Regina
I loved this second book in the series - maybe not quite as much as the first, but it's definitely close!
I already liked Lucy and Simon in the first book, and theirs is a story of redemption, of making things right - and it's fun to watch Lucy working on getting Simon to forgive her. I especially loved the scenes at the bird sanctuary (the “Owl Lady” is a hoot, no pun intended ;) ).
Another heartbreaking, yet hopeful and at times funny, beautifully written story in the series. Sam and Nate are interesting main characters. They both have plenty of baggage to deal with, and it was satisfying to watch them both grow and learn to deal with their personal demons.
Add to that their developing romance, plus a healthy dose of family drama and hilarity (looking at you, Oliver!), and you get a gratifying, enjoyable read.
4.5 / 5 stars
I've had a soft spot for prickly, standoffish Rachel for a long time, but now I've got a fully-developed, bona fide girl crush on this kicka$$ leading lady!
Patient, almost unflappable Harvard is her perfect counterpart, and I loved seeing him slowly, bit by bit, working his way behind Rachel's defenses.
While the story - like all Benson Security books - is dealing with some tough topics, I appreciate the way Janet Elizabeth Henderson handles the delicate balance between traumatic subject matter and her trademark humor.
If I had to pick a favorite scene, it would be Harvard taking Rachel Bachata dancing - the swoon is dialed up to 11, for sure!
Warning: NSFPT (not safe for public transportation)!
I can neither confirm nor deny that I almost missed my stop (cough twice cough) while reading this book, but consider yourself warned. I'll also neither confirm nor deny occasional snort-laughing (Spider Man, anyone?!) and frequent nail-biting. (No need to confirm or deny either, though, there were plenty of witnesses.)
I simply loved this fast-paced romp of an action adventure from the very first page. Leo and Hophnia are smart, compelling main characters up against overwhelming odds, the story is engaging and entertaining, and the writing is excellent as always. Extra kudos to Derick William Dalton for putting a hefty dose of science in this science fiction story. :)
5/5 highly recommended stars
You had me at gougères...
To be fair, the rest of the story is just as delectable as those French cheese puffs! I'm a sucker for a good second-chance romance, and Sarah and Beck had me rooting for them from the get-go. Plus, this prequel makes me want to read ALL the books in the series - but I especially want to know how that “French connection” turns out for Sarah's guinea-pig client! More, please!
“King of Really-Not-That-Bad” ;)
I've been looking forward to reading Maddox's story for a while now. He can be such an arrogant and cocky jerk (exhibits A - C: the other books in the series), but here we finally get to see the “real” Maddox behind all that swagger. And he's not such a bad guy, after all.
I'll admit had a bit of trouble believing in Cece being this business management prodigy - especially after learning about her being quite the spoiled brat before, with a track record of questionable choices. And her BFF comes across as a snooty brat, too. Sorry.
While this is not my favorite story in the series, it was fun to peek behind that bad-boy facade, and especially seeing the King of Snark getting teased mercilessly by his bandmates after falling for a special someone and developing... gulp... feelings. :)
I have read a couple of books by Elizabeth Stevens, and I truly appreciate how she handles serious issues in her YA romances, and “The Art of Breaking Up” is no exception. While the drama level is quite high, both the family drama and the mental health issues are dealt with in a way that feels realistic and shows that both can be addressed, and neither necessarily has to be the end of the world.
Another thing I like about this story is the strong friendship between Norah and Lisa. You go, girls!
That being said, it took me a while to warm up to Norah. I'm usually not a big fan of the enemies-to-more trope, because more often than not, the MCs behave like total jerks toward each other. And still end up falling for one another. And Norah is acting like a total jerk - first out of loyalty to her best friend, then... why? Especially when Wade claims to care about her. And goes out of his way to make sure she's okay going through her family drama...?
(That might just be me, your mileage may vary.)
What a lovely (and funny! and well-written!) story! I adored Lucy and Carter - and Lucy's mom and dad, too! But now I'm curious about Emma and Stella, too...
I always enjoy returning to the small southern town of Wishful and its quirky inhabitants, and stories like those in this boxed set are why.
