I’ll admit, after reading the Quinn Brothers series, I was waiting for Nora Ross and Lucas (Luke) Kim’s story. I enjoyed Resisting You, but (3.5 stars
I’ll admit, after reading the Quinn Brothers series, I was waiting for Nora Ross and Lucas (Luke) Kim’s story. I enjoyed Resisting You, but (and I hate to say this) Nora really got on my nerves in this book and that was a big disappointment. However, Luke really surprised me in many ways and I did love watching these to and their game of cat and mouse and finally getting answers to the animosity and tension between them. Lucas Kim is a self made millionaire who has been spending time in Havenport since his mother’s death, volunteering and supporting the women’s and children’s shelter and other good causes in the community. He is kind and caring, and it is so easy to see he has feelings for Nora when all she has is disdain for him when he stood her up for a date. I have enjoyed Nora in the previous books; I love the way she props up and helps other women when they need it. As a small business owner, she has big plans for her brand and is working towards those goals. She also has self esteem issues and we see the damage her mother and others have done to her over the years, so much so that she doesn’t believe that Luke can find her attractive when he has always dated demure models and she is curvy and loud. The problem I had was that she seems so anti-men and her friends, her coven as she calls them, all seem to support this bashing of all men. Look, I know there are a lot of creeps and a$$holes out there, but there also good men and Luke happens to be one of them but she refuses to see it. It literally took a fire in her home and Luke saving her for her to start to see that maybe he wasn’t a bad person. She hated that he was rich and according to her “flaunting his wealth” all around town, when everything he did benefitted the town they lived in and the town she professes to love. I got so tired of her bashing Luke and he just remained calm and worked to garner her trust. This wasn’t a bad story, but Nora wore me out so much so I wanted to stick my arm into the book and knock her upside the head and tell her to “snap out of it.” After a roller coaster relationship, they do finally figure it out or maybe I should say Nora figures it out because Luke knew what he wanted from the start. I did enjoy Resisting You, but not as much as I’ve enjoyed this author’s other work. ...more
Keeping You edges out the first two books in this series as my favorite by a smidge and most of that has to do with the hilarious beginning o4.5 stars
Keeping You edges out the first two books in this series as my favorite by a smidge and most of that has to do with the hilarious beginning of this book. The first 15% of this book was pure rom-com gold, but this book has a serious side as well. Both Callum and Violet are recovering from divorces that have left them with doubts and their self esteem bruised, but as they get reacquainted they are able to see each other as the adults they’ve become and let go of the teenage drama from the past. Keeping You is a second chance, single mom, small town romance that I found hard to put down. After finding out her cheating husband was also a criminal, Violet divorced him, got full custody of her twin boys, and returned to the family farm to take over running it following her father’s death. It hasn’t been easy, she feels like she’s failing every part of her life but she is determined to make it work for her mother, her sons, and for herself. Despite feeling out of her element, she knows there’s something off with the financials of the farm and that she doesn’t trust her accountant, but she’s going to need some help to figure it all out. Callum has been struggling since he got the invitation to his ex-wife and his ex-best friend’s wedding; pushing himself to the limit with exercise, work, and sometimes over indulging in alcohol. He knows he is spiraling, but as the oldest child he’s always been the one in control, the one to fix problems, the one everyone expects to be on top of everything so after a bad night the last thing he wanted was to puke all over his high school girlfriend’s yard and for her 5 year old son’s to find him. I loved watching these two dance around one another, becoming friends, sharing their fears and heartache, and eventually giving in and enjoying each other fully. I liked that the author didn’t shy away from the fact Callum struggled with his mental health and that he was being treated for it and I especially loved that Violet not only accepted him fully, but admired him for his vulnerability. Once again the women in this series, took Violet into their fold and helped her see that she was strong, smart, and could do anything she put her mind to. Keeping You was an excellent addition to this series. ...more
With each book in Lexxie Couper's Heart of Fame series I become more enamored with this author and her work. There have been so many great books in thWith each book in Lexxie Couper's Heart of Fame series I become more enamored with this author and her work. There have been so many great books in this series but I think Blame It On The Bass is her best work to date. It's hard for me to pinpoint why I feel this way but this book is more emotional than the others, it deals with some heavy issues, and the resolution isn't easy. This book had me tied up in knots and threw me for a loop many times over yet it also had this overwhelming since of hope to it.
