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
This was such a delight. A charming, funny, angsty, endearing, adorable delight. I adored th
The bane of his life and the balm to his soul.
This was such a delight. A charming, funny, angsty, endearing, adorable delight. I adored this so much and adored the leads Max and Effie even more. Two incredibly lonely souls finding acceptance and happiness in each other. For fans of Amanda Quick's Ravished I think you'll love this one. This had a very similar set up with a scarred "beast" recluse hero and a sweet eccentric bluestocking heroine who loves her archeology. Although I found this one much stronger with more depth and emotion on top of the humor. I loved Effie's combination of confidence in her intelligence yet vulnerability and insecurity of wanting a family and to be loved just as she is. Max was the perfect gruff, brooding, grouchy "beast" to her smiling personality and open heart. Max just dissolves into a big teddy bear around her and it was so great to see. Their meet cute happens when he finds her on his land digging up holes trying to extract an old ancient pot. He first mistakes her for a boy since she's covered in mud and wearing breeches and weird goggles. The hilarity and fun ensues from there. What I loved most about this was that while we got to see this couple slowly fall for each other we also got to see them become friends first. I found that very significant and so dear considering Effie never had a real friend before this. Her "big brain" and tendency to ramble out whatever comes to her mind and debate topics always scared people off and society labels her as odd. Her scholarly father died so that left her completely alone in the world with nothing but her and her passion for antiquity to distract her. I just found her so endearing and sweet. Both hero and heroine are recluses for different reasons but need distractions from the whirling questions and thoughts plaguing them in their loneliness. They both needed unconditional love and that's exactly what they found in each other.
"Can I ask you a question, Max?" "You can always ask me anything, Effie. In fact, I insist upon it. I find your honesty and your undisguised curiosity refreshing." "Then that is a first. Most people loathe it." "Then most people are daft. What’s the question?" "Are we friends now? I feel as though we are, but I am never entirely sure. And experience has taught me that if I assume, then I am doomed to be disappointed when my perceived friend starts to avoid me." She said it so matter of factly, but his heart wept for her. It was so ill deserved. Effie was a breath of fresh air, not an irritation. "I suppose we must be." Her delighted smile was like a balm to his soul. "That’s nice. And you don’t mind all the questions?" "I don’t want you to ever think you shouldn’t ask questions, Effie. You can always ask me anything..."
Ugh. Just so adorable. ❤️ This scene honestly made me want to cry I found it so touching and vulnerable. I loved how patient and kind Max was with Effie. Her intelligence and how quick her mind works fascinates him. And him going from grumbly put-out neighbor to intrigued assistant helping her dig up treasures and artifacts on his land was really cute and hilarious. Their banter is the greatest thing. I loved the endless nicknames he came up for her when he was angry or wanted to tease her. Miss Naive, Miss None-of-your-business, Miss Ninnyhammer, etc. ...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
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
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
The perfect nanny/single dad book does not exist. Liz Tomforde: WANNA BET??!
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“I simply stopped running when the t
⚾️ *5 Golden Stars* ⚾️
The perfect nanny/single dad book does not exist. Liz Tomforde: WANNA BET??!
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“I simply stopped running when the two best boys I know caught me.”
Wowie did I love this. Happy New Year to meeee! This was a complete home run and yes I just used a baseball analogy for a baseball book I don't care. lol I need to sue Liz Tomforde for emotional distress. Her books keep stomping on my ovaries, flambéing, frapeying, just kaboom boom booming them to smithereens. ...more
This was adorable and charming all around and I get the fanfare over this series if4.5 Stars
"Sometimes the quietest love is the loudest."
This was adorable and charming all around and I get the fanfare over this series if this was anything to go by. Ryan Shay and Indy Ivers just melt your heart, two extreme opposites forced to live as roommates who slowly fall for each other was so sweet and satisfying to see. This definitely was one of those books that checks off all kinds of tropes and I personally didn't mind it because it felt like little surprises that popped up and didn't feel forced in.
