GR friends’ reviews and was hoping for a read similar to her older works, that I really enjoy. That along with the Instagram teasers she posted about this being so different for her, made me jump right in once I saw it was available. It took a while to get into because I was thinking of her Instagram posts and wondering — is this going to have a ghost aspect, paranormal spin, or maybe even be dark?! No, no, and Nope. Once I did get into it, I could see where some had the comparison to her earlier books, but it was a stretch. The H was mysterious and the quiet/grunting/one word badass that I come to expect from KA, it’s just that his character didn’t progress much from there except quoting some Confucius and being able to wow the h by his profiling. There was also a town-wide sex scandal that didn’t feel like it fit and was kind of OTT if I’m being completely honest. There were suggestions of BDSM desires in the mcs but it was thrown out there and then glossed over. There wasn’t much family integration between the mcs on page, which I typically like so that was disappointing. And my biggest gripe is that she went political more than a few times. I read romance to escape all that! I don’t read to get into an author’s view on political stances. While I agree with a lot of her points, I felt like this was extremely off-putting. This was overall a big disappointment for me.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Delphine and Cade’s story. Delphine is a famous tv actor and author and she has a deadly stalker that takes her to being the new neighbor and under the protection of Cade, ex special ops and FBI profiler. There are some funny things going on in her new town when a young girl goes missing, so while they instantly connect, there is a lot of other things going on that takes their focus. There is some suspenseful moments, some mystery, and some sexy times…and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Delphine’s POV. I think it would’ve helped connect me with the H if we got some of his POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. I did skim some of the decor descriptions and it took me a little bit to get into, but otherwise I thought it flowed well.
Instalove:Yes. It had hardly any development.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Cade. He was alright. I like the broody, quiet Hs! He just was kinda boring (which is surprising because of all that he was supposed to be).
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Delphine. She was just alright too. She had some qualities that I typically like in KA hs, but I felt like we didn’t really get deep into her character (I don’t even think we for a physical description!).
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: No
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. I didn’t feel like it was as good as some of her other works in this department. It takes them a while to be intimate too.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Mild (view spoiler)[The h’s ex explains (over the phone) that he thought they would be getting back together and this causes some mild jealousy from the H (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Technically yes, but not really…(view spoiler)[The H is technically still married to OW so he’s cheating on his wife, but she hadn’t been in the picture and refused to sign divorce papers years prior to meeting the h (hide spoiler)]
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Serial murder/stalker/kidnapping/assault (on page) and the H is not technically divorced when they get together (on page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in an alright place but I wouldn’t call it a HEA even though I’m sure others would be fine calling it one (view spoiler)[they decide to not get married (hide spoiler)], so I would call it a HFN ending.
Safety: This one should probably be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences. (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating (see above) - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does Not have the h or H pushing away - Does Not have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse by mcs - Does Not have a HEA ending (see above) (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: This was frustrating to me. It continued to be OTT in the drama. In one duet we have (view spoiler)[bla2 Stars
2.5 Average Duet Stars
Overall Opinion: This was frustrating to me. It continued to be OTT in the drama. In one duet we have (view spoiler)[blackmail, mob bookies threatening lives, coach forcing mc to win games for mob boss family, losing scholarships, homophobic parent conflict that end up disowning, homophobic teammates creating conflict, gambling addiction by family member, paternity issues and cheating for family member, parent cheating with underage person of same sex, addict parent in on some of the blackmail, stalker, and a school shooter (I’m sure I missed some too (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: Eh, this wasn’t for me. I really tend to enjoy the fake relationship trope, so I thought this would for sure be a winner. Sad2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Eh, this wasn’t for me. I really tend to enjoy the fake relationship trope, so I thought this would for sure be a winner. Sadly, there was too much that didn’t work. The characters were so surface that I don’t even think I ever got a full physical description of them (mostly the h)! It was tidbits dropped here and there, but I like to have an image in my mind while reading. The H was completely unlikeable. I get he was supposed to be this mysterious, broody celebrity…but really?! He never really warmed up (other than a little in the sex scenes) and I just thought he was dull. Having his POV would’ve helped a lot with this! The conflict was meh and the end was so abrupt I felt like I had whiplash…overall, it just wasn’t my cuppa.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Norah and Patrick’s story. Norah is a waitress when the mysterious, superstar actor comes in after hours occasionally for a private dinner. She gets roped into his conversation with his PR agent, and ends up agreeing to be his live-in fake girlfriend for the next 6 months to help improve his image. There are some big life changes, some sexy times, and some very mild drama…and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Norah’s POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright, except for the abrupt ending. I never skimmed.
