Man I wish the story was as thrilling as the cover. :( This was very up and down. I really should be giving this a lower rating honestly. First 40% I Man I wish the story was as thrilling as the cover. :( This was very up and down. I really should be giving this a lower rating honestly. First 40% I wanted to strangle the bratty childish heroine Maggie who couldn't see past her own nose. Then I started to enjoy it once she acknowledged what a screw up she was and how spoiled and naive she is. Then I started to get bored again and just wanted to finish it. And this author has a serious attachment to the word "powerful". It's used in every context. It's a choice. He wanted her powerfully bad, the rain poured down in a powerful force, he makes her powerfully frustrated, homesickness swept through her so powerfully, etc. A thesaurus is really needed here, it should be Sharon Cullen's new friend. The use of modern language was less in this one but still it had problems. The hero's penis goes from being called "penis" to "cock" half way in for reasons that still aren't clear, the grammar needs help and like stated above Cullen tends to get stuck on phrasing things a certain way and doesn't want to let it go. The English are awful to the Scots but does everybody need to put the "damned" epithet in front of it every time they are mentioned? It's too much. There's no other adjective we can use? Maggie can't stop calling anything English-related as "the damn English" "she's damn English!" "thedamnedEnglish". She already sounded like a teenager, this kind of dialogue certainly didn't help.
As for Colin MacLean, he was quite pathetic for a hero I have to say. He bailed on his entire clan for years to run his smuggling business instead and was in no hurry to get back home and take his position as chieftain ever since his father and brothers died. Gee...what a guy. The fact that all he did was mope over his dead relatives being ashamed of him and kept dragging his feet to get home through a majority of this was facepalm worthy. Dude, suck it up and go home. He acted like a complete useless bampot trying to figure out a way to infiltrate his own castle that was under English siege. Maggie literally had to give him and his men the plan and force his hand not to turn around and give up. Like seriously? This is only my second read by SC and one of the biggest issues aside from her writing issues is her heroes are barely fleshed out and not really memorable. Her writing just lacks something overall. Maggie was very hot and cold for me but I found her more fleshed out than Colin. Bratty, slap-worthy moments aside, you felt for her. But Colin not so much. I don't know, if I had more faith in Cullen's writing ability I would give Iain's book a try next but it's just...not there for me. :/...more
Sometimes I really really really wish I just stuck to the books I originally wanted to read from a series as a standalone without going back and readiSometimes I really really really wish I just stuck to the books I originally wanted to read from a series as a standalone without going back and reading previous installments. Ugh, why did I do that?
Merged review:
Sometimes I really really really wish I just stuck to the books I originally wanted to read from a series as a standalone without going back and reading previous installments. Ugh, why did I do that?...more
Started off really strong. This was cute for what it was and reminded a little bit of Mila Finelli's mafia books. Just wish it had more depth like FinStarted off really strong. This was cute for what it was and reminded a little bit of Mila Finelli's mafia books. Just wish it had more depth like Finelli's work. The world building and character development could have been better. A Mafia Don going into an arranged marriage with a Bratva princess who has a disability and uses a wheelchair. So intriguing right?! I did like the disability representation. The heroine Sofiya has a condition called EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) which causes sensitive skin tissue, joint pain and dislocation frequently. She uses a rollator and wheelchair to move around. What started off great with a marriage of convenience disappointingly crumbled into repetitive cotton candy fluff by the halfway mark. I'm all for fluffy goodness but characters doing the same thing over and over again to fill up pages just starts to wear things down fast. I loved the sweet moments which were many but when nothing else happens in the story I start to mentally check out. The hero was a complete puppy for his "tesoro" wife which was cute. But a mafia don grabbing his wife at every opportunity to have her sit in his lap in every occasion including business dinners with all the mafia families felt a bit like fanfic for me. I love when couples have their own special "things" but when it's done all the time in every scene? Nope. There was also a looooot of giggling and lip biting happening from the heroine which kind of drove me insane.