What I loved: -Hero Ryan Shay is a NBA basketball player who looks like a cross between Stephen Curry & Michael Ealy (in my head at least). -Heroine Indy is the hero's twin sister's best friend who is coming off an awful break up when she caught her fiance cheating on her and now needs a new place to live. She's a flight attendant who is a caretaker by nature and wears her heart on her sleeve and the embodiment of sunshine and firecracker. She's hilarious and adorable in trying to fluster the uptight OCD hero. -Heroine's full name is Indigo so hero gives her the nickname Blue. (it's a recurring joke) -Hero builds heroine a bookcase to hold all her romance books. -Hero learns ASL to communicate with heroine's father who is deaf. -Hero makes sure to bring veggie food to a camping trip with his General Manager's family who didn't know she's vegetarian. -The praise kink. (The way these two hype each other up is really sweet too) -Care taking when heroine is sick. -Fake dating shenanigans including one bed scenario and a jealous hero. (I have never laughed so hard over a guy confusing the craft store Michael's for a real man ...more
I couldn’t help but feel that her lips would be just out of place against my own: a rose petal against a chainsaw.
Too stupid for words. Th
I couldn’t help but feel that her lips would be just out of place against my own: a rose petal against a chainsaw.
Too stupid for words. This supposedly takes place in Ireland and all the characters are supposedly Irish but they don't sound like it at all. The accents are barely present and come and go throughout the book. You wouldn't even realize the heroine Kayleigh is Irish with the way she talks, she talks like an American with the exception of the word "fecking" on and off (she sometimes says "fucking" and other times "fecking", which is it author?) and when she calls the hero an "eejit" near the end. It's like the author didn't even try to do her research and just plopped these characters into a setting she wanted. The forbidden love aspect of this (which is the main reason I picked this book up) ended up being so silly, so ridiculous and thinly drawn. The heroine Kayleigh is dating the hero's brother Eoin for a few days who is a complete stranger to her (she meets him on the street after saving his life in a near hit and run and he's instantly smitten and asks her to dinner) who she has no feelings for but not wanting to break it off with him because she feels bad and loves his family so much after spending 2 days with them and it's the holidays. ...more
“I’m done pretending to be head over heels in love with you because I’m legitimately head over heels in love with you. And acting lik
4.5 stars
“I’m done pretending to be head over heels in love with you because I’m legitimately head over heels in love with you. And acting like I’m not tears me up.”
I'll be honest I'm a little conflicted on the rating for this. It's between a 4 and 5 stars. Which is still great either way. This was a 5 star for a good chunk of it but the steam factor and the last 20ish% kind of made that last star fall off a bit for me. I've been in a not great head space the past week so reading was a struggle in general. But even so, this grabbed my attention and the distraction I needed from reality. Beau and Bailey were adorable and so sweet. Two lost souls trying to find themselves and their way in life and finding comfort in each other. Bailey was a great combination of innocent, vulnerable yet smart mouth and guarded. I loved the age gap here. Beau is 35 and Bailey is 21. Beau is a special ops soldier who is back home after a rescue mission left him with burned scarred feet and a serious case of PTSD. He's the jovial "goofy" Eaton brother but underneath the bravado is someone who is very weary and lost. Bailey Jansen is the misfit outcast that everyone in Chestnut Springs treats like a pariah given her last name. Her family is a bunch of drug addicts, petty thieves and bullies that the entire town find a nuisance. Bailey has been getting the burnt end of her family name when she's just trying to make her way on her own. I felt for her. Did the conflict in the end feel overblown and a bit silly? Yes. I was expecting it. It was overblown considering the timeline of it. But thankfully it didn't drag on too long and they talked it out. I love how slow burn this felt. Elsie said this was her "least" slow burn book from this series and frankly I disagree. I'm a little confused what she meant by that because this felt pretty slow burn in my book. The amount of pining/yearning/edging that drags on is both delicious and frustrating at the same time. lol
You don’t tell a person you love them with the expectation they’ll say it back. You tell them because you want to. You tell them because it’s true.