Instalove:Kind of, just for the sense it seemed to come out of nowhere…but it was towards the end — so probably not ...more
Overall Opinion: This was disappointing. It felt like it was a second book for the sake of selling another book. Why? Because nothing really h2 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was disappointing. It felt like it was a second book for the sake of selling another book. Why? Because nothing really happened. At least not enough to make a second book out of it and couldn’t just add to the first. It was a lot of fluffy inner dialogue that became way too repetitive and pointless. It also had very minimal about the racing aspect to the story, which I found disappointing as well. Overall, I struggled with this and wanted better closure for this couple.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Trent and Drew’s story. It takes off where the first book ended. They’re trying to deal with outside obstacles while establishing a relationship. There are some sweet moments, some drama, and some sexy times…and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Trent and Drew’s POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Slow. Too repetitive and not much happened.
Instalove: No, but they’re in love when this begins.
H1 (Hero #1) rating: 3.5 stars. Trent. I liked him, but his martyr behavior bugged a little.
H2 (Hero #2) rating: 3.5 stars. Drew. I liked him, just not as much as the first book.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ The H1 pushes away and I’d say they both pursue the relationship at times (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Closure: This ends abruptly with what I would call a HFN ending. Not enough closure for me at all (view spoiler)[they’re living together (hide spoiler)].
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have the H1 pushing the H2 away - Does Not have a separation between the H1 and H2 - Does Not have abuse by mcs - Does Not have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: Welp...at least it was free! It felt way all over the place. There were so many different things going on that it felt disorga2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Welp...at least it was free! It felt way all over the place. There were so many different things going on that it felt disorganized and it lost my interest about 2/3rds of the way in. I didn’t feel like I really got the characters, I didn’t feel their connection to each other past lust, and I felt like the different dramatic elements were OTT by the end. Overall, this was even less than meh for me.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Matt and Lawson’s story. They meet when Matt’s younger brother is in jail for vandalizing Lawson’s fighting/sex club. Matt takes on the duty of cleaning the place up and ends up with scheduling a fight with Lawson to try to pay off some of the debt. Lawson is struggling with his new role in the club after his best friend and lover was incarcerated and Matt seems to be just what he needs. There are some conflicts, some sexy times, and some secrets revealed...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Matt and Lawson in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Not the best. I did skim for the last 1/3ish. It felt slow at times and I ended up bored.
Instalove: Yes. I didn’t understand the progression from lust to love.
H1 (Hero #1) rating: 3.5 stars. Matt. I liked him a little more than Lawson, but I think that came from his need to please and ability to be vulnerable.
