Didn't love this one obviously. I was actually going to give it 2.75 stars rounded up to 3 until 90% when I laughed my ass off at that surp2-2.5 stars
Didn't love this one obviously. I was actually going to give it 2.75 stars rounded up to 3 until 90% when I laughed my ass off at that surprise…aw, man...just no. That compounded all the issues I had with this book.
The whole time I just thought Gigi and Ryder came off as baby adults trying to act like cool adults and really they're just dumb kids in college who need to chill and that 90% surprise really solidified that like what the actual fuck was that ...more
I'm on a mission to get some of my 'rtc's from this year actually written out so starting with the most recently read...
I guess my main issue2.5 stars
I'm on a mission to get some of my 'rtc's from this year actually written out so starting with the most recently read...
I guess my main issue with this book is how different it was from my expectations. We've got a younger H (Maverick) / older h (Clover) scenario and on top of that Clover is Maverick’s college professor so I was expecting it to be a bit taboo and it was not at all. It was all so very polite, sweet and perfect so I think I just went into it expecting something too different than what I got. They also spend the whole book acting like what they're doing is super taboo, damaging or forbidden and because they're both such goody two shoes and didn't do anything while he was technically her student it's not an issue, but they're acting like it is because "it's bad optics" for her temporary job that has no impact on her actual career ...more
I love a good witch romance and this one delivered. This was very bubble bubble toil and trouble witches...we've got: familiars, rhyming spells, cauldI love a good witch romance and this one delivered. This was very bubble bubble toil and trouble witches...we've got: familiars, rhyming spells, cauldrons, covens, witches flying on broom sticks, the whole nine yards so that was kinda fun. Idk if I’m in my easy to please era or my blessed book era, but everything I’ve read the past month (admittedly I’ve been reading more slowly than usual) has earned four stars from me ...more
"I've lost her. I'm going to die. I want to die." ...the melodrama of it all "I've lost her. I'm going to die. I want to die." ...the melodrama of it all ...more
First re-read (2022): still super cute, still loved it. Olive is kinda dumb (but loveable), there's a lot of assumptions and miscommunication going onFirst re-read (2022): still super cute, still loved it. Olive is kinda dumb (but loveable), there's a lot of assumptions and miscommunication going on, but I spent a lot of this book smiling at my Kindle so that's a win. Also as someone who majored in STEM I really enjoy all the science and academia talk.
PS I read the bonus chapter from Adam's POV of ch16 this time around (thanks ren for the heads up). As a lover of dual POV I was excited to get a scene from Adam's perspective, but I have a mini rant/pet peeve... I will never understand how authors get their own dialogue wrong when they write the same scenes from a different POV. Like...copy & paste the original dialogue??...how does that happen? lol
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Original read (2021):4.5 stars
Well that was cute and I loved it. rtc, maybe......more
I was nervous going into this one because people either seem to love it a lot or absolutely hate it and DNF, happy to say I loved it. I love sports roI was nervous going into this one because people either seem to love it a lot or absolutely hate it and DNF, happy to say I loved it. I love sports romances and I’m predisposed to extra love soccer romances because I played for most of my life so that aspect was exciting to me. Ryder’s soccer situation was pretty tragic though and I wish he could’ve still played but that would’ve been too much fictional magic I guess. I love a strong, broody, silent type and in this case Ryder was actually silent because he’s insecure about using his voice after losing his hearing. I liked the deaf representation. I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it felt really well researched and I feel like I learned a lot about deafness that I didn’t know before so that was cool.
Ryder and Willa were the definition of kids on the playground pulling pigtails and pinching each other, but their juvenile banter worked for me. I liked how accepting Willa was of Ryder and that she never made him feel like he had anything to apologize or make up for. They were both a bit too stubborn and secretive, but as romances do ~✨it all worked out in the end✨~.
