I got a paperback copy of this novel when I was still blogging. I didn’t really think anything of it and I actually gave it away in 4 Thrilling stars
I got a paperback copy of this novel when I was still blogging. I didn’t really think anything of it and I actually gave it away in a giveaway. Little did I know I would read it years later and well.. I really enjoyed it.
I decided to do an Audio version because with this whole covid / pandemic new way of life… it’s easier for me to work / take care of my kids with my iphone and ear buds in my ear.
Anyhow, it was a little hard to understand the book at first. I felt like I was getting into the middle of the story and little did I know there is a prequel! I didn’t read the prequel, but I’m sure Her Darkest Nightmare would have made more sense had I read the prequel, so I will go do that after I write this review.
I don’t really read thrillers, I mean, I do every now and then, but to pick up a new author is very rare for me, I guess I was in that mood. I found it overall, entertaining, a little dark and a bit angsty at times which is not really my jam, but it didn’t overpower my reading.
Oh and to my surprise, this book was hot! I know, that was really unexpected but with the all the tension between the two main characters, I was rooting for them to bone!
If you are looking for a thriller with a little hotness, then pick up this book, but read the preque first. ...more
I love the way Helen Hoang writes. She’s so witty and she has a way sucking you into the characters and the world and problems.
The Kiss Quotient was a mega and wonderful read for me so I was really nervous getting into The Bride Test. You can read the series out of order. Each book is about cousins, but they don’t really interact in the books, very minor, so it’s safe to jump around in the series.
Khai is autistic and it kind of continues the theme of the series (where Stella was autistic in the first book). He’s a high functioning autistic person and you wouldn’t really know he’s different. He’s just a little socially abnormal.
Esme is half white and half Vietnamese living in Vietnam. I love me a mixed baby, because well, my babies are mixed. So of course I completely resonated with this story. I also speak Vietnamese. The narrator didn’t pronounce the words accurately, but it’s really hard since Vietnamese language is based on tone, but the narrator did her best.
I love the narrator of the book. It was lovely, soft and her voice transitions were good. I loved that she had many characters she could speak from and it just made the book more.
I love that the book is kind of like a mail order bride, except the mother in law ordered the bride sort to speak.
Esme is in America and she has the summer to get to know Khai and get him to marry her. There are some bumps along the way. For one, Esme is a single mama and as much as I love a single mama book, the child is not existent and should have never been written in. That was the secret of the story and I don’t really like those storylines. However, it didn’t hinder my reading experience, it was just a little annoying and added angst to the story.
Eseme has major self confidence issues and I could totally understand her character. What people don’t understand is that if you aren’t from America and you are landed into America, you kind of have this idea that you aren’t as good as the Americans. I see it in my mom. She tries really hard to not seek help when she’s shopping and has to speak to other people in English. You want to feel like you are good enough ya know? I’m not sure many people could understand this POV, but I did.
Khai knows he’s different and he doesn’t want a girl in his life. He is fine living the way he is living and he doesn’t need anyone else in it. But with Esme living with him and turning his house upside down, well, things start to change.
The best part of the book was the relationship between Khai and Esme. I love the tension between them and it was just cute just reading Esme getting under Khani’s skin.
Overall, I loved the Bride Test and I want Hele Hoang to continue writing. I love that she is Vietnamese and she’s shedding some light into our culture.
A paperback was provided by the publisher, but I decided to review the Audio version...more
Lisa Kleypas is my favorite historical romance author and Mary Jane Wells is my favorite narrator with a British accent.
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4 Single Mama Stars
Lisa Kleypas is my favorite historical romance author and Mary Jane Wells is my favorite narrator with a British accent. It’s like the best of both worlds.
I started to do Lisa Kleypas’ books via audio way back and I haven’t changed since. I love the accent and the way the characters are played out. I also like that I feel like I getting more out the read this way. If you haven’t tried this author via audio, you really need to do it. Mary Jane Wells voice is adorable, girly and she reads so well. She can act and do voice transitions like no other person.