H2 (Hero #2) rating: 3 stars. Lawson. He was a little confusing to me at times with his hot and cold then love.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ The H2 pushes away and I’d say the H2 is also the main pursuer of the relationship (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. But seriously — some hot men fighting then getting it on?! The authors majorly missed the mark with the potential here! BDSM aspects: D/s dynamics, bondage, mild humiliation, spanking
Sex scene with OW or OM: Not without both mcs (view spoiler)[ There is a 3rd OM that is part of their sexual acts at times (hide spoiler)]
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes, but very short (view spoiler)[They are separated shortly (days?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time. (hide spoiler)]
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Domestic violence (off page), homelessness (off page), violence/kidnapping/assault/murder (on page), and the H1 is a virgin (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in an alright place with what I would call a HFN ending (view spoiler)[they’ve shared ILYs and are living together (hide spoiler)]
Safety: This one is probably Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences. (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM (without mcs) - Does have the H2 pushing the H1 away - Does have a separation between the H1 and H2 - Does have abuse - Does Not have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: Dang, this was a disappointment. I have decided that I really enjoy the survival/post apocalyptic type romance and I was happ2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Dang, this was a disappointment. I have decided that I really enjoy the survival/post apocalyptic type romance and I was happy when I found this one on loan through my library. Sadly, it was a mess for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, I thought it was way too instalove, the h drove me bonkers, and either I missed it or I was just never really understanding what the disaster really was that put them in this situation. Overall, it just didn’t feel well thought out and an excuse to have a ménage romance that might be considered acceptable — especially for a $7 book! Thank goodness I found it at my library...
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Rowan, Graham, and Zach’s story. Rowan is a lawyer whose career is crumbling when disaster strikes Chicago that has her on the run towards her doomsday-prepping, vet Dad and sister. Graham and Zach come across Rowan when she is running from some unsavory characters and take her into their compound that is run by ex commandos. There is some head butting, some sexy times, some suspenseful moments, and some instalove...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Rowan, Graham, and Zach in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. It flowed well and I never skimmed.
Instalove:Yes. Way too instalove for me!
H1 (Hero #1) rating: 2.5 stars. Graham. I struggled with him. He was an unredeemed jerk IMO with some major abandonment issues.
H2 (Hero #2) rating: 3 stars. Zach. He was alright. I did like how he was the light and upbeat character in the trio.
h (heroine) rating: 2 stars. Rowan. I struggled with her too — a lot. She was ‘sassy’ to the point of being a B and she also had some tstl moments that left me frustrated.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[The h and H1 push away and I’d say that the Hs are the main pursuers of the relationship (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. MFM ménage.
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[ Violence/assault/murder (on page) and captivity/rape (side character off page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends in a pretty good place with them in a committed relationship (view spoiler)[and she has their baby (hide spoiler)] and what I would say is probably a HEA in a post apocalyptic type story.
Safety: This one should be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have the h and H1 pushing away - Does have a separation between the h and Hs - Does Not have abuse by mcs - Does (kind of) have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: This is a really hard one to rate. I liked that it felt reminiscent of KA’s earlier works. I liked the h. I also liked the h 2 Stars
Overall Opinion: This is a really hard one to rate. I liked that it felt reminiscent of KA’s earlier works. I liked the h. I also liked the h’s interactions with the H’s kids. I didn’t, however, like a lot of other things. I didn’t like how hurtful the H was with his words. I didn’t like his “snake” temper. I didn’t like that he abused the h by roughly throwing her against a wall. I didn’t like how he verbally attacked her when she believed the other old ladies that he wanted her to bond with. But! More than anything else, I didn’t like how he justified his act of abuse by saying “you were in my way” — seriously?! And then when she gets advice from another old lady she gets told again to make sure she’s “not in his way!” What? Not okay. At. All. My heart broke for her at this point and I don’t think that there was any redeeming the H or the book after that. I hate giving KA such a low rating ...more
Overall Opinion: Whew. This was a doozy. I still read it though! I was intrigued by how this was all going to turn out. I don’t have many tri 2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Whew. This was a doozy. I still read it though! I was intrigued by how this was all going to turn out. I don’t have many triggers and I don’t typically have huge issues with OW/OM drama, but this had it out the wazoo and not in a good way! I struggled because of the almost even ADD feeling to the different POVs going on too. It was all over the place! Why did we need to focus on these side romances?! Maybe because the actual mc’s story wasn’t all that romantic?! I couldn’t get past the initial rape of the h by the H and how he slapped her. I don’t care if she did a 180 and then was sexually aroused and into it for their second round! Yeah, no...overall this felt like a mess.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Judith and Gavin’s story. Gavin is heartbroken when he finds out that his love, Alice, is going to marry another and that the King has arranged for him to marry Judith. Judith has been raised to join the church but once her brothers die, she has to marry a stranger to pass her father’s title and property on to their potential heirs. They connect instantly, but Alice is still a major figure in their lives and causes some major roadblocks for them. There are some suspenseful scenes, some mild sexy times, and a few sweet scenes...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing mainly on Judith, Alice and Gavin in 3rd person narrative with some focus on other side characters.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright until the abrupt ending. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well otherwise. As stated above, it was weird with the different POVs.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 2 stars. Gavin. He was hard to like because of how blind he was and how he was even abusive towards the h at times. I did like him when he was playful and sweet to the h though.
