Friday

Review: Just a Kiss by Ally Broadfield



Review:

Oh, I’m just so excited! After I read this book, my very first book from Ms. Ally Broadfield, I directly went to her website and searched up her booklist. Sadly she only had this book which I believe now is her debut book -Hooray!!!- But I checked up her upcoming books and she has more works coming!!! An anthology with other authors and…….A sequel to Just A Kiss!!!! Squeals~!!! Sadly I have to wait till 2015!!! Why~? :’(

But I’m hoping she has more ideas for this series because I’m concocting my own ideas for fellow secondary characters and already have my couples lined up from the beginning! I know right, I’m crazy like that.

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Sebastian, Lord Marley is just the most adorable hero out there. He’s the most sought out bachelor in the ton and his cute grandmother has hopes for him to wed before she gets too old to live. And because he loves her dearly, he complies. But what happens when he finds his interests lies in the form of a penniless girl being rudely ridiculed by more fortunate girls at a ball? Help her of course!

Charlotte Lightwood is orphaned and is going to be forced to marry her wretched sister-in-law’s clammy horrid of a cousin if she doesn’t find a suitable suitor to marry, pronto! Having no title or dowry to her name that’s going to be tough but as luck will have it a certain Lord has a proposition for her in the form of help him secure a suitable wife and he’ll help her find a suitable husband. But what happens when she finds that he may be the one but wants her help to secure her friend’s hand? Well, despite having feelings for him, she’ll let him help her find a suitor, anyone is better than that horrid of a cousin, a rake or a blue-collar.

Both these characters hit it off from the start and I highly enjoyed their conversations. They didn’t hold back and spoke plainly to each other. They have back to back jeers that were very fun to follow and show so much of their personality and character outside of their social status. They’re both easy going, kind loving characters and always think of others. They’re both also strong independently and dislike the rules of the ton on how one should act and stuff. They find it so, unbelievable.

The storyline moved smoothly with the setting and plans they had in place to find suitable spouses for each other. The only thing that I had a problem with was the word choices chosen. Some of them were too modern for me to be used for the time period. There were very little of them that it didn’t bother me so much or took me out of the story but there were enough for me to still remember them and pause.

The secondary characters were fabulous! I super loved them. One is Charlotte’s niece Amelia. Amelia is patiently waiting for her own season after Charlotte weds first since her mother doesn’t want both her daughter and sister-in-law to come out at the same time and for Charlotte to ruin Amelia’s image. But Amelia couldn’t care less because she loves her aunt and is getting tired of her mother’s antics. I super want Amelia to get her own story, which I think may happen soon but not at this moment. She was a crucial part in advising Charlotte to do as she pleased and to defy her mother, Charlotte’s sister-in-law, and we see Amelia’s change in character from quiet docile to debugging her mother’s ideas as the story progressed. Yay!

Anna was also a crucial part of the story because she is the girl Sebastian is hoping to win and is a good friend of Charlotte. Anna is just so caring and sweet, she doesn’t care if suitors line up for her hand in England, she just wants to go home to Russia and marry a fellow mate there. Plus she helped pushed Charlotte to follow her heart and stop following the way the ton wanted things to be done in the form of marriages. And Lord Ashdown, he’s just someone I’m looking forward to seeing more of. He has a humorous side to his character and we know he’s caring and watchful of Charlotte even without being told to by Sebastian. Is there something more there than meets the eye? I don’t know but I had a feeling….. But just from that it makes him all the more mysterious and interesting which got me thinking and hoping to hook him up with ones of these two ladies: Amelia or Anna? I’m not sure who yet but I’m definitely excited for the second book which is Anna’s story~!!!

So as you can tell, I super enjoyed my reading of this short story. Yes it’s a short story but for me it was a great short story because it didn’t feel at all short for me. In under 130 pages it was a great romance that got me smiling like literally throughout the whole book. It made me swoon and giddy, smiling like a fool, and man the sexual attraction got me squirmy, in a good way. *wink wink*

So I really really loved it. Ally did a great job of expressing how each character were feeling and got me to also feel those emotions as they did at the same time of their circumstances. Especially of the moments when you know they’re angry but holding it back for propriety sakes and when they’re doing something cute and adorable and you can’t help but grin.