I am always excited to get a new Lisa Kleypas book. I am delighted that this one is a single mama book and the kids have a huge influence in the read too.
I really like Phoebe’s character. She’s a widow and she’s trying to get on with her life. It’s been two years and her mourning period is over. What I liked best about her character is her supporting characters. Gah, I love her father. He really stole the show for me. I even liked we got his POV in one of the chapters!
I remember West Ravenel in the previous books. He was the chubby rich upper class man and kind of found his way in life later on. I liked him in the beginning of the book because he was so light, airy and comical. He really set the tone of the book and it was a pleasant read. I liked how he interacted with Phoebe and I liked how he interacted with the kids.
Although West doesn’t believe he would be a good fit for anyone because of his sordid cad past. At times West could be a little frustrating only because I’m not a fan of the Heroine chasing after the Hero and West could push Phoebe away.
Overall, I really liked the tone and pace of Devil’s Daughter. I liked the supporting characters and I found the book amusing and a wonderful audio read.
A print copy was provided by Avon, but I decided to do the audio version instead ...more
This was my first Lori Wilde read so I didn’t know what to expect. I love Christmas theme books and I love a single parent read.
Books are like boyfriends, you need to find one that fits your personality. At the end of the day The Christmas Key wasn’t a bad book and that isn’t why I didn’t finish it, it just didn’t fit my personality.
First off, the Hero of the book is ex-military with some PTSD, that right there isn’t my cuppa. I’ve never been fond of military theme books or Heroes suffering trauma from war. Usually I can forge through this, but the Hero’s past is a BIG deal in the book and it’s represented a lot.
The second thing is that there is a secret in the book. The Hero comes into town for a reason, but that reason is kept a secret and I’ve never been fond of books with a “secret” as the main tension of the story. I find it a bit angsty which isn’t my cuppa.
The 3rd thing is that the book places some references to God a lot. I’m not sure this is a Christian read, but I can see it as. I’m not a fan of Christian books, as my reading preference is more on the dirty level, but I can see how this would work out for a lot of people.
At the end of the day, it was a cute book with a Christmas theme. I liked the female narrator and I could have listened to her throughout the whole book. BUT the book didn’t suit my tastes and preference.
A print copy was provided by the publisher but I decided to do the audio version....more
I love Jessica Clare and I love holiday books. I love this time of year. I love the cold, the snow, the
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4 It’s that time of year again Stars
I love Jessica Clare and I love holiday books. I love this time of year. I love the cold, the snow, the decorations and I love holiday theme books. You throw in a Cowboy theme and I’m one happy cow girl!
Cassandra (Cass) is stuck in a rut. She works for her best friend who doesn’t treat her nicely and on top of that her best friend’s boyfriend keeps on hitting on her. All she wants to do is get away for the Holidays. So, she decides to spend Christmas at her parent’s cabin, alone.
I really did like Cass. I found her really sweet and endearing. She gets into a car accident and is recused by cowboy Eli who works on a Ranch near by. And get this, she loses her memory! Don’t you love the story line?
What I love about Eli is that he’s a real person. He doesn’t own the ranch, but he works hard and he’s okay with the single life. He doesn’t need a bunch of ladies and he likes to work hard. I really like Eli’s worth ethic and it was different you know. I mean, I love my billionaires, but I also like a down-to-earth, guy-next-door, sweet-heart guy and Eli fits the bill.
I love the tension between Eli and Cass and it’s a sweet, get to know each other kind of read. I honestly read this book by the fireplace, drinking hot coco, it was the perfect read for this season.
If you are looking for a sweet holiday read then All I want for Christmas is a Cowboy is for you.
A paperback ARC was provided to me by the publisher and I volunteered to review...more
I love this series. I loved the first book and I was excited for the second book. This will be Nicolette and Gabriel’s
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4 – 4.25 Audio Stars
I love this series. I loved the first book and I was excited for the second book. This will be Nicolette and Gabriel’s story. You will have to read the books in order to understand what is going on, plus there’s a lot of character development and story building so it’s just in your best interest to read them in order.