“You Were Meant For Me” is another wonderful addition to the Wishful series.
Mitch is a(nother) swoonworthy hero, fitting in really well with the other Wishful heroes I've met so far, and Tess is a likeable, relatable heroine.
A minor drawback for me was that Tess's personality is so much like Norah's, that - while it makes for an interesting dynamic between those two - it felt at times like a bit of a déjà-vu.
Countless bonus points, as pretty much always, for the Campbell clan, this wonderful, messy, brilliant, meddling bunch of “good people” who everyone would love to have in their corner.
“A Lot Like Christmas” is a wonderful (if a bit short-ish) addition to the Wishful series that has all the things I love about Kait Nolan's books:
Southern small-town charm, likeable, “real” characters struggling with real problems without too much melodrama, a swoonworthy romance story with a dash of humor - the latter not only but also served by the Casserole Patrol.
“Dancing Away With My Heart” hits the swoony spot!
- Favorite tropes? Check! (best friends to lovers + high school reunion)
- Favorite small town? With a lovable + quirky cast of characters? Check!
- Perfect combination of swoon-worthy, funny, and sexy? Check!
I love this series, and I'll always come back for more!
Cute, fun, and quick read!
This second story in the series is just as adorable as the first, especially Avery is just so sweet, it's impossible not to like her. Christian is an interesting counterpart to her sweetness, and despite his bad-boy image, he's everything but. And Alex, though the seemingly golden boy, was easy to dislike.
That being said, one of my favorite parts (besides Avery) was how the two brothers managed to resolve some of their differences and grow closer in the end.
This series is giving me all the warm (and funny) fuzzies! <3
As in the other books of this series, both main characters are dealing with some serious issues, but I appreciate the way Lacy Andersen handles the tough stuff and creates a perfect mix of drama, humor, and heart.
Mandy and Jayden make a great enemies-to-lovers couple, even though I was occasionally tempted to shake some sense into Mandy and tell her to give the guy some credit and just talk it out.
I love to see how supportive this group of friends is, no matter if it's some tough love that's needed, or if it's helping with over-the-top grand gestures. :)
Overall, this story is a wonderful third instalment of this series - I loved following the three best friends Audrey, Trina, and Mandy finding their perfect-for-them guys, and I can't wait for the next book in the series!
Excellent start to this new spin-off series!
The first Juniper Ridge story features two main characters you might have met before, namely in “Mancandy Crush” (Vanessa) and Snowbound Squeeze (Dean).
“He's an overbearing son-of-a-b** but he's good at his job. Also, we love him.”
Yes, we most certainly do... In some ways, control freak Dean reminds me a bit of James Bracelyn - which is not a bad thing since James is probably my favorite Bracelyn (if there is such a thing as a favorite Bracelyn, anyway).
“Never f— with a woman who has a handbag the size of Alaska,” she snarls at Andrea. “Or a woman with zero f—- left to give.”
I wouldn't dream of messing (I paraphrase...) with Vanessa, as she is a great heroine, capable, strong, hilarious, and the perfect match for Dean.
But the character who not only stole the show but my heart is Roughneck, hands-down. Oh, my heart! <3
I loved this book so much, and I can't wait to read more about the rest of the Judson clan!
ALL THE FEELS! GAH!
It was really easy for me to fall in serious like with prickly Harper pretty much from the get-go. I love how close her family is, and I especially appreciate how protective she is towards her brother.
Luke was a bit harder to warm up to, but once he had managed to sneak into my heart... jam donuts, was I rooting for him!
It was such a lovely, funny, heart-breaking story, I can't wait to read more by this new-to-me author!
Another solid cozy mystery with Ray - and Katie, of course - taking over the “sleuthery”. I truly enjoyed their banter and especially their unspoken communication. Some of those scenes truly made me laugh out loud. (It was so easy to see my parents - or my better half and me, for that matter - in situations like these...)
Aside from mystery, though, I feel for Ray, being overwhelmed with taking care of Katie all by himself, but reluctant to ask for help. That side plot felt really personal, and I kept rooting for him and Katie to find a solution they could both live with.