h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Judith. I liked her but I wanted her to be stronger in the face of the H’s sexual appeal. When she gave in sexually it felt as though she also crossed that line into doormat status.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ They both push away and I’d say that the H is the main pursuer of the relationship (at least sexually) (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Low. They have some tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not super descriptive and not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Not quite fade to black, but also not super descriptive either.
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[The H has OW that causes lots of drama that he is in love with up until the end and there are OM that make the H jealous (hide spoiler)]
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes (view spoiler)[ There is a scene with the H and OW at the beginning before he is with the h. The h also kisses OM when married. (hide spoiler)]
Cheating: Yes IMO (view spoiler)[ The H is in love with other woman up until the end. He doesn’t sleep with her but he does care for her and holds himself back from the h and kisses this OW (hide spoiler)]
Separation: No
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[Domestic abuse/rape/violence/murder (on page), h was a virgin, and miscarriage (on page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This ends rather abruptly with what I would still call a HEA ending but there could have been better closure.
Safety: This one is probably either Not Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences (view spoiler)[ - Does have cheating - Does have a (somewhat) descriptive sex scene with the H and OW - Does have both the h and H pushing away - Does Not have a separation between the h and H - Does have abuse - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: Dang. I really struggled with this one. I didn’t like the h and it is told in only her POV. She was a doormat when it came to2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Dang. I really struggled with this one. I didn’t like the h and it is told in only her POV. She was a doormat when it came to the H and pretty entitled and rude a lot of the times to everyone else. The H was a mystery throughout because we don’t get his POV and what I did get I didn’t like much either. He was a jerk, super cold, and then does a 180 and cares?! Maybe I’d get it if I understood his reasoning, but after finding out the big secret I still don’t get it...why the cruelty? And barely any grovel?! Yeah, no! The OW drama was OTT in an eye roll inducing way and the abrupt/no closure ending was the crappy cherry on top!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is June and Lucas’s story. June and Lucas grew up as best friends and then more after sharing their first kiss, but 2 years ago everything drastically changed and Lucas became a tormentor enough that June moved schools. June, however, has to return for their senior year and her first class is with Lucas and they share mutual friends. June just wants to understand the drastic change in Lucas but gets shot down many times at even establishing a friendship. There is some family drama, some OW drama, and a few sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in June’s POV. I think it might’ve made me like the H more if I understood his POV...maybe...
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, but they cared about each other when this starts (h’s inner dialogue says she loves him right away).
H (Hero) rating: 2 stars. Lucas. I struggled with him. He didn’t make sense to me with his cruelty then 180.
h (heroine) rating: 2 stars. June. I struggled with her. She was a grumpy doormat IMHO.