The mafia action didn't kick in until the last 100 pages which stirred my interest again but parts were ridiculous given some of the questionable stupid stunts the heroine pulls. You want to get away from your husband fine, but why the fuck would you team up with a rival mafia to "rescue" you? ...more
If I hadn't purchased this book, I would have DNF'ed. This was painful to get through, a lot of skimming was involved. Barely any plot, zero chemistryIf I hadn't purchased this book, I would have DNF'ed. This was painful to get through, a lot of skimming was involved. Barely any plot, zero chemistry, more telling than showing, way too much exposition and both characters questioning & over-analyzing everything. When there's more exposition than dialogue then it's hard to stay engaged. I don't do well with this kind of writing style and 80% of this book is just exposition and internal monologues. The marriage of convenience doesn't even happen until 200 pages in and these two barely spend time together even after that but suddenly are in love? When did that happen? lol This book is a literal example of "don't tell me, show me" in every aspect. And I don't understand the point of writing your heroine as a single mother if you are barely going to show her child? :/ I swear little Julia maybe had 5 lines of dialogue total in this book, the kid is either always sleeping or was carted off for 1 month to stay with a friend for "safety". If you don't like to write kids then why write them in at all? What's the point if you aren't going to even bother fleshing out your own characters? Don't waste your readers time that way....more
Single dad-nanny books really do it for me. And a Hockey sports romance on top of all that? Yes please. This hit all the right buttons. Gru4.75 stars
Single dad-nanny books really do it for me. And a Hockey sports romance on top of all that? Yes please. This hit all the right buttons. Grumpy Goalie widower Will Perry and kindergarten teacher Chloe Knot were adorable. And his little girl Ava was cuteness overload. I loved that she wanted to play Hockey just like her Daddy. ...more
So so so much better than Hail Mary (Leo sweetie I'm so sorry you were done dirty). Clay and Giana were a treat. Very adorable. I just really4.5 stars
So so so much better than Hail Mary (Leo sweetie I'm so sorry you were done dirty). Clay and Giana were a treat. Very adorable. I just really wish this author would lay off the 3rd act drama in her books that takes up 100 pages. I'm fine with break ups and conflict but why is it always family drama and adults being so fucking awful and toxic to their kids in Steiner's books? Or whatever 3rd act drama there is, it's always dragged out for much too long IMO. And parents getting excused for abusive behavior to their kids cause they "mean well" and need help isn't it. Absolutely not. Don't care if it's his mom who raised him, that shit with Clay's bitchy conniving ex-girlfriend and her interfering father was ridiculous. But shout out to that breakup scene cause a hero crying because he can't stand hurting the heroine and leaving her? THE ANGST. ❤️ Emotional heroes are my kryptonite. Just hits different....more
“Fadat besham, Asal.” Three words paralyzed me. I am willing to sacrifice myself for you, Honey.
Just so wonderful and feel good.4.75 stars
“Fadat besham, Asal.” Three words paralyzed me. I am willing to sacrifice myself for you, Honey.
Just so wonderful and feel good. A persian flight nurse heroine? I mean come on. I knew I had to give this book a try after learning Layla is Persian and her hero is calling her "asal" in Book 2, that had my antennas go up and eager to go back and read this. I was nervous but I have to give Maggie C. Gates her brownie points for really doing her research with all the details as far as language and customs, either she knows someone Persian who helped her out or she really did her homework. Some things were a bit exaggerated as far as customs go and religious practice and how phrases are used in what context but even so, I was very surprised and impressed by her thoroughness and care.
“But I’m most thankful that you spent your life making your soul just as beautiful. Dooset Daaram, hamsar-am.”
