Tag: Romance (Page 10 of 104)

BOOK REVIEW: The Marriage Game (Marriage Game #1) by Sara Desai

BOOK REVIEW: The Marriage Game (Marriage Game #1) by Sara DesaiThe Marriage Game (Marriage Game #1)
by Sara Desai
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A high stakes wager pits an aspiring entrepreneur against a ruthless CEO in this sexy romantic comedy.

After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn’t know he’s arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door…

As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.

As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game.

Review:

With an enemies to lovers vibe, and forced proximity, The Marriage Game was a lot of fun!  I listened to the audiobook and was swept away.  From the beginning, I found myself laughing.  I absolutely adored Layla Patel!  She was someone I would want to be besties with.  And the moment Sam showed up on the pages and stepped in to help out, I was a goner!  Layla and Sam together were everything…. fighting over the office, going over her resume, attending dates together, I loved every minute of it!  The tension between them was alive and intense.  I had so many favorite moments and Layla’s family and Sam’s friends just added another layer that made their story leap from the pages.

“It also says here that you’re a good girl.” His voice dropped to a sensual purr and he leaned toward her. “Are you a good girl, Layla? You seem very bad to me. If you need a husband who can keep you in line, you’ll have to up your game.”

Yet I did have a hiccup.  After 75% something happened, but I don’t know all of the details.  And questions about that weren’t brought up, so there were no answers.  It left my gut churning with the what ifs.  The story closed with a fabulous ending, yet the unknown about something just hit me too hard.  Regardless, I will definitely be trying another book by Desai, and I hope I love every part of it!

BOOK REVIEW: The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez

BOOK REVIEW: The Next Best Fling by Gabriella GamezThe Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years—and when he gets engaged, she knows it’s long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she’s in love with. When she discovers Theo's plans to confess his feelings for his brother’s fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him—despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.

Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed. Soon, they find themselves exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela's bed. There are no boundaries for the rebound relationship they form—just a host of complicated feelings, messy familial dynamics, and uncovered secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they can even admit to themselves that their rebound is working. Maybe a little too well.

Review:

The Next Best Fling was an adult romance that had elements of fake dating, sports romance, and a love square in the pages.  This story was a quick read that you could easily binge on the beach.

He wants the bride, she wants the groom.  But what if all they really want. . . is each other?

Theo Young was an ex-NFL player whose brother was getting married.  And he was in love with the bride to be.  Marcela Ortiz had previously dated the groom, was besties with him, and she was still in love with him.  This setup for a drama filled book.  Yet when everyone assumed Theo and Marcela were together, they went with the farce.  And end up trying not to fall for one another in the process.

“You’re not awful.” His fingers brush my hair away from my tear-stained face. “We’re in the same boat. And it’s gonna sink no matter who knows.”

I adored Theo; he was sweet, kind and had a huge heart.  Marcela had a lot of internal thoughts that I felt like I could skim.  I just couldn’t connect with her all the way.  Especially since she kept truths from Theo, whereas Theo laid his cards toward the bride on the table.  Yet Theo and Marcela’s moments together were steamy and fun.  I liked how they tried to put one another’s nerves at ease while forming what felt like a true friendship.  

I never saw him coming.

With adorable dates, spicy scenes, and heartfelt conversations, this book had a lot going for it!  But with all the drama, which was considerable, there were also self-sabotage moments that just didn’t sit well with me.  Plus, there was an epilogue at the end, but I felt like there wasn’t any part of their future secured.  It felt more like an additional chapter.  While this book didn’t necessarily resonate deep within my heart, I feel like plenty of people will still adore this story!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

BOOK REVIEW: Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny HolidayCanadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can't go to prom. I'm going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him again...

Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”

The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all—believing in herself.

Review:

The audiobook of Canadian Boyfriend was beautifully done!  I loved that we alternated between the two main characters within each chapter.  That they spoke their own parts.  It was how I wish all audiobooks would play out.  It made the story effortless to listen to.  Plus, Mike’s voice?!  Sigh.  He easily swept me under his spell!