Synergy's bassist Levi and his partner Corbin have been living their own private hell and it's torn them apart. They aren't communication on any level and after seeking advice from his long time friend, Nick Blackthorn, Levi is convinced that he needs to find a way to fix their mess. Unable to reach Corbin, Levi heads for a new karaoke bar and runs into his girlfriend from his high school years, Sonja. Feeling alive for the first time in a long time, Levi plants a kiss on Sonja witnessed by the whole bar and Corbin who arrived while the two were singing and instead of Corbin being angry he finds himself turned on and facing feelings he's never had before.
Right away it's evident that there is an underlying current of need and want between these three people. When Corbin expresses interest in inviting Sonja to their bed, Levi is excited but curious because this is out of character for Corbin. Sonja meanwhile is realizing she's attracted to both men and while not opposed to the idea she knows the two men are struggling in their relationship and wonders if she'll help or hinder their healing. They eventually convince her to give them a chance and wow do they figure out quickly how to please one another and add new experiences to their lives. That's not to say that they don't make some mistakes along the way, that there aren't a few moments of jealousy, and some hurt feelings but there's also this overwhelming since of love that flows between the three of them.
One thing I appreciate about this series is that each book is very different, they aren't cookie cutter and that the issues these people face are real and sometimes come from a dark place. This book had me on an emotional roller coaster; at times I was laughing at their antics, at times I was furious for the hurt they inflicted on one another, and at times I was crying for everything they've endured and overcome. Blame It On The Bass is another stellar offering from author Lexxie Couper whose talent continues to grown and whose work impresses me more and more with each new book. ...more
Finding You is another solid romance from Daphne Elliot and while it can be read as a standalone, I suggest starting with Trusting You so you get a biFinding You is another solid romance from Daphne Elliot and while it can be read as a standalone, I suggest starting with Trusting You so you get a bit more of a feel for the hero in this book. I always appreciate when characters grow throughout a story and both Declan and Astrid grew a lot during this story. We met Declan in book one; the middle Quinn brother is a brooding, loner type that is currently running the family’s fishery business and trying to convince his father it is time he is named CEO. While Declan would prefer to be out on the boats, he has taken over operating the business especially after his father’s heart attack months back. Declan feels a bit like an outsider in his family, choosing to serve in the Navy instead of getting a college degree and he doesn’t feel like he has the respect of his father and while he knows his mother loves him her incessant need to set him up with women so he’ll settle down keeps him from spending much time with his parents. Astrid is new in town and staying in her aunt’s cottage across the street from Declan’s home. As a corporate mergers and acquisitions lawyer she has worked hard to make a name for herself in her firm, but after refusing the advances of a senior partner she is accused of screwing up a merger and put on leave although they’ve let her know she will probably be fired pending an investigation as she refused to sign an agreement to now sue the firm in exchange for a severance package and a reference. She returns to Havensport where she spent summers with her aunt and her cousin as her attorney now judge mother was too busy to pay her any attention. Her whole identity is tied up in her profession and she feels lost and alone until she meets Declan who immediately takes a liking to her. These two seem like complete opposites but as their friendship progresses, they agree to be fake boyfriend/girlfriend to each attend an event with the other. The more time they spend together, they share their hopes, dreams, and insecurities and they begin to see that under Declan’s broody exterior and Astrid’s ice queen exterior are some driven but sweet individuals just trying to make it through life. I absolutely love the Astrid found a friend group thanks to her cousin and they supported her throughout this book and I also appreciated that Declan started the conversation with his father about assuming the CEO title at the fishery. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and change and despite the missteps along the way, I was rooting for them both throughout. Finding You was a well developed, wonderful, small town romance and I enjoyed it thoroughly. ...more
I LOVED this book from the first page to the last. A Hero's Christmas Hope was filled witFull review coming 12/2/20 www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews.com
I LOVED this book from the first page to the last. A Hero's Christmas Hope was filled with joy, friendships old and new, the spirit of giving, laughter and so much love making it a holiday delight!