I could’ve done without Willa’s tragic mom storyline ...more
I'd give this ~2.5 stars? I liked it enough to finish it, but it just wasn't for me and I haven't loved an Ilsa Madden-Mills book in a while so maybe II'd give this ~2.5 stars? I liked it enough to finish it, but it just wasn't for me and I haven't loved an Ilsa Madden-Mills book in a while so maybe I'll take a break from her ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I wasn't super into either of the characters, nor did I really believe in their connection. I'd consider this a slow burn because of how fucking long it took them to really get together, but in the mean time they were "just friends" even though they never really struck me as friends and they would randomly kiss, Devon would call her 'baby' a lot, Giselle literally licked chocolate off his face at one point, but she thought he wasn't into her for the longest time when he was obviously super into her, but just too scared to try anything. It just got really old and annoying.
Also this is supposed to be a standalone, but there's this drama from the previous book regarding Giselle's ex-fiance that's apparently her sister's (h from book one) ex-boyfriend? Side note: What's with sisters dating their sisters exes? I've seen this in too many books recently and it's making me scared for if I ever have kids...that's such a big fucking NO to me lol and I just can't picture sweet, nerdy Giselle doing that. Anyway, that whole drama is barely touched on, but aluded to a lot like we know all the details. As someone who didn't read book one I didn't know the details and it was annoying. Another thing that I feel like was explained more in book 1: Giselle's OCD question answering? Wasn't fully discussed, does Giselle even have OCD? Idk. Feels like these things about Giselle should've been better explained in Giselle's book.
The (what I would consider super) slow burn, wishy-washy h&H that didn't know what they wanted, and overall lack of anything super interesting happening just left me a bit bored reading this, unfortunately. I totally love a slow burn if it's full of tension ala Mariana Zapata (the queen of the extreme slow burn), but it's really hard to write a great slow burn that slowly builds tension and has you salivating over the chemistry between the H&h and patiently waiting for them to explode. In this case I just felt like I was watching a ping pong ball careening around, back and forth, totally unsure WTF was going on and when the fuck these characters were just going to get down to business and maybe make this book a little more interesting ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ sad, but true. I just didn't connect with this book or characters and it never really got there for me. Oh well....more
I have no idea how to rate books like this, but it was well written and a page turner so four kinky smut-filled stars it is.
From the brief blurb I thoI have no idea how to rate books like this, but it was well written and a page turner so four kinky smut-filled stars it is.
From the brief blurb I thought maybe this would be a slightly darker romance, but it definitely wasn't at all. It was as sweet as a super smutty book like this can be.
I thought I had read some DD/lg books before, but I definitely have not... Those were very casual drops of 'Daddy' during sex, sometimes a bit more, but not much, if anything, out of the bedroom.
This was not only their sexual kink (and the only kind of sex they have until the very end), but also a lifestyle. Like they lived 24/7 as him being her daddy and taking care of her like she was his little girl and lemme tell you that made me uncomfy. (Especially because *slight spoilers* he had a daughter and it was made to seem like she was replacing that daughter in a sense so the sex added to that made me ...more
I honestly don't know how to rate this so I'm just going to give it 3-stars, but it just really wasn't my jam. This is a standalone, but it still featI honestly don't know how to rate this so I'm just going to give it 3-stars, but it just really wasn't my jam. This is a standalone, but it still features all the main characters from the Morgan Brothers, Reed Rivers Trilogy and The Club series and since I love them all so much this book kept my interest for that reason alone. If this was my first Lauren Rowe book I don't even think I would've picked it up, but if I had I definitely don't think I would've finished it... But that's mostly just personal preference. I'm just not into really cutesy sweet romances. And this book was definitely very sweet and cute. I laughed and cried. But I also cringed a lot and not just at parts that were supposed to be awkward or cringey because the characters are two awkward ass people. This book was a bit too realistic for my tastes, the only fiction was the musical plot line, otherwise Fish was described as having a slight glow up, but no sexual prowess to speak of. Which might be fine, but in this Morgan/Reed/Club universe literally every.single.male.character. can get their women off like nobodies business and yes, we saw Fish figure out the 'Sure Thing' once, but he didn't go for gold with his 'sesh' like the Morgan's do, he stopped after two. And besides that one time their sex life was really...lack luster. I think having Fish be a secret freak in the bedroom would've been interesting and added something to this book, but he was just so normal. And look! I'm not saying it's a bad thing, that's very realistic, but in a fictional romance especially one set in this universe I'm expecting a bit more and it felt unfair to Fish to have him hanging with all these sexual gods and he's every bit as vanilla and boring as you thought. Also the speed that their relationship developed at felt really awkward to me for the first time when I usually can get on board with Rowe's instalove. Maybe it's because Ally was a virgin and so young and inexperienced, but also because they basically started their romance online without even kissing first, idk. I just wasn't very into it. Overall, this was a sickly sweet, no angst romance that I'm sure some will find adorable (and even I did at times), but that's just not what I'm after. I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised, but mostly I just enjoyed being back with all of my favorite characters and endured the main characters plotline lol...more
I'm so sad I didn't love this book as much as I was expecting to! This was a release I've been looking forward to for a while and it had a3-3.5 stars.