Sadness level: Low/moderate, but no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[The H pushes away for most of the book and the h pursues the relationship (NOT my favorite) (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Alright. They have some tension, chemistry, and a few scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. It did feel like the scenes at the very end were filler type scenes and unnecessary to the storyline tbh.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes (view spoiler)[The H is with the h’s “arch enemy” as a f-buddy type relationship but he claims she was a “mistake” even though he taunts the h with it (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: Yeah, I’m big time bummed on this one. I’m actually a pretty big fan of post apocalyptic type romances and I honestly think t2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Yeah, I’m big time bummed on this one. I’m actually a pretty big fan of post apocalyptic type romances and I honestly think there needs to be more of them! Especially with how crazy the world is right now!! But, sadly, this didn’t hit all my buttons like I was hoping it would. It was super slow. In the action and in the romance. It was more like a survivalist manual for how to gather a community to survive together...okay, maybe I’m being dramatic there with saying that — but it didn’t feel like much of a storyline and definitely not very romantic. The ending was just the cherry on top with how abrupt and how lets-throw-in-HEA-elements-last-minute it was. Dang.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Sela and Ben’s story. Sela is shocked when the mysterious town hottie speaks to her and warns her of a solar flare headed there way that will take out all of the power grids. Ben is just fine in his mountain home secluded from society but there is something about Sela that has him needing to warn her and also help her when he can. Sela has an elderly aunt, the aunt’s friend, and her 15 year old cousin that she has to protect and she also finds herself in charge of the community when they all start working together to survive. There are dangers to deal with, some suspenseful scenes, some sad moments, and a few sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing mainly on Sela and Ben (and a few other characters) in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Slow. I never skimmed but I definitely struggled a good bit.
Instalove: Kind of. Is there such a thing as a slow burn instalove?! ...more
Overall Opinion: Aargh! I had a bad feeling this would happen, and it did! ...Putting a spoiler tag for those that don't want the possibility 2 Stars
Overall Opinion: Aargh! I had a bad feeling this would happen, and it did! ...Putting a spoiler tag for those that don't want the possibility of it being ruined: (view spoiler)[ 1 - the husband was made out to be this monster that was abusive and a cheater. I hate this! I hate when there is something to soften the blow that the mc chose someone else other than their spouse!! Why not just make it be that they were simply meant for each other and couldn't help falling in love?! Why add into the mix some justification for the mc cheating?! People that can't read about cheating in books are not going to like this regardless, so why?! And 2 - the whole duet bs. I'm a little frustrated that I spent as much time as I did reading something that really should've just been condensed into one book. I can't be the only one that feels this frustration! It really makes me hesitate when I see that a book is a duet (or trilogy) because I just haven't had the best of luck with them that I don't trust them! I feel like I've been burned by my trusted authors with this too. (hide spoiler)] Sorry for my ranting, but I'm over these two writing techniques that many authors seem to use and I'm hoping I'm not alone ...more
Overall Opinion: I'm certain I read a different book here! So many of my GR friends loved this, but I find myself outside of the group yet agai2 Stars
Overall Opinion: I'm certain I read a different book here! So many of my GR friends loved this, but I find myself outside of the group yet again. This was a rough read for me. I felt like skimming early on but kept with it. I didn't like either of the mcs. I was majorly frustrated with the complete 180 that happened from hating each other and being nasty to loving each other sooooo much...like, what?! I think I rolled my eyes enough to possibly do some permanent damage, and I skimmed so much towards the end that it should've probably been put on my dnf shelf! I'm sorry friends, but this simply wasn't my cuppa.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Nova and Wolf's story. Nova steps in when her younger brother finds himself in trouble with the local motorcycle club and offers herself up in exchange. She quickly learns that this means her freedom is stripped completely from her and she is under the unstable protection of the mc president, Wolf. She soon realizes that she needs to use the connection she feels between them to get herself out of this situation. There are some suspenseful moments and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This was told in Nova's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Not the best. I skimmed. A lot. It seemed to take a long time to develop, had a good bout in the middle, then slowed down again.
Instalove: Yes! I don't know where the heck the feelings of love came from -- they felt totally out of left field!!