Canadian Boyfriend was a lot of fun, while also having a deeper emotional side.  With panic attacks, healing from the death of someone you love, and more, this story packed an emotional punch.  And I even found myself crying when Olivia, Mike’s daughter, confided why she was doing something.  But on the other side of the coin, there were so many moments that had me constantly smiling and laughing out loud.  I loved Mike and Rory together.  The steamy moments, the dancing, even mealtime rounded out this story so wonderfully! 

As this pages unfolded, it felt like there was a second chance for so many of the characters.  My only hiccup was how many times Aurora said the full name of Mike Martin lol.  I wish I had an ebook so I could look that up!  But I’m so glad that I listened to the audiobook, it was fabulous to listen to!  So if you adore the single dad trope, sports romance, and forced proximity, then definitely add this one to your tbr!

*I voluntarily listened and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Filthy Rich Fae (Filthy Rich Fae #1) by Geneva Lee

BOOK REVIEW: Filthy Rich Fae (Filthy Rich Fae #1) by Geneva LeeFilthy Rich Fae (Filthy Rich Fae #1)
by Geneva Lee
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Cate Holloway knows the unspoken rule of New Orleans: avoid the powerful Gage crime family at all costs. Of course, that was before her brother got caught in their chaos. Now

Cate has no choice but to confront the dark and forbidding prince of New Orleans himself and beg for her brother’s life.

But Lachlan Gage is as lethal as he is beautiful…and the only currency he’s interested in is her soul.

Because Lachlan isn’t just some ruthless criminal. He’s fae. And he has his own secret reasons for binding her to him.

Tricked and desperate, Cate is torn between humanity and the breathtaking Otherworld. A place filled with shadows and secrets, with members of each fae court plotting against her just as her captor’s motives for trapping her become more mysterious.

And if she can’t break this sinister bargain in the next thirty days, she’ll be bound to the inscrutable yet infuriatingly tempting fae prince and his deadly world…forever.

Review:

Filthy Rich Fae was a quick read that was a lot of fun!  With a little bit of an enemies to lovers vibe and the heroine being a captive, I flew through this book.  The banter and tension was done so well.  And I loved that I was already smiling and laughing after a couple of chapters in.  Plus, while I thought I knew where the storyline was going, those last few pages had me so excited for what’s to come next!

Unhinged.  Vicious.  Merciless.  That’s what they called him.  I’d followed him blindly, and now he had me trapped.

Cate Holloway bargained her life away to save her brother.  And she found herself trapped with the fae.  Lachlan Gage was a fae, drug lord, criminal, and not someone you would ever want to cross.  Yet Cate had a death wish at times.  She planned to kill the fae prince, so she could escape.  Yet that’s not how her story played out at all!

“Like cute little garden pixies with wings?  Is That what you are?”
His upper lip curled to reveal his sharp teeth, a guttural snarl rumbling from him.

Cate was selfless and someone who always wanted to take care of others.  Yet she definitely made mistakes.  The safety, oh girl, I was laughing at you for that one.  But despite her being challenging at times, I liked her.  I found myself easily rooting for her!  And I wanted to know every single thought she had about Lachlan!

Wrong.  It was so wrong.  Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that, but I didn’t care.  Not as his hands swept up to cradle my neck and his fingers tangled in my hair.  Not as I lost myself to him.  Not as the line between my anger and my attraction to him blurred.

Lachlan messed with Cate so beautifully!  I loved the sexual tension between them, and it was so much fun.  But most of all I loved when Lach showed us that yes, he did have a heart.  Yet there were so many secrets swirling around him, and at times he seemed to speak in riddles.  I couldn’t help but be intrigued, just like Cate.  

My soul was on the line, and I didn’t care.  Not when the touch of his skin seared me to the bone.  Not when I only felt alive kissing him.