I just love and adore bilingual romances, whisper sweet nothings in my ear in another language and it really does things for me. I mean a hero who learns Farsi to tell the heroine how he feels? COME ON. Heart melting. Ovaries gone. He learned how to make her chai with nabat. This book made me want to squeal out loud like a lunatic. GIVE ME A CALLUM FLETCHER PLEASE. ...more
Perfect cozy holiday novella. Just what I was looking for and needed to end the year with. A grumpy Welsh man with a jaded heart and 3.74 stars
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Perfect cozy holiday novella. Just what I was looking for and needed to end the year with. A grumpy Welsh man with a jaded heart and a sunshiny sweet American curvy heroine who live in the same apartment building in Paris and hate each other but get stuck in their tiny elevator lift on Christmas Eve. Colin and Jules were cute. And the body positivity and praise kink in this was nicely done. That nod to Love Actually was sweet. I recommend this for those who love wanderlust romances!
ETA: Ok after reading the bonus epilogue I just have to say Ms. Anders is in need of an editor or a good one at least. The amount of typos in just 20 pages is hard to miss. I noticed this in the initial story too, for some reason she tends to skip over her words a lot and it's really obvious especially during intimate scenes and dialogue. Important words are missing or repeated at odd times so it reads like mistakes. Her writing is a bit hiccupy because of that....more
The hero was terrible. His daughter was annoying and the heroine deserved way better. I've read my fair share of asshole heroes but this guy takes theThe hero was terrible. His daughter was annoying and the heroine deserved way better. I've read my fair share of asshole heroes but this guy takes the cake in being belligerent, oblivious, unfeeling, selfish, contrary and dismissive. I'm a pretty forgiving reader when it comes to mercurial HR heroes but this was just too hot and cold and dismissive for my tastes. He almost gave me bodice ripper vibes with how mercurial and contrary he was. The number of times he gave the heroine mixed signals just makes your head spin.
The heroine Norah Linton sails all the way from England to Ireland in the hopes of meeting her future groom who she has corresponded with through letters. She was desperate to get out of the clutches of her cruel stepfather in England who was planning to marry her off to a welp of a boy. She thought she was writing to Sir Aidan Kane a bereaved widower looking for a mother for his little girl. What she discovers however once she arrives at his gloomy castle doorstep is that his 15 year old daughter Cassandra was the one writing those letters and hoping to "surprise" her Papa with a Birthday gift of a new bride for him. He's furious and blusters but not at his willful spirited daughter for literally catfishing and luring a woman out under false pretenses but rants and raves at the poor heroine who was an innocent party in all this. He even taunts Norah for being "brainless and desperate enough to marry a stranger". That should have been my first red flag.
I was really hoping this would be a grand sweeping HR of old where a jaded rakehell hero falls for the plain-faced wallflower heroine looking for a home and family to love. This is that but not much is given or shown in character development and romance. Words are given but barely any action is shown to prove it. I really felt for Norah who was so eager and yearning to find someone to love her and have a home of her own. I just wanted to hug her so bad. Every time this woman shows patience and kindness to Aidan it gets ignored or thrown in her face later on when he's triggered by Feelings™️. I tried to wait it out and kept going but it didn't help that the writing is so long winded, where it's pages of endless exposition and internalizing and repeating events just to get to dialogue. I just didn't care for Aidan and how he treated Norah, being sweet and seductive one moment promising to make her happy and protect her but then going back on his word 5 minutes later. The number of times this man disappoints and crushes her hopes was one too many for my tastes and made me wish this man to Hades. It was the same thing over and over again. From rushing her to the altar and treating the wedding vows like a headache he needs to get through after promising to make her happy and give her "the wedding of her dreams" ...more
This started out with strong potential. I loved the concept of single pregnant heroine working for her boss who slowly falls for her and her2.75 stars