I'm so sad I didn't love this book as much as I was expecting to! This was a release I've been looking forward to for a while and it had a lot of my favorite tropes: -age gap -sports romance (not only that but it's soccer! Which I played from ages 4-18 so I have a special love for it) -accidental pregnancy -a hot English man
What's not to love?! Sounds amazing. And while I did enjoy it, hence the 3 stars, it fell short for me and I didn't love it as much as the first two books in the Ward Sisters series.
This book features Lia Ward, Claire Ward's twin, who got her story in book 2. Lia is the crazy, spontaneous twin to Claire's straight-laced pragmatism and I gotta say... Lia was pretty boring in this book for how she was described in the previous books lol. Yes, she had a one night stand but she was lonely and miserable on her big adventure across the pond. She didn't have friends, didn't go out (except to get out of the rain and that's where she meets our hero, Jude) and I felt like her English adventure could've been a bit crazier, but I honestly didn't have a problem with that, it just didn't fit the image of Lia that had been cultivated in previous books, but I get it, homesickness is real.
Anyway, I spent a lot of this book confused by Lia's reactions to things and going like "Wait what did he do? What did he say? Why are you mad?" And thinking her reaction was either completely unwarranted, an overreaction, selfish or all of the above.
*Slight spoilers ahead* When she told him she was pregnant and he said "why are you telling me?" And she acted like he'd called her a whore and told her to fuck off and die. Like I was so confused about why they acted like his reaction was SO bad. That's literally all he said because she didn't even stick around to argue with him she just told him to get fucked and stormed out... Like what? Obviously this is a shock to him, if she'd stuck around and he continued to deny it or got mad at her and said something horrible after having more than one millisecond to process the news I could understand her being mad, but yeah I didn't get that. Granted he apologized quickly and they moved on, but it was annoying.
Next big weird Lia reaction was his parents at the pub... Why the fuck did she make that all about her? He'd just lost a game, been benched(which she didn't know yet, granted) and blindsided by his rude parents and she storms off after like he did something horrible?? This is the guy your falling for and instead of being there for him after a hard game and having his parents say horrible shit to him you storm off like he did something wrong to you. I honestly can't understand why his family drama is so important to her... Like sorry he has a strained relationship with his parents and family and can't freely and happily share the news you're pregnant, but honestly that has no bearing on your relationship with him at the end of the day and I can't understand why she acts like it affects them so much.
I don't know I just spent a good portion of this book being confused about why Lia was upset and feeling like she twisted things crazily to manufacture drama when she herself was just as closed off and confused about the future. Instead of talking things out and working on them she was quick to blame and run.
A lot of 'big moments' in the book were skipped over and mentioned briefly in past tense afterwards so it was more like telling rather than showing... I wanted to be shown, that's why I love reading. You get to peak behind the curtain and get a look at intimate moments. But a couple big ones that were skipped over were the first doctors appointment where they hear the heartbeat, Jude's first meeting with his parents when they try to mend their relationship, etc. Also the sex scenes were short and in past tense while they were happening so it left me feeling disconnected, which you know whatever direction the author wants to go creatively, go for it, but I hate closed-door sex scenes and it was edging towards that with the lack of detail/intimacy/being in the present, if that makes sense and it makes it harder to connect to the main characters passion for each other and believe in their love and attraction. I just found it hard to connect with these characters and their emotions for each other and I feel like more intimate sex scenes could've helped, that's not just my love for smut talking lol.
