Tag: Romance (Page 18 of 104)

BOOK REVIEWS: Sleighed by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward and The Holiday Trap by Roan Parri

January 8, 2024 / Jen / 1 Comment

Sleighed by Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Get Sleighed
When my ex dumped me right before Christmas, I was left with a luxury, all-expense paid trip for two to Cabo—private jet and all. Somehow, my best friend roped me into giving away the other half of the trip as a contest prize on her podcast. Kelly won the “World’s Worst Dump Story.” She and I didn’t meet until we arrived at the airport, which was when I discovered she was actually a he. Apparently we’d forgotten to include open to women only in the rules. My trip to Cabo started as a disaster, but as time went on Kelly and I grew close. Until someone unexpectedly showed up…

Lights out Love
Cole is utterly annoyed by his neighbor Josie’s obnoxious Christmas display. When she blows out power on the street, he marches over and lets her know what he thinks of the mess she’s made. But when the only generator in town brings the two nemeses together…the Christmas display isn’t the only thing burning bright.

Hot Item
Getting into a fight with a sexy stranger over the last hot toy on the shelf was not the way I intended to spend Christmas Eve. And I certainly didn’t plan on spending hours more trying to win a contest to decide who would get to buy it. But when our time is up, would the toy be the only hot item I wanted to take home?

Review:

Sleighed was filled with three short holiday stories that were a quick, fun read! Here’s my quick thoughts on each story….

Get Sleighed
Rating: 4 stars

We sat there with our battery- operated Santa playing music and sipped our eggnog while munching on cookies. Despite being too hot, this was my favorite Christmas in a very long time.

This was my favorite and I wish it was a full length novel. It was fun, flirty and made me smile so much! I adored Kelly, who was a quirky book boyfriend that was impossible not to fall in love with. He added so much joy. I loved his dancing Stanta playing music haha. And the necklace ohhhh so sweet! This was a cute story and while there was talk of sex, there was no steam on the pages.

Lights Out Love
Rating: 3.5 stars

“Cole here is going to help us lift out those heavy nutcrackers.”
I smirked at him. “Cole? Is that your real name or what old Saint Nick leaves in your stocking because you’re such a scrooge?”

This story dealt with a scroogey man named Cole, who was jaded from his ex. And then there was Josie who had all the Christmas joy in the world. I loved how she started to help Cole find the Christmas spirit. And his manger scene was absolutely hilarious! Their story was cheesy, adorable goodness, and will warm your heart!

Hot Item
Rating: 3 stars

Out of the three stories, this one had the best banter that was also so much fun! This story was about a single mom and a man who brought joy to her family. Their story is one I felt like could have benefited the most with a longer story. But it was still heartwarming.

The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Greta Russakoff loves her tight-knit family and tiny Maine hometown, but they can't seem to understand what it's like to be a lesbian living in such a small world. When an act of familial meddling goes way too far, she realizes just how desperately she needs space to figure out who she is.

Truman Belvedere's heart is crushed when he learns that his boyfriend has a secret life including a husband and daughter. Reeling, all he wants is a place to lick his wounds far, far away from Louisiana.

Enter a mutual friend with a life-altering idea: swap homes for the holidays. For one perfect month, Greta and Truman will have a chance to experience a whole new world…and maybe fall in love with the partner of their dreams. But all holidays must come to an end, and eventually these two transplants will have to decide whether the love (and found family) they each discovered so far from home is worth fighting for.

Review:

I think I need to make a resolution not to read books that have below a 3.6 rating on Goodreads. I felt like this book dragged on, I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the characters, and I couldn’t ever find it in me to care.

I wasn’t ever a fan of Greta or Carys. Greta was awkward and as someone who doesn’t mind cussing, here’s a heads up that she cusses and says wow a lot. I wish I wasn’t listening to the audio format so I could have searched how many wow’s there were in this book lol. But one of the things I struggled with the most, was I kept wondering what Greta ever saw in Carys. Yes she was pretty and there was passion between them, but that’s it. And while Carys could be kind, when she wanted to, she was finicky more times than not. Her explanations could be seen as condescending and she could be rude without even trying. Also I have to say that being pressed up to a tomb is not hot imo. That gave me a huge ick factor.