This started out with strong potential. I loved the concept of single pregnant heroine working for her boss who slowly falls for her and her baby. I was expecting an office romance with a pregnancy trope that's slow burn but this quickly morphed into insta-lust/love fanfic smut halfway in where the supposedly emotionally detached hero is suddenly pouring out endearments and moving her into his house and buying her a whole new wardrobe and giving her money and fixing all her problems at the drop of a hat. It just didn't work for me. It's a nice fantasy but it's just not interesting or exciting. Especially when it's so instant. Office romance power dynamics usually don't bother me and I normally love that trope but the heroine pretty much going 'okey dokey' and going along with everything just made the whole story collapse like a cheap suitcase. It just became so one dimensional and shallow. Where's the conflict? The tension? When there's no agency or conflict then you lose me. I love a care-taking hero but he gives her everything from the very start and she happily goes along with it. The minute he said "once I put my dick in you, you are mine" I knew where this was heading. The assistant falling for her boss and having sex in his office and nobody raises a brow over it? Really? And I can't tell you how much I hate the endearment "sweetheart". It's like nails on a chalkboard and makes my skin crawl. ...more
So adorable. Surprised me how adorable. Wish this was a full length book given the emotional beats played here. Sumner was a giant love bug h4.5 Stars
So adorable. Surprised me how adorable. Wish this was a full length book given the emotional beats played here. Sumner was a giant love bug hero and Britta (hate these names by the way) kinda drove me up the wall with her hangs up on not doing committed relationships and keeping the hero at arm's length. Girl, this man is crazy in love with you and just wants to take care of you! If you don't want him I'LL TAKE HIM. I'll climb him like a tree and cling like a koala and never let go. Glad her mind, heart and lady parts got with the program eventually....more
This is how it had been in California. One measly lunch had led to months of staring off into space trying to remember the exact sha
3.75 stars
This is how it had been in California. One measly lunch had led to months of staring off into space trying to remember the exact shade of her eyes.
Wavering on the rating. This was cute. I liked it for the most part but to be honest I was really hoping to love it. I was obsessed with Burgess from just a gruff "hello" in the last book so yeah my expectations for this were a little skewed and I'm being harsher. The meet cute set up and tropes at play really had me looking forward to this. But a lot of odd plot choices were made here that felt contrived/forced into the book. I don't know it just felt very sloppy and lackadaisical in places. Some details didn't make sense or explained clearly. And I have never seen a book take such drastic left pivot in the first 30 pages just to introduce a new character to set up the next book in this series. Like...why? That was so clumsy and so unnecessary. You're telling me Chloe couldn't be introduced another way? Chloe whose soon-to-be stepsibling is a teammate and friend of the hero's? Instead you had to have your heroine in the opening scene of the book suddenly get cold feet for her new Au Pair job (that has free boarding) just to randomly go apartment hunting and meeting her new "friend" Chloe to create a new friend circle and set up for the next book?...... M'kay. Felt like a waste of page time for me. Moving on....
“Could you kiss me? One time. I’ll never ask again—” He went into the kiss like a bear being handed a pot of honey after a winter in hibernation.
“Burgess,” she gasped, patting him on the shoulder with a shaky hand. “O-okay. Okay.” “Okay what, gorgeous?” he muttered thickly. She moaned as he licked up the side of her neck. “This is . . . we’re getting c-carried away.” “I’ll carry you anywhere you want to go.”
She wasn’t sure what compelled her to break into a jog, only that she wanted to be in those strong arms as quickly as possible—and he was already opening them for her. She ran, jumped, and was enfolded in the warmest, safest hug of all time. All she had to do was dangle there, surrounded in strength.
He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I guess I want to be important to you. Instead of the man you could . . . maybe fall for someday. When I take you to bed for the first time, I want you looking back at me like you might. Like you could, you know. Fall for me.” He cleared his throat extra hard.
Burgess and Tallulah were very cute and sexy, the sexual chemistry and steam was ...more
He stroked her hair and her back, kissed her temple and her cheek. "When you're gone, half of me is gone. Why do ye suppose the firs
3.75 stars
He stroked her hair and her back, kissed her temple and her cheek. "When you're gone, half of me is gone. Why do ye suppose the first thing I do is find ye?"