It was very sweet and both characters were very much loved and adored by me from the very beginning.

So, pick up this book for a fun flirty short read that’ll make you smile and wishing to have more from these lovely characters!

This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

4.5 out 5

Review: Burdened by Peiri Ann

Burdened 2 
Review:

Wow, I was surprised by this book. At first I wasn’t sure what to think but it was interesting. It started off slow for me but once both these characters met I was pulled back into the story and was very much into finding out what was going to happen.

Both of these two, Nathan and Tracey, hit it off right from the start after she got hit by his car. Don’t worry, she was in her own car so it wasn’t that bad but of course she blacks out literally from his touch. So from here on out she’s bind to him and can feel every emotion of hurt, pain, love, and happiness  from him, through him, and with him. Of course he’s also in her head reading her thoughts too and can telecommunicate with her which is funny and can be a bit difficult to follow but was pretty funny and enjoyable to read.

I can tell you I liked Nathan, the hero a lot. He was the kind of hero that spoke to me because he wasn’t afraid to do as he wished and did things the way he liked them to be done. He knew how to control himself lets say, and didn’t hold back; he was also very open about his feelings towards

Tracey. And of course he’s always the one that is rational when they’re together, but then he is the problem to why Tracey isn’t in her right mind. Because of his strong influence on how she feels towards him when they’re around each other and him towards her, she isn’t strong enough to control both her and his own desires yet. So it was super sweet of him when he didn’t give into their desires and watched out for her in that way because he knows she’s smarter than that than jump on a guy she barely even knew. Oh yeah, and he’s not “normal”. He looks like a human but he’s a Sephlem, a creature of sorts with tainted demon’s blood, the most feared and dangerous kind of Sephlem.

That being said, Tracey can be a bit….off. She’s not the most interesting person but I liked her in getting the story moving. She likes things done quick and to the point. She doesn’t like waiting around for things to happen and can be very upfront and reserved. She’s strong in her own way and independent but she can be aloof at times and many times when she’s with Nathan. But she’s fearless and risks her life to be with Nathan, dispite knowing that she, or the both of them could die.

There is one thing though, I’m not sure if it was the way the author portrayed Tracey in they way she wrote her in first person but I knew I liked her, just not as much as I would have liked from how it was written. It wasn’t bad but that was the part that held me back on really enjoying her as a heroine.
When I started this book I knew something was up or brewing when it came down to “explaining” what Nathan was but I didn’t know how it was all going to effect the story or keep it going other than endangering both of their lives. But one sure thing that kept beating my head was that this story was for Twilight fans. And sure enough it was really close to the story, Beautiful Creatures – just the opposite in gender and other stuff. But yes, that was what it reminded me of right when it hit the part where the hero Nathan disclosed to her what he was and how it’ll effect their relationship. But anyways……

For a 400 page book I found it kind of too fast paced on the relationship part. I just couldn’t figure out or believe that they could really fall for each other that quick even if the attraction was all there. I was hoping for more of a build up to the relationship rather than just jumping right on it. It was good but I wanted a bit more but then it would have thrown off the whole plot and mystery and all that so maybe it was just me. Plus, it’s a paranormal and love at first sight, touch, sense….etc…. it all throws it off balance.

So yup, the story was very interesting. How there were many ups and downs to the story as both of them fight to survive whomever it is that’s trying to separate their love and even kill them while doing it. There were lots of tensions and sexual tensions which was great and to which I highly enjoyed because of its pure teenage lust full of exploding hormones! But yeah, It’ll say it was a great run reading this, I wouldn’t mind reading another one of these if there were to be a squeal of sorts.

And the only true problem I had with this book were the grammatical errors and word building choices chosen to tell the story. They can be a bit distracting and truthfully, it almost landed this in the DNF pile, but I just wanted to know more about what was going to happen and it was a good ride.
Not particularly a paranormal reader I though it was good.