Having read one book and listened to another book, I will say this, the audio version is way awesome. You can’t go wrong with Erin Mallon’s voice. I do admit she does a lot of audio books so sometimes I do need a break from her, but when I go back and listen to her, it’s like listening to happiness. Joe Arden has a strong male voice, but I think he pauses a bit too much. Personally I like a narrator that reads quickly, but that’s just me. He’s not my favorite, but he didn’t hinder my listening experience.
I feel like Moonlight Seduction read differently. First off, it’s not that mysterious, okay it’s somewhat mysterious (and that is what I love about this series) but I didn’t feel like that was the focal point of the book. I felt like Nikki and Gabe’s relationship was the main deal in the book.
I liked Gabe in the first book. He’s the nice brother right? I was itching for his story. I mean, did he get his ex-girlfriend pregnant? It was hinted a little bit from the first book. Was his ex-girlfriend dying? A lot of questions came to mind after I read the first book.
In this book, I wasn’t so much a fan of Gabe. I liked him, but he wouldn’t be my favorite Hero. I have issues with Heroes that are still hung up on their ex-girlfriends. I wouldn’t say Gabe was still in love with her, but she was the issue of the book and she wasn’t even in the book.
I love Nicolette and you kind of want to root for the underdog. Gah, the mean things the brothers do and you just want her to own her place ya know? It was sad to read the flashbacks and see how much she was in love with Gabe and oh my goodness their history!
The main thing that got me sucked into the storyline was the history between Gabe and Nikki, it’s epic, kind of sad, and there’s a lot to work though. On top of that, someone is after Nikki and you are questioning everyone. I kind of liked the side storyline of who is after Nikki.
Gabe and Nikki’s relationship was tough to read, but also addicting to read. You want to root for them, but they have a lot of baggage to go through.
So, like I said, it’s a little different from the first book. More on the angst and tortured, then the mystery.
To disclaim – I received a print copy by the publisher, but I decided to do an audio review instead. Because audio is my jam! ...more
The Kiss Quotient is the it book to read this summer. It’s the perfect book to cozy up to and never stop reading. I devoured
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6 Amazing stars
The Kiss Quotient is the it book to read this summer. It’s the perfect book to cozy up to and never stop reading. I devoured this book and I couldn’t get enough. Helen Hoang is an author to look out for because she is talented and knows how to write a good book.
I’ll be honest and say it’s hard for me to pick up a new author. I like to stalk their previous books and see if I like their writing style. I’m a fairly picky reader and I know what I like, but the reviews were too good and I couldn’t pass up The Kiss Quotient.
I’m so glad I started this book because it was a wonderful from start to finish.
So, I’m Vietnamese and my babies are half Vietnamese. Am I biased? Maybe, but I really do love a good ethnic book. I got the references and totally understood the culture. I think everyone and anyone should read this book.
The Heroine of the book is Stella and she’s different. She’s has Asperger’s. I loved loved loved Stella. I felt like she was a unique and interesting character to read. I believed her and I felt for her. She doesn’t understand social norms but she tries very hard to not stand out because when you are different, you don’t really want to shout it out to the world right?
Michael knows hardship. He’s an escort because he is good at it, is good looking but frankly he needs the money. I adore Michael and I love his family. Shout out to all the moms that wear Christmas sweaters not during the holidays! The best part of Michael is how he is with Stella. He’s patient and kind.
The best part of the book is the writing. I love the style, the flow and the characters are addictive. I was consumed in the relationship between Stella and Michael and I was curious to where it would go. I was curious to see who Michael is and how he is the way he is and I wanted to learn more about Stella and all her quirks.
The Kiss Quotient is an adore non-stop read. EVERYONE should pick it up. It’s a must!
A Finished Copy was provided and I volunteered to review ...more
Yay I broke my Lynsay Sands cherry! I usually like to start a new author by reading a first book in the series, but to be honest I didn’t rea3.5 Stars
Yay I broke my Lynsay Sands cherry! I usually like to start a new author by reading a first book in the series, but to be honest I didn’t realize this was the fourth book. You can read each book as a standalone and I was perfectly fine reading Falling for the Highlander without reading the other books. I will be starting the other books in the series VERY soon.