We also got a second romance in this book, which was Truman’s story. And I adored his romance, it was sweet and charming. When he met Ash, oh my heart it was so adorable and the two of them together balanced each other out so perfectly. They were kind, thoughtful and truly wanted the best for each other. But, here’s where the huge but comes in. Truman did something at the end of the story that is a huge NO in my world. Stalking is never okay! Imagine if you did what he did?! And then for it to be cheered for? That was not okay. I lost all the respect and love I had for Truman.

So this Christmas romance story, filled with two love stories, was not a hit for me. I won’t be reading any more of Roan Parrish’s romance stories.

BOOK REVIEWS: The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese & Unwrapping His Package by Cameron Hart

December 30, 2023 / Jen / 1 Comment

The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
He loathes the holidays. She loves them. She’s full of festive cheer. He’s brimming with Bah, Humbugs. Besides unreasonably seasonable names, the only thing Jonathan Frost and Gabriella Di Natale have in common is a healthy dose of mutual contempt. Well, that and the same place of employment at the city’s most beloved independent bookstore, Bailey’s Bookshop. But when the store’s owners confess its dire financial state, Jonathan and Gabby discover another unfortunate commonality: the imminent threat of unemployment.

With the Baileys’ requests to minimize expenses, win new customers, and make record sales dancing in their heads, Jonathan and Gabby conclude—barring a financial Christmas miracle—one of them will soon be cut from the payroll. Neither are willing to step down from their position, so they strike a bargain: whoever has more sales in December gets to stay on in the new year; the loser will resign. With a lifetime's worth of festive tricks up her sleeve, Gabby should easily outsell her nemesis, except the unreadable Mr. Frost’s every move seems purely designed to throw her off her game.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Gabby's deceptive ex won't quit pursuing her, and her anonymous online friend suggests they take a break. Worst of all, as the pressure mounts to save the bookshop and her job, Gabby meets a new, tender side of Jonathan. Is this the same man she's called her cold-hearted enemy?

Maybe he’s got a motive she just can’t figure out—or maybe Jonathan Frost isn’t as chilly as she once thought. Maybe Jonathan and Gabby already know—and love—each other in ways they never thought possible.

Review:

The Mistletoe Motive was an enemies to lovers that was filled with Christmas cheer. I loved how much holiday spirit was laced throughout the pages. And from the moment we met Jonathan Frost, aka Gabriella’s nemesis or so she says, you can completely tell he wants her from that first chapter! Johnathan was my favorite thing about this book and I adored how he protected her and how he could be a sexy, mystery. And while this book would typically be a huge hit for me, I just couldn’t connect to the characters or their romance. Even though I adored Jonathan. Plus it probably didn’t help that I kept thinking about two other books I absolutely adored so much more with two tropes in this book. For the workplace enemies to lovers, I kept thinking about how The Hating Game consumed my every thought while I was devouring that book. And the other trope about different forms of contact was in To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne and that story was breathtakingly addictive. Those two books I devoured. This one I had to push myself to finish and kept putting it down. It was cute and steamy but I just couldn’t click with it. So here’s hoping if you end up picking up this book, you’ll end up loving it more then me!

Unwrapping His Package by by Cameron Hart
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Indie: I trust my gut, the universe, and the healing power of sugar. I’ll admit I had my doubts in all three of those things when my sister wanted to move all the way here to Christmas, Michigan in the dead of winter. I’ve been scrambling to be the supportive sister after her messy divorce, but I’m exhausted. Just when I think I’m at my breaking point, I sense something. The universe is telling me it’ll all work out. I know my gut instinct is right when I see him. I instantly want to know everything about the tall, broad shouldered, blue-eyed man staring at me. I want to unwrap him layer by layer. All of him. Every single inch.

Walker: As a doctor, I trust my mind, science, and empirical evidence. Until I see her. The short, curvy minx stares right at me, her teal eyes gliding down my body. My chest tightens and I can’t catch my breath. I run through a list of symptoms and possible diagnoses, but nothing quite matches what I’m feeling. My condition only worsens the longer I look at her, yet I can’t bring myself to do anything else. Love at first sight isn’t possible, but one look at my pixie and I know she’s about to prove me wrong.