This book was generously provided by the author for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Wednesday

Review: Platinum Pleasures by Kate Deveaux

Platinum Pleasures
GENRE: Erotic Romance, Novella
SYNOPSIS:
One night…one fantasy for hire…one sizzling case of mistaken identity.

Ainsley Simmons can hardly believe she’s ordered a fantasy lover online for Valentine’s — a man to indulge her deepest sexual desires for the entire evening. But she’s in for more than a Valentine’s surprise when a much younger Mr. R. shows up at her door in a classic case of mistaken identity.
Ainsley has the night of her life being pleasured by the much younger and demanding multi-millionaire until she discovers he’s not her fantasy lover after all.
He’s even better than that…
Goodreads
Review:

Platinum Pleasure is a fun and steamy short read and is the first book I’ve read from Kate Deveaux. And I can tell you it won’t be my last~

This story stars Ainsley who’s in her forties with a successful career but is alone on Valentines day after her ex-boyfriend left her for a much younger woman some weeks prior. In her loneliness she decides to take advantage of the assistance her friend slipped her a week prior in the form of a card, Fantasy Inc., in which they will send you a fantasy lover who’ll provide  you sexual pleasures of your dreams! So, kind of on a whim she took the offer and started checking off the list to create her lover for one night. And by chance she decided to pick a much younger lover, maybe as a way to get back at her ex for choosing a much younger lady? But she wants someone to dominate her and give her the release she craves. But there’s one catch, she didn’t expect the very young and sexy gentleman at her door to be a case of mistaken identity.

Marcus, a young entrepreneur is on his way home to enjoy a lonely Valentine’s Day decides at the last minute to take on a delivery for his assistant. Having lost the love of his life years prior he didn’t think to ever find another to take her place until the occupant of the delivery opened her door showing him all her glory in sheer lace! Amused and in total shock he lets the sexy lady do her damage on him.

Not wanting to reveal their identity for it’s only one night of flame gave each other aliases. Mrs. R and Mr. R. After some really steamy scenes she finds out that the young man she’s been playing with was not her fantasy lover. Horrified and absolutely stupefied, she tried her best to not think about it. And this was where all the fun came in! Trying to explain what just happened.

But Marcus had given her something that she has never been given…. Being older and not getting any younger she feels beat out by the much younger and prettier woman and having her ex-boyfriend leave her for a younger woman just poked at her self-esteem about her looks even more. But being with Marcus was different. He made her feel beautiful in her own skin and even though their “acquaintance” had been short they had so much in common. Both having lost something, they connected and fulfilled what they other needed, through companionship and just someone to be there to listen to and talk with.

Marcus feeling this unsuspecting relationship grow begins to change how he saw his life and began showing how life could get better if he can just get Ainsley to believe him.
Awww~ This story really made me smile and giddy all over. I find that short stories like this does that to me a lot. They’re just so quick and to the point that I can’t help but just love it! Although I would have loved for it to be longer it had everything that makes it a great story from background information to development of characters throughout the story.

This is one short story folks should really try if they want something quick, hot, and steamy, and it comes with a full story to tell!!!

I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on Kate’s works! So now it’s time to fix that problem~ :D

Rating: 4.5 out 5

Tuesday

Review: Moonstone Obsesssion by Elizabeth Ellen Carter

 
Moonstone Obsesssion

Review:

I have had this on my list forever! And I'm super happy to have gotten a chance to finally read it and can I say I absolutely loved it!

Right from the gecko I was hooked on this story. The prologue was just sad and heartbreaking. I'm not sure if it was due to the fact that I was listening to a certain song that evoked a certain feeling in me but I was struck speechless after I read the prologue. It left much to speculate about how the story was going to go about the mystery and with the whole romance plot.

But as to my knowledge of romance stories and their way of storytelling, there will be a HEA nevertheless!

But we start off with the heroine, Selina Rosewall, a spinster going to London for the first time as support for her shipping Captain of a brother William to gain support and partnerships in their shipping business. She has given up on love and marriage of her own because she's just a seafarer's daughter with no dowry or anything to her name. So she has made her decision to go into work as a governess or a lady's companion.

Of course she didn't know how much her world would be changed by attending a homecoming ball with her brother and meeting the hostess's son Lord Peventen, James Mitchell.