As someone who loves sports romance, especially soccer as I mentioned earlier, this was a bit of a let down. I get that he's older, but 31 is not ancient, he's being compared to Beckham (who retired at 38, mind you) like he's some soccer God, but then he's also getting benched and losing all the time and it just wasn't fulfilling my soccer fantasy lol I get that we want some reality to our fiction, but it was a big downer that he's never playing well, hasn't ever won a big championship it seemed like and doesn't even have friends on the team, which sucks because team dynamics and friendships are one of my favorite parts of sports romances. Idk it was just confusing like is he good at soccer or does he suck? Very conflicting accounts lol. I would've loved for him to have been more successful in his passion. He seemed unfulfilled by his career at that point like there were big things he had yet to accomplish and at the same time he was not playing well so those goals felt unattainable, which left me sad for him and wanting more of that sports fantasy of him being the best and on top of his game. **SPOILERS** I also think it sucked that he had to leave England and go play soccer in America where the sport is not as big of a deal. Lia is an adult, she's just finished graduate school, she could live anywhere. In this book they mention Molly, her sister, who's dating a football player (her story is book 1) might have to move if he gets traded and she's fine with it. That wasn't even considered for Jude and Lia and I feel like it sucks because he's established there, it's a bigger deal there, he's found his passion where as she literally has no idea what she wants to do after school and could do whatever it ends up being anywhere. Not to mention Lia loves English literature and became close to her academic advisor in England. Also we spent all this time: plot, angst, drama revolving around Jude and his relationship with his parents and brother, so now that they're finally making some progress he moves across the world?? Like great. See you never. I think plot-wise her moving to England would've made more sense, she could help foster his family relationship, find her passion where her favorite writers lived and wrote and he could continue doing what he loves. She even said earlier on in the book that next year her and the baby would be in the stands in Shepperton gear cheering him on so I was hopeful she'd move there, but oh well.
Overall, this was still cute and had a lot of my favorite tropes so it would be hard for me to not like it, but I think it could've been better....more
Original read: 2020 First re-Reed: 4/5-4/6/2021 I love Lauren Rowe. She writes some truly entertaining books and I love her version of an asshole Hero. Original read: 2020 First re-Reed: 4/5-4/6/2021 I love Lauren Rowe. She writes some truly entertaining books and I love her version of an asshole Hero. Reed Rivers in particular has been the mysterious asshole who's story I'd been salivating for since I first met him in The Club/Josh & Kat series' and has been featured in the Morgan Brothers series as well. In fact edited to add this tidbit from my review of Rockstar (Morgan Brothers 5): "And. Reed. Fucking. Rivers. When is he getting a book? I kept hoping Lauren would slip his in somewhere along the way to no avail. I love me some alpha assholes and Reed is that and more. I've been intrigued by him for a while..."
While this book didn't disappoint, I'm not a fan of authors making trilogies just for shits and giggles which feels like the case here. This book was 188 pages long which is what I consider novella length and definitely did not contain a full novel's plot arc. The ending of this 'novel' felt more like the end of a chapter rather than a book. The next two books are around the 250 page mark. I could see this series maybe stretching to a duet, but a trilogy was unnecessary. I'm not too mad about it because I remember these all released really quickly so it wasn't a long wait, but seriously what's the fascination with making stories trilogies or duets when they don't need to be? I mean I know it's $$, but don't do it unnecessarily lol.
Overall although this story isn't perfect it's highly entertaining and exactly what I was in the mood for. The dialogue is cheesy at times, but I really enjoy Reed and Georgie's back and forth. Georgie's career path straight out of college requires a little suspension of disbelief, but hey that's fiction for you and generally stuff like that doesn't really bother me. Can't wait to re-experience whatever offense thing Reed says in the next installment of this series ...more
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