I just adore this series so much. So much to sink your teeth into. Adventure, family, humor, lowkey magic, suspense, sexual tension, passion and yearning in spades. No one does yearning anymore like Elisa Braden does. While this wasn't my favorite installment, I still had trouble putting it down. Alexander MacPherson and Sabella Lockhart made quite the pair. I loved the whole forbidden/sworn enemy dynamic here with a bitter hollowed-out jaded angry hero pining over the sister of his family's sworn enemy. Kenneth Lockhart terrorized, tortured, falsely imprisoned and nearly killed Alexander's brother Broderick a year ago and nearly killed Alexander too. So the grudge is deep and for good reason. While the already established "I've wanted you for so long" feelings didn't work for me in Campbell's book it worked well here because we actually got to see it play out in real time in Book 2 when Alexander and Sabella meet and the fallout of him nearly getting killed. So that underlying tension has been simmering in the background for two books so it held weight. You feel that anticipation going into this book already. Was there insta-lust and tripping over things quickly to get to a marriage of convenience? Yes. But the sexual tension, pining and chemistry saved it for me. And yes there was a quite lot of tup, tup, tupping. These two are so insatiable and smitten with each other and while I wish some beats played out differently and paced out better, a fun time was had nonetheless. I just loved how obsessed Alexander was with her. He hates that he's wanted her and couldn't have her and thought he lost her to someone else. His desperation in wanting to keep her and fear of losing her was so great to see. There's just something about lovesick obsessed "I'll do anything to keep her" heroes even if they have to play a little dirty to do it. He starts off mean to her because of a misunderstanding but even underneath that bitterness you see how much he worships her. All bark and no bite is the best kind of brooding hero. I mean the switch mode from broodacious rawr! to losing his shit over her getting hurt? Ugh. INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS RIIIIGHT NOW.
“But first, I want to know why ye call me Duchess. Early on, I assumed ye intended to mock me, but I no longer think that’s true.” “Ye should be a duchess,” he answered. “But as ye’re mine, and I cannae offer lofty titles, I call ye what ye are to me—my wife, the mother of my bairns. A woman too fine for aught that’s ordinary.” He shrugged. “Ye’re my Duchess. That simple.”
The weakest points for me were two things. Their first time having sex I didn't really love. I mean it was hot but felt kind of anticlimactic; I didn't love the whole fucking her against a tree for their first time (after all that build up) and to continue to just go at it after finding out she's a virgin without pause was little WTF for me. Considering he thought she was mistress to a man he loathed for 1 whole year, yeah I wanted the coming together to be little more explosive or meaningful or at least freak the fuck out realizing how wrong he was. That moment just lost something for me and fell a little short. And second, the whole random villain conflict and resolution with the bad guy Cromartie in the end with her brother's mistress wasn't great. Considering Cecilia's role in my baby Broderick's downfall in Book 2 I really didn't care for a revisit of this character. I don't care what a sad tragic life she's had, she nearly got my man unalived and mutilated for it. ...more
This didn't work for me at all. The number of times I nearly DNF'd was too many. I probably should have but I've heard great things about this book anThis didn't work for me at all. The number of times I nearly DNF'd was too many. I probably should have but I've heard great things about this book and my goodreads friends love this so I kept going and dammit I'm trying to break this awful reading funk I've been in for 3 months now. ...more
Started off great. This had so much potential to be another favorite from Mila Finelli. But it just lost me half way in when all the hero and3.5 stars
Started off great. This had so much potential to be another favorite from Mila Finelli. But it just lost me half way in when all the hero and heroine did was hate fuck and get each other off with zero emotional connection in between. The cat and mouse game took up too much of the book and left me feeling hot and cold. Their feelings just happen out of the blue, it didn't feel gradual. They share maybe 2 meaningful conversations between all the sex and that's it. The heroine Gia suddenly is softening after the hero Enzo (her captor) tells her a story about putting a band-aid on his daughter's knee and she's weak at the knees. That's it. Seriously? That's all we get? We do get a rescue scene before that where she almost drowns trying to escape his yacht but that's pretty much it. They have chemistry but I wasn't entirely sold on them falling in love because we barely see it. She starts to feel things for him because he has a big dick and she loves rough dirty sex. I'm sorry but kinky sex doesn't = love to me. ...more
Highly anticipated 2023 releases have been really disappointing for me overall and that makes me so sad. :(
This booNot really what I was hoping for.