I LOVED this book from the first page to the last. A Hero's Christmas Hope was filled with joy, friendships old and new, the spirit of giving, laughter and so much love making it a holiday delight!...more
I have been on a Daphne Elliot binge read and I have to say realizing this was her debut novel, it’s no wonder I’ve fallen in love with this author’s I have been on a Daphne Elliot binge read and I have to say realizing this was her debut novel, it’s no wonder I’ve fallen in love with this author’s body of work. Trusting You is an amazing small town story and Havenport is the quintessential small town filled with quirky, meddling characters you can’t help but fall in love with and I did. As much as I despise the cold, I’m ready to uproot and move there. Cecelia (CeCe) is at a crossroads in her life; having been laid off and then finding out her long term live in boyfriend has been sharing d*ck pics over various dating websites, she heads home to stay with her mom and reset. When her mom suggests she contact Liam, a childhood friend who her mom’s best friend’s son, for a job to help him with marketing and promoting his struggling brewery and brewpub, she figures it will give her some cash and get her out of the house. What she doesn’t expect is to find Liam all grown up and hotter than hot or that he knows nothing about her coming to interview for a job. However, she pitches to him and he decides to hire her also noting that she grew up quite nicely, though both do not want a relationship and are career focused, the love gods say otherwise. This was a bit of a slow burn romance and it actually worked given the nature of their working relationship and the fact CeCe was fresh out of a crappy relationship. Both Liam and CeCe had some issues from things in their past; CeCe from losing her dad in her teens and watching her mother’s grief and Liam from being burned by a form business partner and girlfriend. As they worked together to strengthen his business, their friendship grew and that turned into more. It wasn’t easy, they had some starts and stops, but I really enjoyed watching them fall head over heels for one another. Trusting You was a swoony, sexy, and sometimes frustrating romance, but I found it hard to put down and I enjoyed it immensely. ...more
I'm still mulling this one over. I enjoyed it, while I liked the hero quite a bit, the heroine ffull review on the blog 1/3/22 www.simplylovebooks.com
I'm still mulling this one over. I enjoyed it, while I liked the hero quite a bit, the heroine for me not so much. The plot was interesting and it kept my interest, just not totally in love with this one.
I'm still mulling this one over. I enjoyed it, while I liked the hero quite a bit, the heroine for me not so much. The plot was interesting and it kept my interest, just not totally in love with this one....more
I loved the ease of Flipping Love You, this couple didn’t have any big drama and they both sFull review coming soon www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews.com
I loved the ease of Flipping Love You, this couple didn’t have any big drama and they both showed great personal growth throughout. This story made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me sigh, it flat out made me happy.
I loved the ease of Flipping Love You, this couple didn’t have any big drama and they both showed great personal growth throughout. This story made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me sigh, it flat out made me happy....more
A deep, rich plot including some incredible action scenes while rock climbing, Renegades bromances, senFull review coming 7/25 www.simplylovebooks.com
A deep, rich plot including some incredible action scenes while rock climbing, Renegades bromances, sensuous intimate times, and the good gal(both of them) winning at life, made Risk impossible to put down and an absolute delight to read.
A deep, rich plot including some incredible action scenes while rock climbing, Renegades bromances, sensuous intimate times, and the good gal(both of them) winning at life, made Risk impossible to put down and an absolute delight to read....more
Christmas at Rose Bend was a delight to read, characters that were flawed but likeable, a relationshipFull review coming 10/28 www.simplylovebooks.com
Christmas at Rose Bend was a delight to read, characters that were flawed but likeable, a relationship built on mutual respect and trust, and a setting that was perfect for the holiday season. While I did feel a bit cheated by the rushed ending, I still enjoyed this book immensely.
Christmas at Rose Bend was a delight to read, characters that were flawed but likeable, a relationship built on mutual respect and trust, and a setting that was perfect for the holiday season. While I did feel a bit cheated by the rushed ending, I still enjoyed this book immensely....more
This was a charming book but for me it dragged a lot and was bogged down with too many tangents in the plot. I enjoyed it but found myself having to pThis was a charming book but for me it dragged a lot and was bogged down with too many tangents in the plot. I enjoyed it but found myself having to put it down and pick it up again when I started to get bored with it. I enjoyed the characters and it was a sweet story of community coming together, friendship, and eventually love.
