His Omega's Keeper is a taboo paranormal romance set in the Forbidden Omegaverse world. Ani and Jake are stepsiblings, and by Pack law, they 3.5 stars
His Omega's Keeper is a taboo paranormal romance set in the Forbidden Omegaverse world. Ani and Jake are stepsiblings, and by Pack law, they are "blood" siblings even though there is no actual blood relation between them. They get kidnapped by a ridiculous cult that believes Ani and Jake need to breed together so their magical child can save the lives of all Weres ...more
Next of Kin is a forced proximity romance with two people who want to get custody of their respective siblings. Chloe fails Child Protective 3.5 stars
Next of Kin is a forced proximity romance with two people who want to get custody of their respective siblings. Chloe fails Child Protective Services' financial evaluation because she works freelance, and Warren fails CPS's housing evaluation because his living space is not big enough. They participate in CPS's new initiative called TeamUp, which requires them to live together until Chloe receives a more stable paycheck and Warren finds appropriate housing.
I liked this book from the moment Chloe called Warren "Prison Break" LOL. It's very obvious that both Chloe and Warren are really young, but they're actually pretty mature. Like, when Warren overreacts, he apologizes and makes up for it with open communication. The sexual tension between the two is really good, but I think the author missed some really good opportunities for more intense sexual tension. The whole Calvin situation was a bit odd, especially with how he just left so abruptly lol.
Listen, I did like this book...it had good character and relationship development. The chemistry and tension were both good. But...the dialogues were a bit cringey and cheesy. I know the author tried to make the friendships relatable and the relationship kicking-my-feet cute and swoony. But a good portion of the dialogues felt forced, cringey, and cheesy. Maybe it's because the characters themselves are very young? Maybe it's the audiobook narrator who made the dialogues sound cringey? Although, I didn't have any issues with her overall narration. Anyway...I didn't get why I was feeling this way until I found out that Next of Kin is a debut! It makes complete sense now!
Despite my complaint about the cringe and the cheese, this book was a solid read. The chapters were quick and short. The romance was slow burn with good payoff. The character and relationship development were both solid. And the third act conflict and resolution were both well-written. It's just that the cheesiness took me out of the story more than I wanted. I look forward to reading more from this author to see if her other books are less cheesy....more
I received an ALC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Serena Otaki is living her dreams smashing atoms at CERN. She's free-spirited and phI received an ALC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Serena Otaki is living her dreams smashing atoms at CERN. She's free-spirited and physics is her one true love. When Serena has a one night stand with Henry Joules, a starchy and uptight Brit, she fears falling in love with him. And Serena only has space in her heart for one true love, already claimed by physics. After their one night stand, Serena breaks things off, especially after she finds out that Henry is in fact her new boss.
I know you're thinking that this premise is cliché, but there's a supernatural twist that shakes things up. After their one night stand, Henry and Serena end up working in the same team, and they've both put the past behind them (or have they?). But when an electric storm clashes with the particle collider, Henry and Serena end up switching bodies!
I'll be honest: I didn't like the first book in the Ghosted series, but I couldn't resist the premise of Switched, and I am SO glad I gave it try! I had a hard time getting into the book at first because Serena was too stuck inside her head, going off on tangents, to the point that I forgot what scene we were in and who Serena was talking to outside of her head. This happened a lot in the first couple of chapters, even during the actual one night stand. It drove me nuts how she went on an internal monologue about science in the middle of sex…Girl…
But I was fully invested once we got past all of that and skipped to a year and a half later. And omg it's SO MUCH FUN when they switch bodies. The author went all out and took advantage of the incredulous situation her characters were in. I'm sure you can already imagine many comedic scenarios and let's just say that the author did not skip out on any of that. I laughed my way through Henry and Serena's antics. There's also an unexpected trope that shows up later in the story‼️...more
The Catch is a cute crossover of The Proposal and While You Were Sleeping. Melanie is a big-city fashion influencer who flies all the way to the east The Catch is a cute crossover of The Proposal and While You Were Sleeping. Melanie is a big-city fashion influencer who flies all the way to the east coast of Canada to revive her brand. Things don't go according to plan and she ends up staying at a dilapidated bed and breakfast in a rural fishing village. The owner Evan is of course a bearded grumpy lobster fisherman. The movie crossover takes place after Evan gets into a boating accident and Mel is mistaken for his fiancée by his family. And of course, they agree to fake date for mutually beneficial reasons.