5/5 snort-laughing “Best. Dinner. Ever.” stars
I love a good second-chance romance, and in this case it's also frakkin' hilarious. :) This wonderful story made me laugh (a lot), cry (a little), and now I want to adopt every single crazy member of this extended family. Except for Gramps maybe, his level of crazy is way above my paygrade...
Unlimited bonus points for the Princess Bride references. <3
Funny and punny!
There is so much going on, everyone and their uncle seems to be scheming, there are shenanigans galore, hilarity ensues. To be honest, at times it got a bit confusing and I had some difficulties to keep everyone and everything straight.
But it sure is an entertaining read, it made me smile a lot, sometimes laughing out loud, and it seems obvious that the author had a lot of fun writing this quirky romp.
Finally! Garland's story! I felt so bad for him when Evan got “his” girl in the last book, but I have to say, Chloe is a great match for him, even if they got their signals crossed for most of the story.
Once again, the supporting characters make this story so much fun to read, and even though I have no idea if there is a plan for more books in the series, I'd love to read more of these sweet YA romances!
Awesome sequel!
I really liked “I Am Phantom”, but I love this sequel even more. Not only reconnecting with my favorite characters from book #1 - hi, Matt! Hello, Cody! -but also getting to know more potential (if involuntary) YA superheroes, turned out to be a lot of fun.
Sean Fletcher brings his usual sense of humor, plenty of action, a somewhat unlikely deus ex machina / mentor, some major d'oh! moments for Drake and his friends, and an ending that leaves just enough open questions for the story to - potentially - continue. (... although I don't think there will be any more books in the series. But if there were, I'd sure read them!)
If you ever wondered how a certain grumpy “old” wizard ended up with the Ramseys, here's your answer. Or if you simply want more stories with said grumpy wizard, here you go!
And if this first story in the new prequel series sounds familiar, it is because part of it has previously been published in the short story “Guardian of the Plundered Tomes”. “Know When to Run” builds on that and shows in much greater detail what can happen when you add a fugitive of the magic persuasion to your family.
As always, I'm here for all the Mort (Promethean Fire included), all the banter, and all the Ramsey shenanigans. Bring it on!
“I love derby,” I reply, slipping on my shoe. “It's probably the only thing that loves me back.”
***
Ah, Mari... It took me a little to warm up to this prickly and unconventional heroine, though my heart was breaking for her (and her Mom).
Seeing Evan slowly work his way behind those walls Mari has built up to protect herself was equally excrutiatig, endearing, and - at times - quite hilarious. Though, to be honest, Evan's grand-gesture speech made me tear up.
Kudos for Albie, who had the BFF part down pat and always had Mari's back, no matter what.
Cute and fun second-chance sports romance with just a little drama. Looking forward to reading more in the series!
Another fun and cute instalment of the series!
I thoroughly enjoyed watching laid-back Will trying to teach focused and driven Hazel how to have fun! And, boy, do these opposites attract - although Hazel does her darnedest to ignore (and deny) it for the longest time. (I may at one point have yelled at them to just KISS ALREADY!)
Looking forward to the next story in this series!
Mirth and Mayhem, indeed. :)
This one had me grinning from ear to ear! It is a very special (not to say cringe-worthy and hilarious) treat getting to know a young, hormonally challenged Brad. And I especially enjoyed Mort grudgingly adapt to his life on the run and become the murderous, yet strangely caring curmudgeon I've come to know in the other series.
Bonus points for the Lonestar cameo (if only by name).
Welcome back to Invertary!
It is made clear on the very first pages that this story is, indeed, set in Invertary, too - and it's friggin' brilliant to be back in this zany little town in the Scottish highlands! Even if there weren't some familiar faces making an appearance, I'd still be hooked on this new cast of characters - not only Katya and Brodie, whose second-chance “fake marriage of inconvenience” (or however you want to call their mess of a relationship) makes for one wildly entertaining story. The whole MacGregor clan as well as the Savages are a hoot, and I can't wait to read more about them!