I personally love shy virgin heroines who find their own voice and independence. Bailey fit that bill. I just wish the steam was a bit more exciting in this rather than focused solely on "I wanna get rid of my virginity now, a sex toy already got rid of my hymen". It felt heavy handed. I know I'm in the minority when I say this but I absolutely hate when virgin heroines are portrayed like this in romance, specifically CR. Like it's some big shocking annoying thing a young girl in her 20s should be ashamed of? It's a weird gross narrative that I'm seeing more of and I truly don't get it and so tired of seeing it. A woman in her 20s (or any age for that matter) being a virgin is not gross or shocking please stop treating it that way authors, it's insensitive and utterly ridiculous. But that's a rant for another time. Also the porn thing, do all of Elsie Silver's heroines love to watch porn? I'm not knocking porn fanatics and normally don't even care but it feels very disingenuous here because these are women from different lifestyles and backgrounds but all of them just casually watch porn when they are horny or bored, in every. single. book. With uptight "ice queen" Winter it felt weird and very forced and here it felt forced too given how much it was brought up. Like yes, the heroine is a virgin but she's a COOL virgin ya'll! She watches porn and has a box of sex toys to prove it. RME. Please stop. It was doing too much IMO. Also, when you have an experienced hero and a virgin heroine who is eager to try things and discover sex, why not show some of that sexual exploration? *cries into my pillow* That's the part I felt let down the most TBH. This book kinda felt like a big ol' tease in many ways in that regard. And I want to throw my shoe at people who labeled that bathtub scene as "steamy" all over social media because it built up expectations in my head I wasn't aware of until I got to it. (view spoiler)[ Your man helping you shave your pubic hair is sweet but standing in a bathtub full of floating pubic hair (I really didn't need that visual Elsie Silver thanks) while he performs oral sex on you is not my idea of sexy time. But that's just me. (hide spoiler)]...more
I was a chaotic disaster, one he didn’t deserve to put up with.
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The hero Leo Hernandez deserved so much better. I did not r1.5 stars
I was a chaotic disaster, one he didn’t deserve to put up with.
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The hero Leo Hernandez deserved so much better. I did not read the previous books but all I know is this boy deserved so much better than this. I probably am the wrong reader for this series/author because I am not a fan of New Adult. The drama, characters and actions are usually incredibly frustrating, melodramatic and stupid. Here was pretty much that.
“It’s a lot easier for me to remind myself of all the reasons I hate him than it is to think of how he might have changed.”
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My biggest issue is I could not stand the heroine Mary Silver. She just wasn't my cup of tea. She felt more like cough syrup. This girl rubbed me the wrong way and I tried really hard to give her grace given her past history in high school and her own insecurities and sense of hurt. But lawd mercy, honest to g-d the way this girl would compartmentalize and misjudge things and never *ever* want to admit she is in the wrong was so miserable. Her insecurities gave her serious tunnel vision and sense of entitlement. I just couldn't deal with how she would process things and react to things. And I know this is more of personal taste bleeding through here but I also didn't love her lifestyle, choices she made and attitude suited for a moody 16 year old. The whole fully tattooed head to toe, pierced everywhere, gothic babe, wears no bra so the hero can oogle her pierced nipples (busty girls need support, my back was hurting just reading this!) smokes pot 24/7 and rolls her eyes at everything just isn't my thing. She's supposedly and I quote directly "a boss ass bitch!" but was really a "pick me choose me I'm not like other girls" walking bumper sticker.
I so desperately wanted to get high, but I didn’t have any edibles on hand, and I knew I couldn’t sneak a joint — not in my mother’s house. It didn’t matter if I walked down the street to smoke it, she’d find out.
"I wasn’t an angel — that much I could easily admit. I liked having a guy’s face between my legs for a night or railing me in the morning before breakfast. And most times, we didn’t talk enough for me to know if they were in a relationship or not.
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I normally love curvy thick heroines but I just wasn't feeling Mary at all. I mean bare feet on the dashboard of a car?! WHO RAISED YOU? ...more
Now Marigold understood she and women like her were birds that flew into a window, believing the mirrored reflection they were shown,
3.5 stars
Now Marigold understood she and women like her were birds that flew into a window, believing the mirrored reflection they were shown, blind to the very real barrier until it knocked them flat.
This easily would have been a 4 star or even higher for me if the constant misunderstandings in questioning the heroine's integrity and the 3rd act nonsense didn't get in the way. Dani Collins is such a great writer. Honestly that impressed me the most. Her attention to detail in atmosphere, world building and just characterizations overall was fantastic and so fun. I could picture everything so clearly down to every crumb and wrinkle. The humor is also hilariously good and quick, if a bit crude in some parts. It just feels so fresh, honest and smart. The hero and heroine snarking at each other was a highlight. Quite a few moments that had me rolling. If Dani Collins writes more I will definitely read it. She has a fan in me if this was anything to go by.