I probably sound jaded, but to be honest, while this book is cute and all, it's nothing special. I liked the found family trope here, especially for someone like Mel who's always been lonely and whose adoptive parents didn't have a healthy marriage. I also liked Mel's struggle and trauma associated with being thrust into the role of a parent for her younger brother. I liked seeing Evan's interactions with the women in his family. It was so sweet how he indulged them—letting his nana cut up the food on his plate, returning his mom's hug and patting her, etc. He's very open and accepting of other people's love languages. It was super sweet.
On that note, Evan's grumpiness didn't really fit the narrative. It felt like he was grumpy for the sake of being a "grumpy romance hero." His family was also quirky for the sake of weird comedy that made me feel super uncomfortable. There were so many weird and awkward moments when his family interrupted him and Mel during intimate moments...and everyone just pretended that was normal. There's quirky and then there's this...weird lack of respect for other people's privacy.
The other thing that annoyed me was the predictability of the third act conflict. I knew where it was going. Mel and Evan also both knew where it was going. So it was just a waiting game and it felt like the elephant in the room.
Anyways, complaints aside, this was a decent contemporary romance. Nothing spectacular, but I do like reading about lonely heroines finding love and family.
She'll never be alone in the world as long as he's in it.
Pride and Protest is a multicultural retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a Black heroine and a Filipino hero.
Liza B. is a DJ and activist and she'sPride and Protest is a multicultural retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a Black heroine and a Filipino hero.
Liza B. is a DJ and activist and she's not here for the gentrification of her neighborhood. She goes head-to-head with Dorsey, the CEO of the property developer in question, and she refuses to back down. The two meet for the first time at an event where Liza planned a protest and mistook Dorsey for the waitstaff. This meet cute is equally disastrous and hilarious. Their lives turn even more upside down when Liza's protest goes viral and now everyone is watching their every move.
I had SO MUCH FUN reading this retelling!! There's just something so comforting and enjoyable about Pride and Prejudice retellings. I like the anticipation of finding out how authors will add their own twist to the classic. All this to say that I really enjoyed Nikki Payne's version of Pride and Prejudice. I think she did a fabulous job writing her own unique story while staying true to the essence of the original. There were a couple of changes, but these changes made sense and fit the story that the author was telling.
Now...the best part about this book is the BLISTERING chemistry between Liza and Dorsey ...more
Justified has been on my radar for a while and I'm glad I finally picked it up. The premise is so delicious. Case is the sheriff of a small town and AJustified has been on my radar for a while and I'm glad I finally picked it up. The premise is so delicious. Case is the sheriff of a small town and Aspen is the lawyer who represented his now ex-wife during their divorce. And she cost him the custody of his son ...more
I received an ALC & ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here's the thing about me: you say ghostly romance, and I am in—no questions aI received an ALC & ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here's the thing about me: you say ghostly romance, and I am in—no questions asked. Jillian moves into a new apartment in New York, and sure, the décor makes it look like a porn set, but this is her own space, away from her parents. As soon as she moves in though, she realizes that the apartment is already occupied by a sexy ghost named Daniel.
I'll start with the positives. I've read a number of ghostly romances, but Sarah Ready's version is unique. I really like the way the author incorporated the ghostly trope. The first thing I usually wonder is how can a ghost and a human live HEA? Let's just say that I really like the author's version of that. I had never come across it before, but it worked especially well here. To be honest, I only kept reading this book because I wanted to know how Jillian and Daniel would live HEA. I'm glad I pushed through because I liked the resolution of the ghostly situation.
But I also have so many issues with this book and I don't even know where to start. Don't get me wrong, the prose is good, but the story is waaaayyyyyy too long. The first half of the story falls victim to long-winded play by play narration. There are so many lengthy descriptions of superfluous things, making the book longer than it should be. I also did not like the insta-love. I literally could not understand how Jillian and Daniel fell in love so quickly?? Not to mention that Jillian was super clingy with Daniel, even though she knew nothing about the man. Daniel was also immediately jealous of Jillian's dates, but I think his jealousy made a bit more sense after we find out the truth behind his ~ghostliness~ I think what bugged me the most is that Jillian and Daniel didn't even try to figure out why he was haunting her LOL. They just assumed he was here to help her with her love life and her advice column. But they didn't even try to figure out who he was, how he died, and why he's linked to her only. They were both so focused on him being here to help her, without ever questioning WHY. It was so annoying and frustrating.