H (Hero) rating: 2 stars. Wolf. I really struggled with him. I get he was supposed to be this tough, alpha, mysterious guy...but I just ended up feeling confused about him and that he was just an asshole that didn't know what he wanted.
h (heroine) rating: 2 stars. Nova. I really struggled with her as well. She was supposed to be strong and I got that to a certain extent, but I also felt that she was just a bitch. ...and if she said "coward" one more time ...more
Overall Opinion: This was a bummer. I liked the idea of the book but I just don’t think it panned out the way I had hoped. I really disliked 2 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was a bummer. I liked the idea of the book but I just don’t think it panned out the way I had hoped. I really disliked the h! I also didn’t connect with the H. I didn’t feel their connection at all and I felt like it was a joke how they shared “ILYs” right before the epilogue (that didn’t even focus on them). It was more about the politics of the time and the elite force they were building (and the h whining and being annoying). Not my fave.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Christina and Tor’s story. In hopes for gaining the most successful swordsman in the lands to train a new secret elite force, Christina’s father hatches a scheme to trick her and Tor into marriage. Tor is enraged at first to have to marry, but soon realizes that there is a way to train the force without breaking his neutrality and protecting his clan. There are some suspenseful scenes, some sexy times, and some political drama...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Christina and Tor in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. It was super slow at times and I felt like nothing was happening. I didn’t skim though (maybe a tad through the epilogue when I realized it wasn’t even about them).
Instalove: Yes for the h. Not for the H.
H (Hero) rating: 3 stars. Tor. He was alright. He was closed off because of his duties and past but I don’t think I really connected with his character.
h (heroine) rating: 2 stars. Christina. She bugged me! She was TSTL and whiny for majority of the book that had me rolling my eyes constantly.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ The H pushes away until the very end, and I’d say the h is the main pursuer of the relationship (hide spoiler)]...more
Overall Opinion: I'm in pain friends! I'm in pain because I F-love Kristen Ashley. In pain because I love her so much that I instantly buy her 2 Stars
Overall Opinion: I'm in pain friends! I'm in pain because I F-love Kristen Ashley. In pain because I love her so much that I instantly buy her new releases (and for my cheap butt that's saying something 😜). And I didn't like this book and hate that I'm rating it so low. I struggled with it from after the first 1/4ish. I felt like it was all these fluffy "we are perfect for each other, and let me tell you why" monologues that went on and ooooonnn. The characters were likable and their connection was fine, but it was way too mushy for my liking especially because they were supposed to be "Bad-A Toby" and "Wild Child Addie". I felt like there was no real conflict. Even something that I was expecting to get emotional about (because it hits close to home with personal experience) (view spoiler)[losing a parental figure to cancer (hide spoiler)] felt anti-climatic. I won't go on a long rant, like I'm kinda feeling I need to right now, and just say -- those of you that like the fluffy, mushy, easy-peasy (with some heavier subjects that don't get too heavy) story about a down-on-her-luck single mother... this might be the very book for you!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Addie and Toby's story. Addie is down on her luck and is leaving her husband with her new baby when she meets Toby. Toby is her sister's boyfriend's brother, so any type of relationship could get messy quickly. Once Toby realizes the extent of Addie's struggles as a single mother, he pushes away all his reasons for hesitation and strongly pursues her. There is some family drama on both sides, a few sad moments, and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between Addie's POV (mostly) and focusing on Toby in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Slow. Too slow. I sadly skimmed a few parts. See overal opinion section above for more.
Instalove: Kind of. They already had some dormant feelings when the story really begins.
H rating: 4.5 stars. Toby. I really liked him. He was ah-may-zing with the h's son -- so that alone sold me!
h rating: 3.5 stars. Addie. I liked her, but she also was a little too prideful at times where I wanted to shake her.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ The h pushes away some at one point, and I'd say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship. (hide spoiler)]
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Separation: No, once they're together they stay together.
Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[ Poverty (h on page), the h was married to OM but separated when she meets the H and divorced before anything happens between them (on page), the h has a child with her ex husband (on page), child abandonment (H by his mother off page and the h's ex on page), loss of a parent to cancer (on and off page), loss of a parent (off page), and domestic violence (h's dad to her mom - off page) (hide spoiler)]
Closure: This had pretty good closure with what I would call a HEA (view spoiler)[they're married with children (hide spoiler)], and a pretty decent epilogue.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers (view spoiler)[ - Does Not have cheating by mcs - Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM - Does have the h somewhat pushing the H away - Does Not have a separation between the h and H - Does Not have abuse by mcs - Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]...more
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