This was my first historical that takes place during the Gold Rush trail in America. The widowed hero Virgil Gardner is a Prospector who runs a mining company in Qual's Creek where him and his employees mine for gold and he's looking for a wife to keep house and be a mother to his 3 kids Levi, Nettie and little Harley. He's a hard working man who is blunt, doesn't suffer fools and has the temperament of a bear. He puts an ad out for a wife and is expecting a young bride named Pearl Martin after corresponding through letters with her. Instead her older sister Marigold Davis shows up offering herself up as a replacement. She has no place to go and running away from the fallout of an ugly divorce scandal that sullied her reputation very publicly. She was branded an adulterer by her awful ex-husband who cheated on her and managed to take her house too. Because of this Virgil hires her on as a nanny for his kids instead. I just adored the heroine so much. She keeps getting a bad hand dealt to her but tries her best and is so resilient and emotionally intelligent. She's smart, sassy, funny, witty and quick on her feet and has a big heart. She's honest but speaks her mind and just wants a home of her own and security. The hero doesn't trust her from the start because she's a divorcee who was labeled a cheater (even though she's innocent) so it doesn't sit well with him. I gave him some leeway at first since his dead wife cheated on him and had a baby with another man while Virgil was out in California working to send money home, a biracial baby he's now raising as his own. Honestly if this character didn't frustrate me so much in how he behaved towards the heroine his bond with little Harley and how protective he is of that baby melts your heart. But that mistrust keeps rearing its ugly head through the whole book and I just wanted to throttle him and sock him in the balls. It made no sense the longer it continued because she's literally taking care of his kids and taking care of his home. I mean come on dude. I loved that all the men rallied around her and kept giving her gifts and helping her along. That was adorable. Seeing a jealous hero watch other men trying to court her didn't hurt either. She really makes that place her home and it was great to see.
The lifestyle in Kansas territory is rough and brutal with very very humble living conditions. All the men live in tents except for Virgil's family where the five of them literally live in a hovel shack that's not even finished completely which our dear hero wasn't very honest about in those letters of his. Just want to point that out since he was so high and mighty about *honesty*. Hmmph. Marigold toughs it out and makes the best of things with zero complaints and even comes up with clever ways to create dolls for the kids and clothes and bedding so yes I felt super protective of this character. (view spoiler)[ That whole drama over Virgil's missing lucky golden nugget and thinking she stole it was so stupid and offensive if the end result wasn't so hilarious and deserving. It involved a toddler, poop and a chamber pot getting thrown at the idiot hero. But if that wasn't enough silliness, to make matters worse as the final act of conflict the "pretty" younger sister Pearl shows up in the end thinking Virgil's offer for marriage to her through letters still stands and throws a tantrum when she finds out he was about to marry Marigold. I hated this selfish twat of a character so much. We literally have a switcheroo Wife Swap moment where Marigold gives her sister a chance to play house with Virgil and the kids since Pearl technically had "first dibs" on him and Marigold "owes" her and no I'm not kidding. She gives up her happiness with the man and kids she loves so her sister can take her place and the hero lets her walk away after she lies to him about not loving him. At this point I nearly threw my kindle out the window. I love angst but not this kind near the end of the damn book and at the expense of the heroine's own happiness she worked so hard for. I have no idea why the author thought this was a great idea in the last 20 pages of her story but it just killed things for me. To be fair, I normally love high angsty situations like this but if it plays out earlier and if the hero wasn't acting like a distrusting jerk for so long. Those poor kids bonded and loved Marigold like a mother and their reaction to finding out they were finally going to have a mother in Marigold was so heartwarming and sweet so it was so hard to see her sister try to take her place and the hero trying to go along with it. WHERE IS YOUR AGENCY SIR? His own insecurities of feeling unwanted since he himself is an illegitimate child from rape is a big part of his distrust and feeling unworthy but even so.....I needed him to step up. This wife swap misery only lasts 3 days but it just was too much, too far and so ridiculous. It made it hard for me to believe the hero loved the heroine given how he continuously didn't believe her and distrusted her. (hide spoiler)] This was a good book in the sense that the writing is fantastic and the overall characters are engaging and so endearing, Levi, Nettie and little Harley were adorable and a hoot. But the hero Virgil is a fucking idiot and the heroine is an angel who deserved better if you ask me.
“Take the shortest road to Hades, sir. And take that nugget with you.”