I had such a hard time with Jillian omg. She was just so stupid. She wanted Daniel to stay with her even though he was dead LOL. Instead of wanting him to move on to "the light," she selfishly wanted him to haunt her for the rest of her life. She was so disgustingly needy. Also, the ghost sex scenes were WEIRD LOL. I'm sorry, she literally could not feel anything except for cold breezes. Please explain to me how she was able to find pleasure?? I'm so confused!!
As for the second half of the story, it was interesting enough, especially after finding out the truth behind Daniel's ghostliness. But I still found Jillian super irritating with the way she kept inserting herself into other people's lives. I just could not stand her. The climax was fine...but the conflict leading to the climax was stupidly executed.
Anyway...I kind of rambled. I really wish I loved this one. The concept is interesting. The prose is good. The execution and the characters are just not my cup of tea. I didn't buy into the romance at all. Honestly, it's not the worst book I've ever read, but I just did not like it overall.
P.S. Is Jillian Persian? Why is her white mom named Geeta? I'm so confused. I have questions about Jillian's background.
P.P.S. Not one, but two epilogues. This book is unnecessarily long. The second epilogue is told from Daniel's POV, but not even that made me happy. I just wanted the book to be over....more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I usually really enjoy Noelle Adams' books, but Recollection missed the mark for me.I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I usually really enjoy Noelle Adams' books, but Recollection missed the mark for me. The heroine loses her memories of the past 6 months, during which she had stayed with her father's friend. It's a fun premise, but I had such an issue with the heroine and with the overall execution of the story.
First of all, the hero's reasoning for being friends with her POS father made no sense. The premise of his friendship with her father was just so ridiculously flimsy. And you wanna know the most ridiculous thing about the amnesia storyline? Whenever the heroine unlocks her memories, she automatically assumes they are dreams LOL. Does she bother talking to the people around her to figure out if her dreams are memories? Nope. She just goes on with her life thinking they are fantastical dreams, even though there are multiple hints indicating that they may in fact be memories. What kind of clownery is this?!?!
The story is told in past and present chapters and each timeline has a conflict. The conflicts in both the past and present are tremendously stupid. Why? Because the heroine is stupid AF. She's supposed to be a 28 year old woman, but she acts like an 18 year old girl. In the past, she threw a tantrum and left the hero without saying anything after they had the stupidest argument ever. In the present, she throws another tantrum because the hero had the nerve to respect the doctor's orders about her amnesia. Girl, bye!!!
Honestly, I'm so surprised this was written by Noelle Adams?! It started off well enough, but it went downhill so quickly. Anyway, if you are new to this author, definitely do not start here LOL....more
I was excited for Connor and Chloe's story, especially with the way the previous book ended. But I'm sad to say that I wasn't invested in their romancI was excited for Connor and Chloe's story, especially with the way the previous book ended. But I'm sad to say that I wasn't invested in their romance. I devoured the first two books, but it took me ages to get through this one. The plot was interesting enough, but the romance wasn't my cup of tea. I had such an issue with Chloe making stupid choices, despite knowing that her life was in danger and that she truly couldn't protect herself.
I will say that I appreciate Cynthia Eden's ability to give unique powers to the heroines in this series. I love that each heroine brings something new to the table. And I'm so excited to find out more about the heroine of cold-hearted and manipulative Pate....more
Lauren Layne gives us something different with You, Again. Usually, with a set up like this, the heroine meets the hero, they have a one nigh3.5 stars
Lauren Layne gives us something different with You, Again. Usually, with a set up like this, the heroine meets the hero, they have a one night stand, and then she finds out he's her new boss. In this case, Thomas is sitting right next to Mac and he sees her swiping left on him on a dating app ...more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Happy Singles Day is one of my older ARCs that I put off because of the mediocre andI received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Happy Singles Day is one of my older ARCs that I put off because of the mediocre and negative ratings. But I won a print copy from the publisher, so I figured I might as well give it a chance and I'm glad I did because, unpopular opinion, I actually enjoyed it!
