I feel like I need a shower after reading this book—it left me feeling a bit...filthy. The story revolves around a romance between a sociopath and a sI feel like I need a shower after reading this book—it left me feeling a bit...filthy. The story revolves around a romance between a sociopath and a sex worker, which says a lot. Despite the edgy premise, the romance itself is surprisingly tender. Ms. Spencer/LaViolette was once an auto-buy for me, but her last few books have been rather disappointing. That said, this is one of her stronger efforts. Fair warning: there's a significant amount of backdoor scenes (which honestly sound painful), BDSM elements, and some extremely kinky moments. Proceed with caution if that's not your cup of tea...more
DNF at 42%. I don't think this book is going to get any better. Jared is not a compelling hero. You can be a son of a bitch, but please make him interDNF at 42%. I don't think this book is going to get any better. Jared is not a compelling hero. You can be a son of a bitch, but please make him interesting enough for me to keep reading. Lauren is too bland for a heroine. Basically, there were too many wtf****ery going on. Ms Brown is a good writer ( I enjoy Sunset Embrace very much). This one has good writing, but the main characters are simply too terrible. ...more
To be honest, this book left me feeling rather 'meh.' It felt more like a contemporary novel than a historical one, with modern characters donning perTo be honest, this book left me feeling rather 'meh.' It felt more like a contemporary novel than a historical one, with modern characters donning period clothing. At times, I even contemplated giving up on it. However, it did manage to hold my interest, thanks to the unexpected twists and turns that kept cropping up. Just when I was on the verge of quitting, something intriguing would happen, urging me to continue. I must acknowledge that Ms. Heath is an accomplished author with an extensive body of work, so she clearly knows her craft.
One aspect that didn't quite work for me was the fact that the main characters seemed to be mentally lusting after each other right from the start. I personally prefer the hero to have that 'Aha!' moment when he realizes he's been in love with the heroine all along, much like in And Then He Kissed Her. The constant mental longing between the characters made me impatient, wanting them to just get on with it.
While this wasn't my favorite book by Ms. Heath, it was decent enough to see through to the end. I'd recommend it to those who don't mind a blend of modern sensibilities in their historical romance. However, if you do mind, you might want to stick to the tried-and-true oldies....more
I must say I am super disappointed with this novella. Despite being authored by a well-known writer, the characters were underdeveloped and lacked depI must say I am super disappointed with this novella. Despite being authored by a well-known writer, the characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth. Furthermore, the plot felt contrived and juvenile in nature, leaving much to be desired. It was also disheartening to note that the title on the cover had been misspelled. Overall, I found the book to be lacking in quality and did not meet my expectations. I'm pretty sure Ms. Shupe could have done (and had done) better....more
I enjoyed the gruff hero and the story's 'North and South' vibe, as well as the level of steaminess. However, I found the writing to be somewhat dry, I enjoyed the gruff hero and the story's 'North and South' vibe, as well as the level of steaminess. However, I found the writing to be somewhat dry, and the heroine's lingering preoccupation with another male character felt excessively drawn out. I mean, seriously, after 10 years, she's still hung up on this guy? It doesn't make sense to me. Overall, this book was just an okay read for me....more
I grabbed this one for free during the 'Stuff your kindle' day. This book is surprisingly excellent. I thought it would only be se***ng, but it has reI grabbed this one for free during the 'Stuff your kindle' day. This book is surprisingly excellent. I thought it would only be se***ng, but it has real depth here. The bonus is that it is an age-gap romance, which has always been my catnip. The heroine is incredibly damaged, and the hero came as a surprise to me. The characters have great backstories. The sex isn't vanilla, though, so please check the triggers before you pick up this one (ever heard of a 'glory hole'? Neither did I, but hey, you learn something new every day)....more
For a debut novel, this book is pretty good. However, this book sadly lacks paranormal elements despite being marketed as one. The heroine, Ella isn'tFor a debut novel, this book is pretty good. However, this book sadly lacks paranormal elements despite being marketed as one. The heroine, Ella isn't an actual medium. She has a fit during one séance, and everyone thinks she can communicate with those from the spirit world. And that's about it when it comes to the paranormal aspect. No haunting specter, ghosts, etc. I guess it's a matter of expectation. I thought the book would be somewhat similar to The Widow of Rose House (Idk why, but that was the vibe I got).
I struggled through the first 30%, but fortunately, the story picked up. I liked both Isidore and Ella. They both have secrets to keep and are afraid to trust each other (with good reason). The characters were fleshed out, and the chemistry was great.
I have to commend the author's wealth of knowledge in poetry and arts for this period. The historical bits feel authentic and enrich the book.
A couple of things would have made it a better book. Firstly, too many inner monologues and not enough dialogues. It gets repetitive after some time. Secondly, some scenes go on for far too long. For example, there is a scene at a dinner party where many characters not integral to the story are mentioned. It's supposed to work as a red herring, but it feels like filler.
Overall, quite a good book with some flaws. 3.5 stars.
Tropes: - Revenge - Heroine forced to be a mistress - Terrible/cruel parent
Things I liked: - Ms Richards is a new-to-me author. - It has my favouriTropes: - Revenge - Heroine forced to be a mistress - Terrible/cruel parent
Things I liked: - Ms Richards is a new-to-me author. - It has my favourite tropes. - Lovely prose - Loved the pranks that the hero and heroine played on each other. They were fun and sweet.
Things I did not quite like: - Repetitive, making the book feels overly long. E.g. the hero keeps saying he's unworthy of the heroine, and the heroine feels useless. These internal monologues were repeated a few times in the book (it went on and on), and these get old quickly. - Uneven pacing. It has a great beginning; it really interested me, but it started to suffer in the middle until the end. - With this kind of storyline, I expected more tension/angst. The whole story feels monotonous/anti-climatic.
The book had a lot of potentials, and it could be better with good editing. Nevertheless, the writing style was good enough to tempt me to try out the author's other books....more
The plot is original and refreshing, and the writing style is excellent. I disliked the hero, Jamie, intensely, though. Ooh, I want to throttle him foThe plot is original and refreshing, and the writing style is excellent. I disliked the hero, Jamie, intensely, though. Ooh, I want to throttle him for being so obtuse and not seeing what's in front of him (I've never liked this trait in a hero). He kept living in the past and betiding 'woe is me'. For god's sake, man, man up and move on. However, I have a soft spot for the heroine, Abigail, the plump, dowdy, somewhat plain and handicapped lady but a brilliant mathematician. Despite the hero, I enjoyed the book....more
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