Really loved this. There's just something about Shupe's writing I really enjoy when the story is right. It's so intelligent, precise, sexy an4.5 stars
Really loved this. There's just something about Shupe's writing I really enjoy when the story is right. It's so intelligent, precise, sexy and well researched. It does take on a bit of a modern tone in some areas as far as female autonomy and independence but it's not distracting. This is the biggest age gap romance I've read and I'll be honest if this was a Contemporary I would not have touched it. There's a 23 age difference here. The hero is 41 and the heroine is 18 and yes it took me some getting used to considering he's known her since she was a baby and he has a teenage son who is 2 years younger than the heroine Violet. I would have liked it more if Violet was 21 at least. But she's very mature for her age (a little too mature at times if I'm being honest lol). It definitely helped that the hero Max tried to put some distance and barriers between him and Violet who is doggedly pursuing him and is freaked out that she wants him. She's hurt that he's put distance between them since her coming out and it turns out he did it for a reason as he found her beautiful but much too young for him and it freaks him out. This also helped because if he had just went along with it easily I would have dropped this in a hot second. He's terrified and tries to scare her off at first which was great character development.
The Duke of Ravensthorpe is Violet's father's best friend and a family friend and Violet's crushed on him from afar since girlhood. He's a widower who enjoys single life after his marriage was a disappointing disaster after his wife died during child birth. He's a rake through and through who loves naughty times in the bedroom and honestly I found him so sexy and delicious. He's so intimidating, commanding, intelligent, earthy, sensual and masculine but also kind and a gentleman. I can't blame Violet for wanting him. A silver fox Duke with a filthy mouth. I wanted to climb him like a jungle gym so I get it. lol He steals the scenes and then some. Violet for her part I thought could have been developed a little more in comparison. The fact that I don't know what she looks like beyond having blonde hair and a curvy body for example did bug me. Her face is a hazy blur in comparison to the Duke who we get every little detailed description on. I liked that Violet's passion was in photography (I didn't even know Kodak camera boxes were a thing in 1895?) and studying photography (were classes available for women back then?). The sex scene involving her taking pictures of him naked was insanely hot and erotic. I thought that was nicely done. (ETA: I just realized the model on the cover is holding a camera. Very clever.) This is a very hot spicy novella and I loved every minute of it. I honestly wish this was a full length book given how quickly these two acted on their attraction and I wish that was dragged out a bit more given the forbidden aspect of it and Max's hang ups over their age difference and his friendship with her father. The hero caves a little too soon for my liking but since this is a novella you kind of just go along with it. I thought the emotions, the connection and tension was nicely done. If this was a full length book I probably would have given this a 5 star TBH. I could not put this down. Maximilian Thomas William Bradley III could absolutely GET IT. ...more
It took me one whole month to finish this. If I wasn't so invested in this series and Knockemout characters I 100% would have DNF'd t2.75 stars
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It took me one whole month to finish this. If I wasn't so invested in this series and Knockemout characters I 100% would have DNF'd this. It took the last 70 or so pages out of a 648 page book to finally see chemistry, sincerity and sweetness between the couple. Which is not a great ratio. Just want to preface this by saying I did not go into this one with eager anticipation like everyone else as I was not a big fan of either characters or their supposed "sizzling tension" in the previous books. *ducks for flying objects* I found Lucian "Suit Daddy" Rollins a walking stereotype and Sloane felt OTT with her sassy "spitfire" persona before even going into this. I just wasn't convinced or sold on their chemistry and here they didn't do a great job in convincing me otherwise for a good chunk of it. And I know I'm in the minority on that one. I have never seen so much work and set up put into selling a couple in the previous books where every character be it the bartender or nosy grandmas having to comment how "hot" these two were for each other underneath the hurling insults. You may as well fly a banner in the sky in case you missed it the first 100 times it was mentioned. It was giving performance for me. And here was pretty much more of the same unfortunately and I was really hoping they would prove me wrong. The bickering and antagonism carried on for much too long in this book and came off childish and petty instead of sexy and heated like the author tried so hard to pull off. They acted so juvenile around each other. I mean fighting over who can handle period cramps better? Really now? I'm sorry but that scene came off so stupid and embarrassing instead of funny. There are only so many times/ways two 40 year old adults can sling "asshole" "assface" "shut up" and try to convince me that's sizzling chemistry. ...more
Adorable. My ovaries went boom, boom, kaboom. Theo tap danced all over my ovaries and I wasn't expecting th4.75 stars
“Te vivo, baby girl.”