James has returned after 6 years to take his father's place as head of the household and to his dismay, back to the marriage market and to that of a lady he dislikes, his supposed intended, Lady Abigail, Princess in waiting.

His mother has wanted the suit for a very long time and after ditching Lady Abigail after finding another man between her legs 6 years ago, he has vowed never to fall prey to her or any other again. But of course she won't back down for he has returned and no one ever refuses her, she's the Princess in waiting! And like it or not, she gets what she wants. Being her enemy will not be the best idea.
So what does he do? Avoid and ignore by taking advantage of his new friend William Rosewall and partner up with his sister in a dance. But as it turns out he finds the young Miss fascinating and intelligent, nothing like any other women he has meet before.

But to his perturbation, he finds he has competition in Viscount Canalissy, a neighbor and a unfortunate friend of Lady Abigail's.

As things would turn out, James and Selina's relationship turns to friendship and then to mutual attraction as they spend more time with each other throughout the last weeks of summer. And as they become friendlier, Lady Abigail becomes more tenacious

But James is a spy trying to find the missing answered to a sunken ship and murder of a well-known sea Captain carrying cargo pertinent in helping supply to start a revolution. And things doesn't get any better when threats are about and Selina and her family gets pulled into its peril.

This really is a fun read and it absolutely got me smiling and laughing at many witticisms! I absolutely enjoyed many of the secondary characters for they made the story more enjoyable and helped moved and add information to build and relieve stress, tension, misunderstandings, and Romance!

Selina is a very smart and sweet girl. She's very aware of the political issues going on and is not afraid to speak her mind on such subjects if brought to her attention. Although she can be outspoken and talk politics, she knows her place as a woman and knows when to hold her tongue. She also reflects on her actions and contemplates a lot about her future. She's also strong and can stand up for herself when need be, like against that of Lady Abigail's venomous remarks. One thing I found as her flaw was jumping to conclusions. Her views of James and his relationship with Lady Abigail is just misled even if he tells her ahead of time that he had no attention to court Lady Abigail, she jumps to conclusions anyways and disregard his assertions. But I still like her because everything else is perfect in making her a likeable heroine.

James is also very intelligent and more willing to act on what he wants, Selina. But he's also very thoughtful and attentive to others around him. Which made him perfect for a spy. He's not easily trusting of others for he's seen how cruel and unhappy his parents’ marriage was with his mother being a "fraud" and making the marriage unbearable for his kind father. He knows he wants a love match marriage but he also knows it's difficult to find one in his situation being a Lord and all. And when he found Selina, he was willing to forgo anything to be with her no matter what happens and does everything in his power to remind and show her whenever he gets the chance to let her know he loves her. I found his actions very romantic and sweet! Plus he thinks of Selina's future vastly to even ensuring if anything happens to him that she will live safely.

Some problems I had with this were the blunt and plainly use of first names for their time period. Between James and Selina, I was okay with but I found it shocking at first that they were so casual in calling each other by first names from the beginning without giving permission or having a second thought or reference to it. Another thing was calling James's mother Lady Christina and not Lady Peventen? She should be Lady Peventen right for his father is the late Lord Peventen. Not even James is called Peventen if I remembered correctly besides from Viscount Canalissy.

So, over all Moonstone Obsession is a very enjoyable and a very great read. It was longer than I thought but that didn't deter me from reading it and having a great time.

If you enjoy mystery, adventure, well-paced romance, great characters, and historical romances this will be great for you.

Rating: 4.5 out 5

Review: White Collared, Part One: Mercy by Shelly Bell

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SYNOPSIS:

The first sexy installment in Shelly Bell's four-part serialized erotic thriller about a young law student who must go undercover at a sex club to prove her client is not guilty of murder.
Driven by ambition …
Third-year law student Kate Martin outran her tragic past to become an intern for her idol and secret crush, the powerful attorney Nicholas Trenton. She is thrilled when Nick assigns her to represent his best friend and client, millionaire Jaxon Deveroux … the prime suspect in his submissive wife Alyssa's murder.
Seduced by desire …
Kate knows they have only a few days to find the real killer, and since signs point to a member of the BDSM community, she volunteers to go undercover as Jaxon's submissive at Benediction—the private sex club where he is a member—to covertly investigate Alyssa's last few months. For years, Kate has kept her dark fantasies a secret … but a chance to explore them with sexy, dominant Jaxon is just too tempting to pass up.

