RaJeana
Review of both books of duo:
Although the story's extremely predictable, and there's an annoying love-triangle, I found this very entertaining. The story felt fresh despite the expected plot turns, though I did want to shake the MC a few times for her stupidity. I liked the overall resolution and ultimately, it was a quick, easy read that was NOT a trilogy–thank Jeesus–with great narration. I'd definitely pick up another book by this author.
I liked this, even though the mystery is pretty easy to figure out. It reminded me of one of my early favorite authors–Mary Higgins Clark. The H is kind of a jerk and grows on you, but the h is great. I was kind of creeped out by Faith's spying on Gray having sex in the beginning of the book. That seemed out of character and just weird. I also wasn't a fan of the shift of POV to include the H's sister, but it was probably necessary for the story. But those are minor complaints, especially since I'll probably read it again.
Well, I couldn't just end at Full Tilt, even though I was devastated by Jonah's death. But by the end, I knew where we going and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Kind of like Beverly and Oscar–confused but understandable? Still, it's well written and a good end to Kacey and Teddy's story.
Yikes. I've had this on my TBR pile forever, and I was feeling like zombies, so I gave it a shot. I managed to finish, and some parts weren't too bad, but overall, not for me. The narration was...not good. It seemed like it was the narrator's first narration. The narration combined with the dull, predictable story made for a snooze fest. Two stars.
I'm a big fan of Viv Daniels's books, as well as other books by this author, but this one wasn't my favorite. As with all of this author's books, it's well-written and well-edited. I thought the story moved quickly and was believable, but I didn't connect with the characters. Maybe because it's a novella and I only had a short time to get to know Adam and Kiki, but I just didn't really like them very much. That being said–I'll definitely read the next in the series, because I really like this author.
Picked this up randomly, and I'm really glad I did. If I ever wondered if I had the chops to be in the CIA (not that I did), I def know now I do not have what it takes. At 19, Amaryllis was assisting “rebels” in the fight for Burmese freedom. I was...well, not doing anything, probably. What an amazing, intelligent woman that our country was lucky to have as an asset. I want to hear more, if you can/want to tell us about it! I truly wish the best for you and your family. Saying thanks for your service is so trite, but seriously, thank you.
I love almost everything Mariana Zapata writes, and this was no exception. I was reluctant to listen to this audiobook because I'm not a fan of the narrators reading the email captions each time (stuff I tend to skip over when reading), but it wasn't bad and it transitioned later in the book to normal first person narration. 4 stars for now, but may bump it up to 5 if I reread it.
Kasie West's novels check a lot of boxes for me. Yes, they're formulaic YA-romance with zero suspense as to where we're going, but there is cheesy, fluffy goodness that I need sometimes. This book isn't going to revolutionize the book industry, but I enjoyed it immensely, especially considering the happiness coefficient over time-spent reading coefficient ratio.
I was intrigued but didn't know what to expect. I sure hadn't expected to like it as much as I did. Definitely an author I'd seek out again. Recommending to people who like fantasy and strong female characters with a touch of romance.
DNF- One character (The rich a$$hole--I wanted to throttle him from the time he was introduced) ruined it for me. Just couldn't go any further.
Let me begin by saying I really enjoyed this book. Cameron's problems felt real and her honesty was refreshing at times. That being said, after finishing the book, all I could think about were issues I had with it's overall resolution. Truth be told–if I'm thinking about the book after I finish it, as well as “improving” it in my mind, it means I actually liked the book; I don't think about books I didn't like for the most part.
So, my main issue was Cameron's forgiveness of her mother. Her mother basically abandoned her after she was able to take care of herself and her mother. Given what we know about Cameron, it was an insufficient resolution, IMO. I'm not sure insufficient is the right word, but it just didn't mesh with the character I read about. I also wanted Cameron to have more of a fight with her father, but maybe that's just the b!tch in me. Same goes for Elle (and Morgan by proxy). Maybe it was a grown-up ending and I wanted more happily ever after? It just didn't work for me.
This is the first book by these authors, and I'll definitely try another. 3.5 stars
Quick read with a sweet romance.
2020 re-read/re-listen.
Still a favorite of mine. If you can get past the MC's naiveté, she's adorable. One of those books that just checks all the right boxes for me.
3.5 so I'm rounding up. Tijan has a way of messing with my emotions. I really feel her heroines, even though I've not experienced the horrors many of her characters have. Her writing just puts in you the character's head. That is amazing to me.
I thought there were lots of flaws in the setup/explanation of the “feud,” and hanging out with NFL players seemed too far out for me. I also generally don't care for Alpha males, but this worked for me.
Finally, I liked that the housemates adopted Dusty by the end. I like mean b!tches that can actually have a heart. Too cliche? Probably. Def entertaining.
I didn't know what to think going in. I thought the blurb made it sound like our main characters were in an arranged marriage or something. I mean, how could they be engaged and hate each other without some trope like engaged for inheritance, etc.? I was very delighted by the tale.
Once I was in the story and knew the characters, the situation felt very real–two people who love each other, grown apart by time and life experiences, and no one says anything to rock the boat. It's probably more real-life than a lot of romances I read. And I was rooting for Nicky and Naomi. They didn't disappoint.
I particularly loved the flowers. Haven't we all been there? You see someone else get flowers and think, “Man, I wish I'd get flowers.” But then when you do, you're just like, “These are pretty, but what am I going to do with them? They're going to crumble in a week and I'll have to clean them up and dump their stinky water. I hope they weren't expensive.” Okay, maybe that's just me. Naomi and Brandy's responses were over the top, but that's who they are. I don't want to spoil it by going on further. I definitely enjoyed it.
At the end, I wanted more. An epilogue. Nicky's mom to....something, I don't know. But I'm writing this review after a week, and I still remember the main characters' names, which means it stuck with me. I'm giving it 4 stars, but I might up that if I re-read it at some point.
Definitely recommend and will pick up Hogle's next book!
3.5 stars, so I'm rounding up. This felt more chick-lit to me, with romance as a secondary plot. I was frustrated by the characters' failure to talk about things, to just clear the air–a problem for me with a lot of books–but Georgina felt authentic and her actions in line with someone who has gone through some $hit and someone who is young and inexperienced. Her reveal at the end was a surprise to me, and it think it helped better explain Georgina's thinking, but it felt a bit too late. Ultimately, I wanted more romance and that's probably an issue with me personally and not the book. But I'm definitely going to check out McFarlane's other books.
Reread–Upping my rating to 5 stars.
This book is really not like anything else I've read. Yes, the romance elements are the same–you can't reinvent the wheel–but our heroine is kind of....evil. Or an anti-hero? It was kind of refreshing to follow her machinations and her ultimately winning the king in the end. Maybe not everyone's cuppa but I really enjoyed it.
Not my favorite KA Tucker, but I was entertained. It checks the boxes for romance, but it's nothing I haven't read before. Not something I'll pick up again.
Not my fav Sarina Bowen. I was entertained for a while, but by the end it all felt formulaic.
This had some fun twists and turns, but the story didn't feel believable to me. I'm definitely one of the outliers here, so decide for yourself.
I generally enjoyed this story, but it dragged on for me. Ended up skimming to the end.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would going in..... I may up to 5 stars after percolating a bit. The romance was surprisingly sweet, and the overall story well-written. Gave me the feelings too. Would definitely recommend.