Adorable. My ovaries went boom, boom, kaboom. Theo tap danced all over my ovaries and I wasn't expecting that. Theo Silva is a dreamboat hero and has come for Cade Eaton's throne as hottest baby daddy. Plot twist. lol This book turned ONS/secret baby trope on its head. Which is hard to do. I'm not a fan of one night stand stories, in fact I generally hate this trope and avoid it like the plague. But Elsie Silver made some smart choices here that worked for me. For one, the actual sex scene from the one night stand is fade to black. Our hero Theo Silva and heroine Winter Hamilton hook up the night they meet in the beginning of the book but we don't see them have sex which I thought was a very smart move on the author's part. Because while technically there is insta-lust this is also a slow burn book. Which I'm a big fan of. I'm never a fan of insta-anything in my reads, I don't like instant gratification. I want work put in before our couple take the next step or give into feelings or else I can't buy it. While these two scratch that itch after a tequila-induced night of fun, the tension, the circling, the push and pull is very much present through the rest of the book which saved it for me. Something that was completely missing in Powerless. As for the secret-baby, again another interesting choice made here that took me by surprise and I think Elsie did a good job in how it was delivered. (view spoiler)[The book jumps 18 months ahead after their ONS, where we see the heroine had a baby girl Vivienne and believes the hero wants nothing to do with them. But we quickly realize a big misunderstanding played a hand into why. Before the time jump Winter tried to contact Theo when she found out she was pregnant but the message was never delivered and got in the wrong hands while Theo was on the road competing as a professional bull rider. So now 18 months later we have the hero moving in next door to the heroine to train to get back on the circuit completely unaware he fathered a child and a hurt confused heroine thinking he walked away from them. (hide spoiler)] Call me sick in the head but this is the kind of misunderstanding equation that I love if a misunderstanding situation has to happen in a book. The angst it brought to the table, the tension it creates, the unspoken feelings on both sides, the yearning, thinking the other doesn't want them? *chief's kiss* And the misunderstanding thankfully doesn't last long which I can't stress enough how relieved I was on that part. Once it's revealed we get cute as hell domestic scenes of Theo and little Vivi bonding and family moments between the three. Theo's reaction when he finds out he fathered a child? *clutches heart* Broke my heart. I just adored him. He's a total cinnamon roll hero.
Combat boots tugged carelessly over the top. Laces not tied. I remember thinking once that the very last thing I needed in my life was a man who didn’t tie his laces. It makes me laugh now, a light little chuckle that bubbles up from somewhere near my heart. How wrong I was. I feel like he rolled up and loosened my laces when I didn’t realize I was tied up far too tight.
As for the heroine Winter, I liked her. Which was another pleasant surprise considering she's not my favorite type of heroine. She's prickly, stubborn, closed off, blunt, the grump to the hero's sunshine sweet disposition. But her emotional vulnerability and insecurities is what saved this character from becoming a one-note archetype who magically is just "nice" all the sudden cause she's getting a book. She's the underdog and you want to root for her. I absolutely live for greyish anti-characters because they want to prove to others and most importantly themselves they are better and deserve happiness and love. I just loved how honest she was about herself and what her limits were and just yearns for love. I loved that she wanted to include Theo in everything from the start when it came to Vivi, misunderstanding aside. This book is about two adults who are trying to make the best of something unplanned, no immature nonsense. Winter is complex, layered and very misunderstood and I think Elsie Silver did a nice job of showing this character's arc and emotional growth. I was not a fan of this character in Book 1 Flawless for good reason. She played the part of the mean cold stepsister to Summer and here we get a better understanding of why. I think her character growth was very successful. Yes her insecurities do get the better of her time to time and have her dragging her feet in places but I felt for her and understood the why of it. Her whole life she had to fend for herself in a toxic home environment and nobody showing up for her and everyone always believing the worst of her. She finally finds that faith, security and unwavering support in a sweet man like Theo and she's as wary and scared as a wounded animal who is given a lifeline. I understood her fear so much. That contrast and dynamic between the two was fun to see. Her dream was to become a mom and after fertility struggles with her awful prick of a ex-husband, seeing her become a mom and flourish here was also great to see. I just absolutely adored the little family moments. Is there anything sexier than a man being a hands on doting father to his little girl? When I tell you it revved my engine whenever this man called his Vivi "baby girl". Oof. ❤️
A smiling Vivi is strapped to his chest in the floral-patterned Tula baby carrier I bought. He’s singing to our daughter. And dancing. And cleaning. One hand rubs the back of her head like she’s some sort of crystal ball, while the other wipes at the white cabinets in the cottage-style kitchen.