This one got mixed reviews and it’s because there wasn’t enough romance between Murine and Dougall. That didn’t bother me at all. It’s not an insta-love relationship. I feel like it was more insta-lust on Dougall side and I love that in a romance novel.
Murine doesn’t want to be sold off to pay for her brother’s debt so she escapes, because back in the day an unmarried woman had to have a figure take care of her. Dougall happens to stumble upon Murine and decides to help her.
I really like Dougall. He’s not selfless, but he’s not a brute. He doesn’t think it would be too bothersome to help Murine go on her journey to find safe passage. A good chunk of the book is about the journey and I enjoyed reading that. There isn’t anything hot and heavy that happens too much, but a slow build of tension happens. Okay, there is steam, but it’s not a racey book by any means.
Someone is hunting Murine down and I liked reading all the obstacles she has to endure. It kept the book entertaining and moving forward. Towards the end it slows down a bit and I think I could have done without the last 10% of the book.
Overall, Falling for the Highlander was exactly what I needed. It was different, a bit slow and entertaining.
A finished hardcopy was provided by the publisher and I volunteered to review....more
Christina Lauren books are always entertaining, happy and just all-round nice. I love the cover and the summary of
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4 Living the Dream Stars
Christina Lauren books are always entertaining, happy and just all-round nice. I love the cover and the summary of Roomies and it’s the perfect book to get sucked into when you want to be in a better mood.
Holland! I love that name. She’s a sweet girl, the kind of girl you want to be friends with or help out. She lives in NY and loves her Uncle. She works for him by doing odd jobs on Broadway for the show he is producing. She sells merchandise and photographs the artists. It’ a unique job and I get into it.
The beginning was a little slow for me, but once you reach the twenty percent mark the book really takes off and I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting and I was trying to figure out what was happening. I do wish the storyline would just come out and start with the marriage of convenience, but there’s cute character build up.
Holland has a crush on her favorite musician Calvin. I don’t usually like it when the Heroine chases after the Hero, but Calvin is so adorable you can’t help but love him. When Holland realizes Calvin has talent and can be used in her Uncle’s production, everything changes when Holland offers to marry Calvin so he can stay in the states.
I love a good marriage-for-convenience storyline. I loved reading how Holland and Calvin get to know each other and they forge this awkward yet endearing relationship. It’s a friendship to lovers romance.
Roomies is a slight and sweet read. It will put a smile on your face and hit all the right happy spots.
Remember high school? Remember crushing on that guy who you think is unattainable? Well, imagine being a bisexual guy, in love with another guy in a Mormon predominate area. Yeah, high school can be tough.
Autoboyography is a YA M/M book. It’s a book that isn’t something I can relate to, but I can relate to the mom. It’s a heart-warming tale about finding love and dealing with obstacles that surround it.
I love the cover and the premise of Autoboyography. I love the main character Tanner. He’s sweet, adorable and his intentions of pure. This book is about Tanner and has a crush on Sebastian, the only thing is, Sebastian is Mormon.
If you know anything about the Mormon cultural (and let’s be honest, I don’t, the only thing I know is what I learned from the Musical Book of Mormon, so I know nothing) they believe marriage is between a man and woman. What made this book so enjoyable was all the research that went into it. I felt like the author was doing justice to the Mormon cultural and the plot and storyline was very well thought out.
Autoboyography was a bit slow in the beginning, but you get a feel of the characters. Tanner has a best friend, Autumn, Tanner has supportive parents and Tanner is bisexual. He doesn’t question his sexuality, but he understands in the state he lives in currently makes it hard for a teen to be out in that way. It’s not a complex to him, until he starts to have the feels for Sebastian.
I liked Sebastian. I found his character compliments Tanner well. You don’t know if he is truly into Tanner, so they forge a friendship and that little mystery adds something to the book.