City girl Paige Parker makes the spontaneous decision to book a vacation at a bed & breakfast on Aurelia Island. She wants to spend the week cozying up at the beach and celebrating Happy Singles Day. But her vacation is off to a terrible start with a storm and it gets even worse when she meets the grumpy bed & breakfast owner. Lucas Croft is a single dad whose entire life revolves around his daughter, especially after his wife passed away two years ago. And no matter what his well-meaning sister says, he's not ready to liven up the bed & breakfast for an uptight city girl.
To be honest, I didn't like the first chapter of this book at all because I hated the whole conversation about how being 30 years old is akin to being old and that a woman's biological clock is ticking away. It was all a bit too much. But I decided to keep going until the hero and heroine meet for the first time. Lucas was extremely annoying at first, but he gets so much better after the first 20% or so. I love that Paige and Lucas acted like grownups and declared a truce early on. Their personalities are a lot more palatable after the truce and the romance really kicks off as a result.
This book had the coziest small island vibes and I was here for it. I really liked the atmosphere, especially with the storm and heavy rains forcing Paige to remain at the bed & breakfast. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was a simple, easy, and breezy story to read. Both characters improved as you got to know them and I loved the supporting characters as well. The romance is slow burn and closed door and I don't have any complaints about that.
Overall, this was a breezy city-girl-in-a-small-town romance, with a dash of home organization and renovation. I'm not sure why the average rating is so low, but I personally had a good time reading this story....more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was obviously drawn by the synopsis: the heroine ends up nannying for one of her OI received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was obviously drawn by the synopsis: the heroine ends up nannying for one of her OnlyFans clients, but he doesn't remember her. The synopsis leaves out certain details about their online relationship, which I appreciated because I had fun peeling back the layers of their history. I also liked the tidbits of flashback before each chapter, showing how they met online and how their relationship progressed.
To be honest, this book actually started off well. But I started losing interest when the heroine kept going around in circles. One day, she's determined to keep things professional and not cross any lines with Aiden. But the next day, she basically asks him if he finds her attractive. And of course, she immediately regrets asking him these dumb questions. Rinse and repeat. She just kept going around in circle, repeating the same thing over and over again.
Both Cassie and Aiden are delightfully awkward. They're always making blunders and accidental innuendos are common during their conversations. I had a good laugh here and there, but these blunders eventually became forced, to the point where the conversational turn-taking does not make logical sense. On top of being awkward, Cassie and Aiden are also disastrous overthinkers, which I can 100% relate to. But the issue that I had here is that the author relied too much on awkwardness, accidental innuendos, and overthinking to create tension and push and pull between Aiden and Cassie. It became repetitive and in my opinion, there are much better ways to create organic tension between two characters.
The whole revelation is very anticlimactic and the climax is just so dumb. I'm over martyr characters. Cassie continues to be a martyr even after Wanda talks some sense into her. Speaking of Wanda, she is easily the best character in this book. Cassie had better banter with Wanda than she did with Aiden. Anyway, I have a lot of difficulty liking martyr characters, especially the ones who refuse to communicate. I'm not saying Aiden is the King of Communication, but at least he actually put some effort in reconciling and tried to start a conversation with martyr Cassie.
In conclusion, Wanda is the highlight of this book. If you're looking for a fun grandma type of character, Wanda is your girl....more
Nelle is a lonely human living in a poor village. She makes a living by hunting, which humans aren't allowed to do on the planet Dakkar. Horde King SeNelle is a lonely human living in a poor village. She makes a living by hunting, which humans aren't allowed to do on the planet Dakkar. Horde King Seerin catches her hunting and punishes her. But he feels guilty about it and brings her to his camp so she can heal.
This one is soooo good. The build up is so well-written. Both Nelle and Seerin are so likable. Nelle's loneliness struck a chord with me. I really felt for that girl ...more
Brutal Intentions is a taboo mafia romance...He's her stepfather and they live in the same house as her mom/his wife Brutal Intentions is a taboo mafia romance...He's her stepfather and they live in the same house as her mom/his wife ...more
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