Review:

If you love erotica and insta love, then Unwrapping His Package is for you! With a virgin hero, an alpha male who had sensitive thoughts and a wintery setting, this book was setup for the perfect Christmas miracle story. Unfortunately, it was not for me.

“You’re perfect,” I murmur, skimming my hands up and down the sides of her torso, giving her the reassurance she needs. “Now let me unwrap my present.”

While I love novella stories, especially ones that are steamy and revolve around Christmas, this one made me roll my eyes quite a few times. From the moment Walker told Indie that he knew she was a virgin and nicknamed her pixie….ehhh it just didn’t do it for me. Indie was optimistic, I’ll give her that. Yet she fell under TSTL. It. Was. Painful. I read this with my local book club and one of my friends pointed out that if she was more intelligent it would have been hard for Walker to control her like he did so *shrugs*. I guess it all worked out for the best anyway. I did keep muttering that I hoped for Walker’s sake that Indie had a magical vagina, so she was worth the effort. And I guess he thought she did, but I didn’t feel like she did anything fabulous. So while Unwrapping His Package didn’t work for me, I did give it a few stars because of the steamy scenes. I just wish I would have felt something during those moments. There was an epilogue set five years in the future, so readers who fall in love with this book will be so happy when they get to that chapter!

BOOK REVIEW: How The Grump Saved Christmas by Claire Kingsley

December 29, 2023 / Jen / 1 Comment

How The Grump Saved Christmas by Claire Kingsley
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Hardworking Isabelle Cook has a serious problem. Her family farm, site of Tilikum’s Christmas Village, is in trouble. Big trouble. And worst of all? The man trying to buy it is none other than the grumpiest, grinchiest man of them all—Elias Stoneheart.

That’s a big nope. She’s not letting him get involved. Not with his heart made of coal.

Elias Stoneheart is in the business of making money, not friends. Especially when his boss is promising a long-awaited promotion. All he has to do is convince one struggling family to sell their farm.

The problem? It’s Cook Family Farm. And Isabelle Cook is his ex.

He might have history with Isabelle, but this is just business. A Christmas-loving farm girl is not going to come between him and his ambition.

And Christmas? He hates it. Christmas Village needs to go.

But as Elias spends time in the small town, holiday spirit—and Isabelle—get under his skin. And she might be the only one who can melt the ice around his heart.

Author’s Note: a sassy farm girl takes on a grumpy businessman in this stand-alone small-town Christmas romance. Saucy banter, a guard donkey, plenty of holiday cheer, and a heartwarming happily ever after that will make you believe in the magic of Christmas.

Review:

How the Grump Saved Christmas was a second chance, grumpy sunshine adult romance that was a lot of fun! With a Christmas tree farm, snow, hot cocoa with whipped cream and holiday sprinkles and lots of holiday cheer, this romance book was the perfect book to read in December!

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…
No, I wasn’t. I was dreaming of a cup of dark roast— the coffee here was exceptional— and the shot of Irish whiskey I was going to add to it that were going to get me through the rest of this nightmare of an afternoon.

Elias was such a cynic and a complete grump. In that first chapter alone he showed us what a jerk he could be. Especially when he took on the job to convince his ex’s family to sell their land so his company could build a data center. Not only would he get a promotion if the sale went through, but that ex wasn’t just any old ex. She was the woman he had wanted to marry. So I tried to find little clues here and there that he had a heart. You could see them if you looked closely….like when he threatened Damien that he would kill him if he bothered his assistant again haha. So when he came face to face with Isabelle again, I loved how she affected him. And how she slowly started to change him too!