Like I said, it’s a YA book that is MM, so I can’t relate, but I related to the mom. I felt like I was Tanner’s mom. I would be the supportive parent that would praise my child and try to help him navigate through a tough time for a teenager.
There are some parts that drag a bit, but overall, Autoboyography was worth a read. I read it in one sitting and I have the hardback copy too (it’s hard for me to read hardback books with two little kids).
If you are looking for something written really well, a little different and super adorable, then Autoboyography is for you.
Gone to Dust is a standalone and is part of the Gravedigger series. I have major cover love for this book. I originally th
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3 Searching Stars
Gone to Dust is a standalone and is part of the Gravedigger series. I have major cover love for this book. I originally thought this would be a dramatic read with major suspense, instead I got a light-hearted book with a hint of suspense. I really liked that it was not a dramatic book and I often found myself smiling and even laughing out loud at some of the parts. This kind of reminds me of the Killer Instincts series by Elle Kennedy, but without all the smut.
Miller is an eccentric. She’s always on a deadline and hardly has time to eat and bathe. I found her character very unique and kind of out there. I’m not sure I was too fond of her, but I did enjoy reading her. She’s just really out there. She was being under attack and all she could think about his saving her laptop (you know because of her books … I’m not an author so it’s something I don’t get) she’s odd. As an avid reader I always love it when the heroine is a writer, I imagine my favorite authors acting and behaving like that.
She gets a package from a really bad man. The bad man has her brother. I always love a good suspenseful plot. Why was her brother kidnapped? Why is Miller involved in it? What will she do?
Elias is part of a super-secret group and is here to save Miller! I love a good damsel read and Elias played the perfect Hero. He’s super smart, strong and kind of a loner because of his past.
There’s a nice chemistry between Miller and Elias because they sort of had a fling and I really liked reading the banter between the two. Miller and Elias work together in trying to find Miller’s brother and it takes them to the tropics! That was fun to read.
Gone to Dust is an action packed read with lots to keep you going.
3.5 WOW – HOT – ON FIRE – STEAMY – Sizzling – Stars
I haven’t read a Tiffany Reisz book since The Siren and when I read The Siren I was a ne
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3.5 WOW – HOT – ON FIRE – STEAMY – Sizzling – Stars
I haven’t read a Tiffany Reisz book since The Siren and when I read The Siren I was a newbie dark romance reader and the stuff she wrote made me cringe. A lot has changed in five years!
The Red is a standalone and is an erotic fantasy book. Let me warn you, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE STEAM, THEN THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU. I hate to put it in shout caps, but don’t go into an erotic book and be turned off by the steam.
This book is for the following people:
1.) If you like steam (which I do)
2.) If you like art. I know, its random right? Personally, I’m not much into art, but as I read more and more of the book I kept on thinking about the artists and the pieces referenced. I kind of wanted to google them so I could understand the book more. I kind of wished there were pictures in this book too.
3.) If you like Tiffany Reisz writing style. Like I said, I haven’t read a book by her in five years, but there’s no mistake in the way she writes. She writes books that will make you cringe and be sucked in. Her flow is fairly descriptive as well.
I started this book late at night right before I went into bed. From the first page I was hooked! I kept on reading because it was simply hot. Mona owns an art gallery, but she isn’t making a profit and needs money to get herself out of debt.
Mona is an interesting gal. She’s not your typical Heroine, but she’s very curious. She will do anything to save her mother’s art gallery, even sell her body for one year to a mysterious stranger.
This isn’t your typical sell-you-body romance book.
For one year, this man will come to her maybe once or every other month to use Mona’s body in ANYWAY he wants. The mysterious man is just that … mysterious. He’s a bit hard to get to know, but you will be so distracted by what he does to Mona, you kind of don’t care. I’m just being honest!
Each chapter is broken into different visits and after the first few chapters I was ready to jump my husband. YUP! I’m putting it out there for ya. This book is hot and different. There will be a lot of kinky play that will push your boundaries and each time Mona is visited you will think to yourself, what kind of mischief will she will get herself into now?