Merged review:
This was a charming book but for me it dragged a lot and was bogged down with too many tangents in the plot. I enjoyed it but found myself having to put it down and pick it up again when I started to get bored with it. I enjoyed the characters and it was a sweet story of community coming together, friendship, and eventually love....more
Say It Like You Mane It isn’t the first book I’ve read where the hero meets the heroine wea4.5 stars full review coming 2/2/22 www.simplylovebooks.com
Say It Like You Mane It isn’t the first book I’ve read where the hero meets the heroine wearing a wedding dress, but it is the first one where she’s also carrying a lion cub. So starts the next book in Erin Nicholas’ Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild series. This instant attraction, seemingly opposites attract story was filled with humor, heart, and emotion.
Say It Like You Mane It isn’t the first book I’ve read where the hero meets the heroine wearing a wedding dress, but it is the first one where she’s also carrying a lion cub. So starts the next book in Erin Nicholas’ Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild series. This instant attraction, seemingly opposites attract story was filled with humor, heart, and emotion....more
The cover and synopsis for this book caught my eye but unfortunately the book fell short. I loved Emma's spirit and how she was working on building thThe cover and synopsis for this book caught my eye but unfortunately the book fell short. I loved Emma's spirit and how she was working on building the life she wanted after so many years of foster care and being on her own. Grant on the other hand was pretty much a selfish pr*ck, sorry but his excuses for his past behavior and his plans for the future were all about him and no one else, this alone made it difficult to get into this story because Emma deserved better. Grant's daughter Casey was a sweet child who had a good heart obviously her late mother's doing or her grandparents and aunt. There was very little romance in this book, Grant and Emma did very little together alone and even when they did it wasn't like they were dating, they were working or delivering her chocolates. I don't know how you go from barely knowing someone to being in love and willing to change your entire life in a blink of an eye when you've never had a serious conversation about life and love, but this book did. Two stars because the town was interesting, I liked Emma, Casey, and Grant's family but the romance fell way short as did the hero.
Merged review:
The cover and synopsis for this book caught my eye but unfortunately the book fell short. I loved Emma's spirit and how she was working on building the life she wanted after so many years of foster care and being on her own. Grant on the other hand was pretty much a selfish pr*ck, sorry but his excuses for his past behavior and his plans for the future were all about him and no one else, this alone made it difficult to get into this story because Emma deserved better. Grant's daughter Casey was a sweet child who had a good heart obviously her late mother's doing or her grandparents and aunt. There was very little romance in this book, Grant and Emma did very little together alone and even when they did it wasn't like they were dating, they were working or delivering her chocolates. I don't know how you go from barely knowing someone to being in love and willing to change your entire life in a blink of an eye when you've never had a serious conversation about life and love, but this book did. Two stars because the town was interesting, I liked Emma, Casey, and Grant's family but the romance fell way short as did the hero....more
I have always enjoyed this author’s work, so when a friend posted about this book I had to jump in and read it and as always from this author4.5 stars
I have always enjoyed this author’s work, so when a friend posted about this book I had to jump in and read it and as always from this author; it was amazing.
A historical of sorts taking place in 1962 when John F. Kennedy was in office and the word was swiftly changing including politics. When dutiful wife and mother and daughter to a retired Senator finds her husband cheating instead of getting mad she decides to get even. First she rids herself of her cheating husband by throwing him out of their home, next she sets out to get a job to help take care of her children and when the first one as a saleswoman doesn’t work out she decides to try something she knows, politics. Her husband works as a campaign manager for a candidate and she decides to offer up her services to the opposing candidate. This does not go over well and let’s just say things get very interesting.
Behind Every Good Man was a complex woman’s fiction story set in a very interesting time in our world and with it being set during an election cycle, it made it even more interesting considering some of the games played in this book are games that are still being played in politics today some 50 years later. ...more
I’m always excited to pick up a book by Kate Meader and I enjoyed Hockey Wife quite a lot. This opposites attract, quickie Vegas wedding romance was fI’m always excited to pick up a book by Kate Meader and I enjoyed Hockey Wife quite a lot. This opposites attract, quickie Vegas wedding romance was fun to read.
After meeting in a bar in Vegas after the All Star Hockey game and when Dylan finds out he’s been traded to the Chicago Rebels and where socialite Georgia has been left by her two “best friends” these two share conversation, laughter, and eventually exchange vows, but the next morning Georgia is gone and Dylan isn’t exactly happy. When the quickie divorce she informs him she’s getting hits a snafu, she’s decided she wants to stay married to get her parent’s off her back, but he is ready to be done until a phone call from home changes his mind.