My heart tried to do something. Start beating again, maybe. Whatever it was, it hurt and I did not like it.
Straightening my shoulders, I swallowed back the sensation. Forced it behind a wall of ice where it wouldn’t get in the way.
When she turned to face me, her eyes widening with surprise, I didn’t even flinch.
Despite the fact that she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

This story alternated between the two of them and I adored Isabelle! She had a strong work ethic, loved her family, and adored the tiny town she lived in. Yet her parents’ farm was struggling. They were in so much debt, and while selling financially made sense, it hurt Isabelle’s heart to think about it. But thankfully she was surrounded by a strong community and the most amazing best friends. And an ex that was starting to remind her why she fell in love with him years ago in the first place.

There was no slow-motion retreat filled with angst. His cold eyes left mine and he turned around and walked away.

When we got to hear Elais’ backstory, oh my Santa, I hurt for his 11 year old self. I understood how he turned into what he was. But I still wanted to see him become the man I knew he could be! So I was elated that we still had so many moments of happiness with Elias. I was screaming during some of the moments with Isabelle’s parents. This story was so much fun while also touching on the emotional side!

“How do I look at her?”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “Like you want to jingle her bells.”
I groaned.

Small town romance, friendship and love made this Christmas story shine brightly! While there was steam on the pages, it wasn’t detailed. And the side characters could have easily held their own book. Cole was a farmhand who was such a good friend! And I adored Alice and her daughter Maddie! Their endings made me shed happy tears! I also Isabelle’s parents too! So with moments that will not only warm your heart but make you laugh out loud too, this book was a blast! This is my first book by Claire Kingsley, and I am looking forward to discovering more of her backlist books!

BOOK REVIEW: The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

December 28, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In this unforgettable story full of charm, wit—and just a bit of magic—a woman down on her luck is given a second chance at fixing her life and trying one year all over again. Perfect for readers of Josie Silver and Rebecca Serle.

Sadie Thatcher’s life has fallen apart in spectacular fashion. In one fell swoop, she managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend—all thanks to her big mouth. So when a fortune teller offers her one wish, Sadie jumps at the chance to redo her awful year. Deep down, she doesn’t believe magic will fix her life, but taking a leap of faith, Sadie makes her wish, opens her eyes, and . . . nothing has changed. And then, in perhaps her dumbest move yet, she kisses her brother’s best friend, Jacob.

When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she’s in her former apartment with her former boyfriend, and her former boss is expecting her at work. Checking the date, she realizes it's January 1 . . . of last year. As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to see the red flags she missed in her relationship and in her career. Plus, she keeps running into Jacob, and she can’t stop thinking about their kiss . . . the one he has no idea ever happened. Suddenly, Sadie begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.

Review:

The Second Chance Year was a brother’s best friend romance that asked the question, what if you made different choices? How would your life turn out? This was an adult romance story that was so easy to read and enjoy!

What if someone had looked into a crystal ball last December and warned me about the terrible year I was about to have? Would I have done something differently?

Sadie Thatcher was at the end of her horrible year. Her boyfriend broke up with her. She was fired from her job. And she was living at her brother’s best friend’s apartment, while her parents were demeaning her life decisions. When a New Year’s party sent her back to January 1st, of the worst year of her life, she thought she could change fate. And how things worked out. Little did Sadie know she was in for a huge life lesson!

He lets out a small laugh, shaking his head, and he seems almost bitter. “I’ve wanted the same thing all my life. But…” His expression darkens. “I’ve never had the courage to reach out and grab it.”

Jacob was my absolute favorite! He was a delicious marshmallow who was smart, kind and oh so thoughtful. In the past, I loved how he noticed little things about Sadie. And in Sadie’s New Year, he was still shy, but she saw so much more of him. I loved all of her extra moments with Jacob. How their relationship grew. How there were bumps along the way. And nothing was truly easy.

I never thought I’d wish to have that year back, instead of this one.

Sadie was so easy to like. She could be rough around the edges, but she stood up for those she cared for. And in trying to fix all of her wrongs in the past, it left her a different person. She was muted and that created situations to go completely sideways. So I loved how as the year went on, we spent a chapter or few in each month, that she saw things in a different light. That she grew as a person. And realized exactly who she wanted to be.

This friendship with Jacob is a second chance I’m truly grateful for.