This had typical trademark dirty talk that Elsie Silver is known for. I'll be honest and I hesitate to even say this and the only reason I'm even pointing this out is because it had me going into this book expecting something totally different given the strong reactions I've seen on BookTube. To be frank I was expecting more in the steam department simply going off of the outrage. And it honestly confuses me? because this was pretty tame compared to the previous books as far as actual spice content. (view spoiler)[ He calls her a "slut" in the bedroom a total of 3 times. Did I love it? No. It's not my thing at all. But as far being out of character, it didn't feel out of character for a playboy like Theo. And I'm letting it slide here because 1. it wasn't prominently used, 2. Winter liked it and thought it hilarious and it became a recurring joke between the two of them. He uses it to tease her and excite her. And the sex scenes themselves were pretty standard. Book 1 and 2 were waaaaaay raunchier than this in the steam department. (hide spoiler)] I personally thought the style of dirty talking was out of character for heroes like Cade and Jasper, Cade especially but I know I'm in the minority on that one. To each their own but I'm not sure what in this book would be labeled as "over the line" or "disgusting" especially if you loved the first 2 books in particular. I'm just saying. ...more
There was barely any relationship development happening on the page. Especially with a 24 year old closeted sexually confused man who went his whole lThere was barely any relationship development happening on the page. Especially with a 24 year old closeted sexually confused man who went his whole life thinking he's straight? Come on. There should be no insta-anything in this. One minute you are sexually confused and the next you admit you are in love? What? It was really hard for me to swallow that a guy like Marcus especially in the environment and lifestyle he was raised in (blue collar family, ball busting macho men and gym rat) could so easily accept that he's gay and using cute pet names and going all out and knows what he's doing during sex just after watching some gay porn. And these guys just happen to carry lube with them everywhere they go? I'm beginning to suspect insta-love was always Bailey's thing. Also why are the books in this series so short? This read like a novella. This story needed way more than 200 pages. I didn't feel the connection or love especially from Jamie who was so standoffish and annoyed with golden retriever lovesick Marcus. I didn't get his annoyance, that big teddy bear was sweet and harmless. This isn't an enemies to lover romance or a bully romance so Jamie's constant annoyance came off mean and stuck up at times....more
“And you see me as a butterfly?” “Aye.” He nuzzled her temple, savoring the warmth of her. “I never knew how dark and cold it could be in3.75 stars
“And you see me as a butterfly?” “Aye.” He nuzzled her temple, savoring the warmth of her. “I never knew how dark and cold it could be in the mud until a wee, bright butterfly landed upon me and refused to depart.”
Not a favorite of mine from Braden. Still good solid writing. But it almost read like a novella. The pacing was a little off and felt extremely rushed in places. This could technically be considered a slow burn but it didn't really feel like a slow burn with how she zooms through things which isn't Braden's usual style. She normally takes her time. It could also be because this read very similar to The Taming of a Highlander in characterizations and tropes go and that was much stronger than this one. That book was my favorite read of this year so far so it was hard not to draw comparisons and this fell short. There's the usual marriage of convenience trope that you get in a EB book and a huge towering gruff Scottish hero who falls for his dainty wife. His befuddled confusion over why someone so pretty, classy and sweet like Viola could want him was endearing. The scenes of him awkwardly trying to woo her and floundering was cute. And also shoutout to heroes who are not handsome. Heroes like James who are described as not classically handsome with blunt craggy features are so rare so it's a nice change. Viola finding his face so dear and perfect was sweet. Anyways, I didn't really love the trap him into marriage trope here only because it highlighted the heroine Viola's desperation in bagging the hero James Kilbrenner who she's been aggressively chasing after for months while the hero dodges her at every turn. Add to that the reason behind why James refuses to marry and doesn't want kids felt over reaching. (view spoiler)[ Finding out your teenage sweetheart who you planned to marry ditched you and married another man and hid her pregnancy and your son's death from you is very sad. But blaming yourself for the death of a child you didn't even know existed when the mother of said child made zero attempt at telling you feels a bit contrived as far as internal character guilt goes. It just didn't jive for me. James is a giant teddy bear seeing him blame himself for something that was completely out of his control and kept from him felt a bit extreme as to why he refuses to have kids. I was glad Viola reminded him at one point that Allison took his choice away too. I mean someone finally said it. She kept a whole ass child from him and tried to foist it off on another man. Are we supposed to feel sorry for her now cause she's a widow? No sir. And trying to kiss a married man cause of "shared grief"? Hmmph. Lady, bye. (hide spoiler)] James is a good egg and a decent man with a serious savior complex but he did have his idiot moments in here. And I felt the issue of him refusing to spill inside the heroine during sex took too long to confront till the very end. I honestly thought we were gonna get a The Duke and I situation given how single minded and determined Viola is. Thankfully we didn't. Just wish the subject of why he refuses to have kids and his secret "shame" was revealed to the heroine a little sooner. Like I said the pacing of this one was odd. It took a bit to get to the MOC marriage part and then stuff is just rushed through after that. James realizing he has feelings for her and actually loves her also felt a beat too late. I think this is the first HR I've read where the heroine knows from the very start of the book she's in love with the hero and doggedly pursues him.