While Georgia and Dylan play house platonically we begin to understand what makes these characters tick and we see them grow closer as they share their lives with one another. I had a hard time warming up to Georgia and honestly would have like to see her stand up for herself more with her parents and her user friends, but I was happy to see her grow and change throughout and discover there was more to her than meets the eye. Dylan at 36 is worrying about his career coming towards an end and what his next chapter will be, but I loved the way his team took him in and made him feel he belonged.
Hockey Wife was a feel good story that I enjoyed very much....more
As I’ve said in the past, I am not a lover of billionaire romance, people who are in the media 24/7 just because of their money and fame, luxury itemsAs I’ve said in the past, I am not a lover of billionaire romance, people who are in the media 24/7 just because of their money and fame, luxury items, and all that goes with that lifestyle, but I was around in 2020 for the writing of After the Climb and I just cannot stay away from this group of people who embrace all that comes with a lavish lifestyle while also working to make the world a better place. I will also admit, I have been waiting for the story of Jamie Huxley and Nora Ellington because I knew there was more to them than the “only friends” they claimed and I was delighted by the connection they’d had for years and the way their relationship moved forward in this book as they both deal with people in their past trying to make their lives difficult.
It’s easy to believe that people who have wealth beyond what most of us can comprehend have it all, but both Nora and Jamie have dealt with tragedy, loss, and humiliation during their lives. Jamie married his high school sweetheart who gave him his son Judge, but she was a junkie and she and Jamie’s father did their best to not only keep Judge from him, but to demolish their relationship. Then he loses his second wife to cancer but gains Dru, his daughter of the heart from that relationship. Nora spent years with a philandering husband who ignored her, but she poured everything she had in her into raising her three children and when she divorced him she held her head high and refused to show the world how that relationship broke her. Through friends and family, they end up in the same circle and Nora realizing that Jamie is relying on his daughter as his plus one for society functions, not allowing either one of them to move on from his wife’s death, she volunteers to be his plus one giving his daughter a chance to live her own life. While they enjoy their time together they truly are just friends despite Nora wanting more but refusing to put it out there and despite Jamie wanting more but refusing to do anything about it because he feels he’s already put is family through so much, until one kiss changes it all and not for the better.
I truly had to laugh, I’ve not liked Chloe since book one so when she plans a very elaborate scheme to get Nora and Jamie in the same place to figure it out and then an emergency involving Chloe disrupts it putting her as the center of attention, I was like seriously Chloe! I can’t say Chloe still doesn’t get on my every last nerve, but I can be thankful she helped these two see the light.
This was a busy story with a lot going on and I mean a lot. Jamie’s father and his father’s latest girlfriend rear their ugly heads; Nora’s ex-husband rears his, and most of all Dru’s biological father rears his ugly head. Through it all we see Nora help Jamie keep a level head and Jamie stand beside Nora to show a united front. This book was loaded with emotion, a few surprises, a hint of suspense, some serious heat, and most of all love in all shapes and forms.
I love the way this series continues to evolve, new characters come in, other characters settle, and life keeps swirling around this found family that keeps growing by leaps and bounds. I realize the River Rain series might not be for everyone and I honestly didn’t think it would appeal to me, but I love it and while I have my suspicions on the next pairing in this series, I’ll be happy no matter who Ms. Ashley decides to pair off. ...more
I enjoyed Summer Catch; it was sweet and flirty at first and became hot and steamy once Coach Jon Kelley realized he wasn’t as straight as he3.5 stars
I enjoyed Summer Catch; it was sweet and flirty at first and became hot and steamy once Coach Jon Kelley realized he wasn’t as straight as he once though. Jon throws Kieran for a loop when he his “super power” of knowing just what drink one of his bar patrons needs before they do doesn’t work when Jon walks through the doors of the Pirate’s Booty.
As this was a novella it wasn’t as in depth as Ms. Bolden normally writes and I while I enjoyed it; I’m greedy and would have loved getting to know both Jon and Kieran on a deeper level. It was easy to see from the start they had a connection and their friendly texts grew more flirty as Jon realized he felt something for the charismatic bar owner.
I very much enjoyed seeing both these men find their special someone. ...more
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