Highly anticipated 2023 releases have been really disappointing for me overall and that makes me so sad. :(
This book frustrated me and underwhelmed me in so many regards.
-Breeding Kink. How are you gonna promote/market a book having breeding kink and not actually show it? I mean we got…some. Just barely. I didn't even realize until I read this book that breeding kink is the thought of impregnating that's the kink and turn on, not the actual act per say. But even so, that barely had much airtime in this either. I’m so confused by the choices Finelli made here. You have an arranged marriage between two people who are from rival mafia families who need to get pregnant in 3 months time or their loved ones will die. What’s more higher stakes and dramatic than that?! But nothing happens. Barely any sex (compared to the other books). No pregnancy in the end, nothing. So much page time was wasted instead on the hero and heroine delaying consummating their marriage, the heroine trying to get out of it and go back to Toronto or the hero pushing her away. The constant flip flopping also confused me and frustrated me.
-Emotional connection. I had the same problem in Mafia Madman and same problem persisted here. There was barely any time or effort shown in letting the characters actually connect and fall in love. It just seems to happen over night and come out of thin air after they have sex. The words are given and they are nice but I didn’t really believe it because of that. You literally have your heroine say at the 70% mark she doesn’t even know anything about her husband. So you just fall in love with someone you barely know? *crickets* How does that even make sense? :/ I mean we finally do get some of the sweet moments we are waiting for but it felt like a blip compared to everything else that happens there. It felt like these 2 barely spent any time together here, the pacing was very odd. I wanted much more than what was given.
-The sister. I’m gonna sound like an epic b*tch saying this but it’s fiction so who cares. But having your hero have a more visceral/urgent reaction and drop everything to run after his runaway 26 year old sister Vivian instead of fighting for his wife who he supposedly loves was a.....choice. It just left a bad aftertaste in my mouth and so underwhelming. Your wife is curled up in a ball sobbing and you just leave her there and tell her to go back home? Seriously?? THAT'S IT? Giacamo coddling his adult sister and his obsession of hiding her got tiring the more it went on. I wanted the heroine Emma to meet Vivian and become friends. Instead we got this nonsense. One conversation with Emma over the phone and that's it.
-Emma. I liked her...sometimes. She's exactly the type of heroine I usually love. Smart, quiet, sweet, selfless, minds her business. I liked her levelheadedness and good heart. That's very easy to like. But this girl really got on my nerves at times. One with the goody two shoes “the dangers of misogyny!” act. For someone so smart studying to become a doctor she would say stuff that would make my eyes roll so hard they almost fell out of their sockets.
Yes, I was a virgin. I knew it was silly. But it wasn’t like I was waiting for marriage. That perpetuated an arcane patriarchal view of a woman’s body and her rights.
“That was fast. Too bad for your wife, eh, Don Buscetta?” A stamina joke. Awesome. I guess we were checking all of the clichéd misogynist boxes today.
“You have no right to yell at me, because I did nothing wrong. I will not perpetuate a backwards society where I’m supposed to be lesser than you just because I’m a woman.”
She pushed a strand of long brown hair behind her ear. “Sex isn’t just vaginal penetration. That’s a very misogynistic way of looking at—”
This was ok but it lost my interest in the last leg of it. The last 100 pages really draaaaaaged for reasons that didn't really make sense. 2.75 stars
This was ok but it lost my interest in the last leg of it. The last 100 pages really draaaaaaged for reasons that didn't really make sense. The conflict felt really silly and forced and dragged on for too long. Being a professional caddie to your boyfriend or running your family's golf shop? Oh. the. suspense. What will she do! ...more
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