I was fascinated with their world and felt like we only got little peaks here and there.  For not only their magic but what is beyond the veil too.  I’m excited to learn more in future book(s)!  And my favorite side character was Lach’s sister, Ciara.  I could easily read a book just from her point of view!  I’ll definitely be reading the next book! 

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Tower of Tempest (Stolen Crowns #3) by Tee Harlowe

BOOK REVIEW: Tower of Tempest (Stolen Crowns #3) by Tee HarloweTower of Tempest (Stolen Crowns #3)
by Tee Harlowe
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

I might be sheltered, but I’m smart enough to know that I can’t fall for the playboy prince—or his charms.

I’ve spent my life locked in a tower with nothing but books and my gran to keep me company. Until the day she disappears. Despite Gran’s warnings about never leaving, I’ve finally discovered a way out, and I’m going to find her.

At least that’s the plan. Until some idiot decides to rescue me. Instead, he almost gets us both killed. Worse, I discover he’s Lochlan Aster, the famous playboy prince, one of the most eligible bachelors on the continent and a shameless flirt.

I don’t trust him, but his offer to help find my gran is too tempting. I know nothing about this magical—and dangerous—world around me, nothing about myself. As Lochlan and I work together, pieces of my past click together, and I learn more about who put me in that tower—and why. Yet the biggest danger might be the prince’s reason for helping me—a secret that won’t just break the trust I’m finally learning to build, but my heart along with it.

Tower of Tempest is book three in Stolen Crowns, a series of steamy standalone but interconnected fairytale retellings. This Rapunzel meets Anastasia retelling is perfect for fans of banter, (very) snarky heroines, and slow-burn romance.

Review:

Tower of Tempest was an adult romance retelling of Rapunzel mixed with Anastasia!  If you adore adventure, found family, Disney meets romantasy, and some steam, then definitely add this one to your tbr!  And while this can be read as a standalone, I can’t recommend reading the previous books in this series enough!

You couldn’t help but want to be around him just to bask in his light, that some of it might guide you out of your own darkness.

Poppy was a winged heroine who lived an extremely sheltered life.  She had spent her life in a tower with her Gran.  And if you have read the previous books, you’ll know that Gran having shadow magic was a huge red flag.  While Gran may have loved her, there had to be more to the story.  Of why Poppy was hidden away and Gran’s backstory.  As the story unfolded, I loved trying to put the clues together to figure it out!

“Loch,” I whispered, his face so close to mine, “thank you for coming for me.”
“I’ll always come for you,” he said. “Haven’t you learned that by now?”

Lochlan Aster, the cinnamon roll playboy prince, had been dreaming of a woman trapped in a tower.  When he finally came across that tower, I loved how his rescue of Poppy played out.  I was laughing and smiling so much!  Yet Poppy didn’t make Loch’s life easy.  She was unsure of who she could trust, whereas Loch was used to women falling at his feet.  He was so sure of himself, and I loved that Poppy made him work for it every step of the way! 

“I think I might want to do that again,” I said. “At some point, I’m pretty sure I saw actual stars.”
“Give me a minute.” I felt his mouth curve into a smile against my head. “And I’ll show you every damn constellation in the sky.”

Poppy and Loch were absolutely adorable together.  They were a sunshine x sunshine, and their banter was so much fun!  Yet Poppy’s lack of trust made me struggle with her from time to time.  Granted I grew attached to Loch in the last book, and I wanted Poppy to see all that I saw.  Watching their friendship grow was heartwarming.  And the carriage scene was one of my favorite moments in this story!  Rounding out this story were Driscoll and Leoni and I am keeping my fingers crossed that Driscoll gets his own story!  I love him so much!

Driscoll’s eyes widened. “Plot twist.”

Tower of Tempest painted a beautiful story that was so effortless to follow and enjoy.   I loved how elements of the original tales were twisted into this tale.  It made it exciting and fun!  And while a few of my guesses were correct, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.  So, if you’re looking for a retelling story that you can fly through while smiling and laughing, definitely give this book and series a try.  I can’t wait to see what happens next, and I have all the guesses for who it’ll be!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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