Rounding out this story was her amazing brother, Owen, and I adored her friendships with Zoe and Mrs. Kaminski. There were also her parents, who I severely struggled with. And Xavier and her ex whom I have so many horrible thoughts about. But what stood out was that each character was unique and made a stamp on Sadie’s life.

It’s all coming together just like I wanted it to.

The Second Chance Year was a heartwarming, adult romance that analyzes ones choices. While it dealt with heavier topics of sexism, sexual harassment and even bullying, the characters in this story and their interaction and lives added so much lightness to the pages. So while I guessed how quite a few things played out, I still enjoyed this story. And I’ll be looking forward to future releases from Melissa Wiesner.

PS I want to know which Tom Petty song please. 🙂

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

BOOK REVIEW: To Kill a Shadow (Mistlands #1) by Katherine Quinn

December 27, 2023 / Jen / 1 Comment

To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Jude Maddox knows nothing of love or even light. He knows only his grim duty as the Hand of Death, to lead the Knights of the Eternal Star into a land filled with nightmares and certain demise. It’s only when he sees her―a young woman with wild, amber eyes who’s as fierce, defiant, and swift as the shadow beasts themselves―that he feels the warmth of life in his blood…

The other Knights may fear their lethal commander, with his hard, merciless demeanor. Outcast Kiara Frey sees only a leader, a man who knows how to survive. Someone like her. But wanting him is as treacherous as the shadows themselves…and just as seductive.

With a kingdom on the verge of collapse, the Knights must now venture into the darkest heart of the land and uncover the secrets of the misted shadows, where evil will prey upon their minds and feast on their flesh.

It will betray their senses.
It will surpass their nightmares.
Most of them will die.

Review:

To Kill a Shadow was a young adult romantasy that was set in a dark and deadly world! Foreshadowing, death, angst, unthinkable choices, and creatures that were made from nightmares bled through the pages. So in a world that was surrounded in gloom and shadows, I loved that the romance was the lightness to not only this story, but to each of the characters too.

Fate might have brought me here, but from now on, I would be the one to choose my destiny.

Kiara Frey was a fierce and brave heroine that was so easy to connect with. Her thoughts were enjoyable and I loved how she stood up for others. She had no problems doling out violence and her courage landed her right in Jude Maddox’s sights. Jude was known as the Hand of Death and while he was out collecting boys to become the Knights of the Eternal Star, he ended up taking Kiara along too, instead of her brother. Their kingdom was up against so much unknown and it all led us on a wild ride!

“He smiles,” I teased, knowing I was poking the beast. I didn’t care. “And here I thought you would crack if you smiled. Shame.”
Jude caught his breath, eyeing me from beneath thick lashes . “You’d have liked that, wouldn’t you?”
“Immensely,” I answered, unable to keep the smile from widening on my own face.

Kiara and Jude were both my favorite characters in this story. Right away I loved how Jude was a complete mystery. He seemed like an assassin, worked for the crown, yet I had so many questions. When the darkness seemed to swallow him whole, he still had this kindness that would peak out at times for Kiara. Whether he was leaving something that would help her, or even just his words, each time he showed kindness it made me fall that much harder for him. And as we learned about his past, it was hard not to feel so much pain when it came to him. Jude was a tortured soul so many will fall for!

Ironic how the very man I once thought I despised now rendered me speechless.

There were so many moments that were memorable within this story. The bathing scene. The library. So many more I won’t even mention. Just know that their conversations were fun and smile inducing. There were also other characters in the story, and while I liked a few of them, I was greedy and only wanted Kiara and Jude. With adventure set out in front of them, or maybe it was even a death sentence, I was gripped to the pages to see what would happen next!

I didn’t think as I bolted, didn’t consider what I ran toward. There was only instinct and a desperate need to act.
To slay the darkness itself.

To Kill a Shadow was a young adult romantasy set in a blood thirsty world. While we are given clues as the story proceeded, so much was wrapped in mystery. And by that final page we were given so many answers, yet we were also left begging for more! I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next and will be reading the second book in this series.

“You say you’re a monster”— he dug deeper into the wound, and tears streaked my cheeks—“ but a monster didn’t rescue me, didn’t make me believe in hope again.”

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