You will soon question what’s real and what’s not real.
The book is all steam, so you make want to read the book a chapter here and a chapter there, this can be easily done. I read a chapter or two before I went to bed almost each night (I kid you not) and my husband loved it (I again, kid you not).
I won’t give anything away but once I was done with the book I was really satisfied. I felt like Tiffany Reisz took me on a crazy journey where she made me question a lot of things (heck, I still have questions), but it was a good mind trip.
Hunger is a Standalone and has three books in one. Each book in my opinion is a little longer than a novella, so I’m going to consider each
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Hunger is a Standalone and has three books in one. Each book in my opinion is a little longer than a novella, so I’m going to consider each book an actual full length book. Also I got a physical copy of the book and it’s MASSIVE.
All of the books are Paranormal with a wolf theme told in third POV. The easiest way to describe this book is to talk about each one. The books don’t relate to each other, so you can skip around if you want.
Book 1 – Alpha’s Mate by Eve Langlais
Alpha’s Mate is a simple and more of a shorter read. I found this one more light-hearted with a touch of a comical side. The Heroine is being hunted and someone wants to kill her. Fabian saves her and they have this kind of insta-lust connection. However, I would consider this story the tamest. It was an easy read to get your feet wet for the next books.
Book 2 – Dangerous Passions by Kate Douglas
Dangerous Passions was the hardest book to read, only because I typically like simpler books and this one had A LOT of characters. So, the storyline was very detailed and it came to a point I had to write down the characters down and map them to who they were dating. I have a feeling this book might be a middle book for one of the author’s other books, but that’s just a feeling.
Here are the list of characters
Evan and Darnell Trak (Pack Leader) Chelo Meg and Zach Evan and Nellie
There are a few more I didn’t write down, but those were the ones written about the most. The book is mostly about Trak and Chelo. Chelo is a damsel because she is running away from an abusive past. And she seeks refuge at this place. I think this book will work out for those that like to read a bunch of other characters because each couple has their own problems.
Book 3 – Bound to the Wolf by A.C. Arthur
I found Bound to the Wolf the steamiest out of the three and a little kinky. Marena is about to be raped, but she fights off her attacker, not before he bites her. What will happen? Marena doesn’t know but she doesn’t stick around to find out. She meets Phelan and she soon realizes she can’t be away distance wise from Phelan or she will feel extreme amount of pain.
Out of the three books I liked this one the most. I found the storyline more to what I usually read and I liked that the steam was turned up and I liked that Marena and Phelan couldn’t be without each other physically.
Overall, I actually like books in one little package, I buy box sets ALL the time. Call me crazy but I hate clicking more than one icon. I also liked that the book is kind of extra thick. I feel like getting three books in one kind of gives you a little bit of everything.
Every time I see a new book by these authors I get a tingle inside. I JUST LOVE everything they write. Dating
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4.25 Loving It / Awesome Stars
Every time I see a new book by these authors I get a tingle inside. I JUST LOVE everything they write. Dating You / Hating You is their newest standalone and I would describe it as witty, comical and a touch sassy.
The thing I like about Dating You / Hating You is how well it’s written. My reading was effortless and at times it felt like I wasn’t even reading, I felt like I was a part of the story and going along for the ride. I love this low muss and low fuss kind of reading. I also liked how well developed the story and the characters were. The writing wasn’t forced and the chemistry between the two main characters were off the charts.
Carter and Evie meet through mutual friends at a party. They are also both Hollywood agents. I really liked that they are agents. I felt like it was a new and refreshing profession to read in a romance book. I’m not sure how realistic the storyline is because I know nothing about that world, but I felt like I learned a lot and it was just fun to read.
The thing with Carter and Evie is that if you share the same profession with your significant other, there will be competition one way or another. Here’s the thing. It’s not like after they met they are at each other’s throats, there is a reason for the tension and I liked that. It didn’t come out of the blue. Everything that happens in the book happens for a reason and it made the book easy to read.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I felt like anyone could read it. It’s simply an imaginative entertaining piece of work.
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