Regina
And now for something completely different...
With Hotel Caledonia, J.S. Morin ventures into - at least for the Black Ocean books and the various spin-off series - unfamiliar territory with this whodunit reminding me of the “genre-classics” like Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers.
Only... on an alien planet. Under water. And with magic and dolphhins and my favorite crew of do-gooders.
I love this series!
Who'd've thunk that player Clay could redeem himself and make quite a credible rom-com hero? To be honest, I had my doubts - but Roseanne Beck pulled it off beautifully.
I already liked non-stereotypical yoga teacher Ellie in the previous two books, and she's a fun heroine who is a perfect match for Clay.
Ellie's family adds some hilarious family dynamics to the mix, Nana makes a special guest (ghost?) appearance, and St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, earns an honorable mention.
All in all, 4.5/5 stars.
And now please excuse me, I need to go and google what the cry of an ocelot sounds like.
What I truly like about Nala Henkel-Aislinn's books is that they always make me smile. :)
Granted, this one made me cry and swoon as well...
I loved getting to know formidable legal technician - NOT a lawyer ;) - Rally (whom I'd ‘met' first in Blueprint For Love, book #1 in the series) and her match Phil (once again, one of the reallyreally good guys). They make a great couple, and they deserve each other (in the best possible sense).
The supporting cast is awesome, too - especially Rally's boss Gordon. And Rally's BFFs, of course, whose stories I want to read now, too...
4.5 / 5 stars
This opposites-attract story is a fun addition to the Cranberry Hill series.
I love Summer as a heroine, because she feels real, she fesses up and apologizes when she's messed up, and because she's passionate about the people and the things that are important to her.
Landis makes a great counterpart as the not-quite-your-typical media tycoon, and I enjoyed how their relationship evolved over the course of the story.
Bonus points for the supporting cast, in this case Katy and Mitch, Carson (looking forward to reading his story!), and - of course - Landis's mother, Evelyn.
This was a fun read!
I think what I liked most about the story was Davin - hands down. I liked how, over the course of the story, he learned to open up and let some happiness, colour, and even over-the-top peppy goodness (in short: Avery) into his life.
I also like how the author plays with various rom-com clichés and blatantly and unapologetically hits the reader over the head with them. :)
What didn't work for me was Davin breaking the 4th wall - that would have worked better with a visual medium like comics/graphic novels or movies IMO.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
4/5 stars
(I'd give the first 70% (or so) of the story 4.5 stars, it kind of fizzled out for me after that to more of a 3.5 star rating.)
I LOVE this Invertary-Sinclair Sisters-Benson Security crossover!
To be fair, I'm a big fan of all three series, so I may have been mildly interested* even before I read a single word. And all the things I love about all three series came together beautifully in Agnes's story!
All the wackiness, all the banter, all the sexiness, all the strong family bonds, all the heart-warming feels - it's all there. Plus Betty.
In a way, this book feels like one big, fat family reunion. If your family is somewhat crazy and dysfunctional but still mostly lovable. Even Betty. Maybe.
I loved Agnes and Logan, not only do they make a fantastic couple, they both bring their awesome families into the mix. Special shout-out to Logan's daughter Darcy, who became one of my favourite Invertarians in a heartbeat.
* Who am I kidding? I was absolutely stoked!
What an absolutely delightful story!
I adore Flora and Dean - their meet-cute is definitely on the memorable side, they make great friends and an even greater couple.
I also enjoyed M.K. and Clay's romance - and the part they play in their respective BFFs' lives.
Bonus points for Flora's dislike for heels, assorted geeky references, and - last but not least - for Dean's last name being Coulson. ‘Nuff said.
This cute and funny story is the first book I've read by Holly Kerr, but it sure won't be the last!
4.5/5
Despite being such a short, quick read, this story packs quite an emotional punch. Sweet, heart-warming, with likeable and relatable characters, this well-written story also provides an interesting twist to the Cinderella theme and makes me want to read more by this author.
Whoa... What a ride!
I'm sad to say goodbye to the crew of the Mobius, and I am happy that there are already two spin-off series (Astral Prime and Mercy For Hire), so that I don't feel quite so abandoned.
(Plus, I'm hoping for maybe a prequel series or something like that... :) )
All. The. Swoons.
Once more I found myself falling in love with Kait Nolan's characters, (metaphorical) warts and all - not only Athena and Logan, but also Ari and the rest of the Reynolds clan.
(And that Ponderosa Resort crossover... I may have squealed like the fangirl I am. <3)
This story can absolutely be read as a standalone (it's the first book in the series I've read).
To be honest, this one was a bit painful to read. I felt for Eden and Dylan, and watching them make some truly cringeworthy decisions made me think about how everyone does things they probably regret later. (And no, that doesn't only apply to teenagers.)
That being said, I'm happy how things turned out for these two - even if things might have gone a lot faster/smoother, if only Dylan had talked to his best friend sooner...
Having met both main characters in previous books, I really enjoyed getting to know Stella and Carson (and Pete) better in this fun enemies-to-lovers story.