On a side note, loved seeing Charlotte in this. The timeline of this book overlaps with Book 4 so seeing glimpses of Charlotte falling in love with Chatham in real time was adorable. <3 I really love this series. The overall theme in a Elisa Braden book is longing and it's everything....more
A strong and enjoyable story just wish the last 60 or so pages lived up to the rest of the book. Starchy Duke vs American scandalous hellion 4.5 stars
A strong and enjoyable story just wish the last 60 or so pages lived up to the rest of the book. Starchy Duke vs American scandalous hellion was very fun to see. This reminded me a lot of Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart which is one of my favorite books with this exact trope. I think Shupe did a pretty good job in showing her MC's differences but connecting emotionally and showing that layer of vulnerability underneath. That vulnerability chip is what usually makes it or breaks it for me especially when it comes to hate to love dynamics. I can't stand when characters are just sniping at each other and nothing more and it's used as sexual foreplay. What surprised me the most is that the hero the Duke of Lockwood is actually very sweet and a gentleman. Which also surprises our jaded heroine too who believes he's nothing but an arrogant prig at first. I wasn't expecting our starchy Duke to fall so fast but that he did. I normally hate insta-love but here it was believable for the most part considering the time lapse and it's endearing how crazy he is for her and wouldn't change a thing about her.
Andrew has come to America in search of an heiress to marry to help save his crumbling ducal estate and huge debt no thanks to his irresponsible father. He's had very little luck in America (3 rejections to be exact) until he accidentally meets infamous party girl heiress Nellie Young. Nellie is the "love'em and lose them" type of woman, she has no use for men beyond a good time in the sheets and loves her freedom and life in NY until she meets a Duke who pushes her buttons and gets underneath her skin and heart. I love this type of shit. While she's very set in her ways and guarded she's also pragmatic and looking out for others even when they don't deserve it (looking at you Maddie dear). I loved seeing our independent hellion heroine falling in love for the first time and worrying about the hero and trying to fight it. Like I said, it's that underlying sweetness that really worked. From their accidental meet cute during a swim in the ocean to their time bonding in a swimming pool was the highlight for me. And yes this did that thing that I love where the heroine is the only one who calls the Duke by his first name Andrew and he calls her Eleanor instead of Nellie. Ugh loved that. I loved seeing her fuss over his heart condition and pushing him to get second opinions about his heart. The fact that you have a virile Duke who was diagnosed with a poor heart condition believing he's going to die young added a layer of urgency to the love story and him finding a wife. Joanna Shupe's world building when it came to economy, politics and science during 1890s felt very well rounded and handled with care. Maybe parts were anachronistic even for late 1800s America, I'm not an expert but it worked for me either way.
I was expecting a lot more butting heads from both hero and heroine given their extremely varying lifestyles and backgrounds but it was a great combination of bickering and flirting and real feelings peaking out that made it cute. The one who does the most bucking and denying is the heroine. Which did get a little frustrating the longer it went on. I felt like the whole town of New York had to talk this girl into taking a chance on love and willing to take a risk on the man she loves. I can deal with obstincancy but up to a certain point. It gets annoying when the same conversations happen over and over again until the very end to push someone into taking action. That and the suffrage theme just played a little too heavily for me in the last part with the heroine making some reckless questionable choices that kind of made me roll my eyes. It felt like this plot came out of nowhere? It doesn't play into the book until a good 70% in so it threw me off guard a little. I like the topic of women's suffrage just fine but not in my romance books. ...more
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