I like that both “glamorous socialite” Stella and “somewhat arrogant Michelin-star chef” Carson are more than the roles they were cast in, and their vulnerabilities make them into human beings rather than cardboard cutouts.
I loved how their friends and family tried to help Cupid out. :)
To be honest, this is a bit difficult for me to rate. For the most part, I felt sorry for Chloe, and even though there were funny moments, I found the overall story arc a bit depressing.
But I reallyreally liked the resolution, and some of the supporting characters were great (Chloe's mom is a hoot!).
On the technical side, I wish the editing and proofreading had gotten a bit more TLC.
3.5 / 5 stars
“Glad you're not dead.”
“Likewise.”
Don't let this exchange fool you - in this fast-paced sequel to Mage's Apprentice, everyone's lives are at stake, and Sean Fletcher won't let you forget it.
The ongoing fight against evil takes Aspen and her friends from New York to Scotland, where they aim to join forces with the Court of the Arcane Arts - though not even the most powerful Mages seem to stand a chance against this otherworldly foe.
I am definitely looking forward to the boss battle in book #3!
Grace and Scott are likeable and relatable protagonists (not that I've ever been a celebrity with drug problems, or ever worked in Hollywood at all, but hey...).
Their story feels real, and I love seeing their relationship grow from mutual dislike into something bordering on respect, then a tentative friendship, and then - finally! - into so much more.
The problems and hang-ups they face are realistic and dealt with in a grown-up manner.
This is the first book in the series I have read, but now Rising Star is definitely on my TBR pile!
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!
What a charming story!
I really liked Ben and Lilly, and theirs is truly a meet-cute.
This was pretty much my gateway drug to Tami Franklin's books (I'm currently reading the Holiday Junction series. :)
Heart-wrenching, yet uplifting story about loss and resilience, friendship, and love.
Cindy and JJ's story was a very emotional read for me. Kelsie Stelting managed to break my heart on page one, when it became clear what was about to happen. I'm grateful that, by the end of the story, she managed to piece it together again.
One of my favorite quotes: “How do you make a blind girl happy when all she wants is to see the stars?”
“We all have an inner wild man,” she says. “Or woman. You're just scared to death of yours.”
Oh, James... So far, he's probably my favorite Bracelyn (although I might have felt that way about each of them in their respective books - do I detect a pattern here?), and I'm in awe at the scale he manages to mess things up - and still gets to pull off his HEA.
To be fair, if it weren't for the equally amazeballs Lily, who excels at pushing just the right stuck-up-lawyer buttons, this story wouldn't be half as heartbreaking, or hilarious, or sexy.
Can't wait to read the next book in this wonderful series!
Can't wait for the next book in the series!
Red Awakening is a fast-paced emotional roller coaster that gave me ALL THE FEELS. Snort-laughing one moment, swooning the next, and ugly-crying right after that - not to forget all the nail-biting...
Mace is a marvelous paradox, being a stubborn sort-of-viking with jerk-y tendencies, but also a determined protector (especially of those of the female persuasion). Keiko - just the perfect mix of strong, vulnerable, plus a bit naive where her employer is concerned - is an excellent match for him and a great addition to the Red Team family.
(Also: No spoilers, but I LOVE Mace's other half!)
ALL THE FEELS!
I fell in love with Cassie and Roman in “Jesse and the Ice Princess”, and their story was just so heartbreaking, yet also hopeful, sweet, and sometimes outright funny. It's not only a romance, but also a story about family (which istn't limited to the one you were born into) and about dealing with trauma - and healing.
Like the first book, it is beautifully written, and I can't wait to read more in the series!
Queens of Mana delves deeper into the story of Poli‘ahu and paints just as complex a portrait of the Snow Queen as the previous books did for Namaka and Pele, while also bringing all the overarcing previous story lines together in a satisfying close.
I feel like there are even more thematic echoes from the Norse Eschaton than in the previous two books, tying these myths from opposite sides of the world together and weaving them all into one big mythological tapestry.
On a more personal note, this is my favorite book in the trilogy - not only because the world is not quite ending and not everybody dies... ;)
Fun and sexy rom-com with fantastic characters.
Ari is a strong, fun, and sassy heroine (plus, her family is a hoot!), and I really liked smooth-talking Jax and their witty banter, to say nothing of their chemistry.
But I'll admit that there was a point in the story where both Ari and Jax were just so stubborn and... gah!... that I felt like thwacking them over their respective heads, Mamá-Amante-style.
I adore Lola - and I especially enjoyed to see how her relationship with Jax developed, especially as more and more of the backstory was revealed. Their verbal sparring cracked me up! :)
The story can be read as a standalone, but to get the full effect of the Carolina Connection posse, it helps to have read at least some of the other books in the series.
This is the first book in the series that I have read.
I really like the idea behind the story, and the characters were fun to spend my time with.
The writing was sometimes a bit slow for me (there are many thorough descriptions of mundane actions, along the lines of ‘both characters get out of the car, then close the doors, character 1 locks the car with the key fob in his pocket...'), and a number of typos/mistakes were a bit distracting.
But all in all still an entertaining read, and I'd like to read at least the first book in the series proper.