Review:

Oh my gosh! This is my first ever Shelly Bell book and man can I say it was steamy! This story really got me HOT like to the point where I had to…..take a shower…..

I knew it was going to get me somewhere and it didn’t disappoint! Right from the start when I read the synopsis I knew I had to get my hands on this serial and you know how I am with serials, I disliked them, but this, this serial got me hooked from just the synopsis!!! That was how much I wanted to read this!

And I’ll admit I have read a good share of erotic serials and really enjoyed them but this may be one of those that will out rank the previous ones~ That or either I haven’t plunged into enough of them.
But for this review I’m not going to tell you anything about the book. You already got that information from the synopsis so I’m just simply going to tell you that you definitely have to grab this!

The sexual tensions are all there right from the beginning and they’re not afraid to hide it so to speak. I never knew sexual attraction can be so…..so noticeable to the point where you can smell the attraction! Is that even real? But anyways I really loved it. They weren’t hiding behind the bushes with their attraction and jump right into it.

Sure there were obstacles, pain, and secrets swarming around the case from both Kate and Jaxson’s past but things had to be done. Plus, there’s the mystery of who murdered Jaxson’s wife and who will Kate choose: her boss or her client? Oooo~ Both are steamy Hot and Sexy as Heck!
And Gosh the sex is hot! I just can’t get over that. I think I might not be as vanilla as I thought I am…..LOL But we all can fantasize right? Heehee~

So if you loved Cynthia Sax’s Seen Trilogy and Monica Murphy’s Billionaire Bachelors series and those others I’m missing because I can’t think straight at the moment then this serial is for you!
So yup, this is only the first part of the serial but I am reading the other three parts at this moment too so…. Looking forward for those.

This serial was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

Rating: 4 out 5

Review: The Defender by Adrienne Giordano

The Defender Cover Synopsis:

A TOUGH-AS-NAILS FBI SPECIAL AGENT AND A STUNNING BLONDE ATTORNEY WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE JOIN FORCES IN THE DEFENDER…..
By all accounts, Penny Hennings was the sort of woman FBI special agent Russell Voight went for. Smart, sexy and with just enough sass to keep him honest. Then she went sticking her nose in undercover FBI business. He knew her legal reputation would skyrocket if she won this case. But every move she makes undoes all the work Russell’s put into taking down the city’s biggest crooks. And the criminals they’re after will do anything to avoid the witness stand—including kill. So it’s time to pool their resources and collaborate. Even if working together everyday day takes them late into the night…and into the line of fire.
Review:
 
Oh my gosh! This story left me all giddy inside after I finished reading it! That last chapter just got my eyes swelling in happiness~ Awwww

I have to say Adrienne knows how to keep me in tack, and hook! Right from the beginning she gave us what we wanted and the pace of the story just brought us right in to what was going on. The adventure! She didn’t let us dwindle on with slow information but threw us into the action with gun fires!

I had to pause just to get my bearing together because I thought I was missing something, like the backstory or the beginning but nope, she just dumped you into the loop and off you went on a roller coaster ride!

And man did I really had fun. Both these characters were a battle of wills right from the beginning and I already knew that this was going to get nasty, but in a good way between the two. And with their fierce attraction to each other and not denying it at the earliest opportunity they got, I was right aboard.

Sure there were high tension between the two because of their careers and current missions but they were so blunt and to the point with their attraction from the start to each other that I didn’t expect that would shock me so but it did. And I was really happy about it. A really great way to get to the heart of it and lay it down on the battlefield. Love it!

And shall I say both these characters are stubborn and commending as Heck! They will not back down what so ever! I surely thought it was an unlikely chance for them to get together but Russell is one Heck of a crazy man to fall in love with Penny. Not that Penny doesn’t deserve to be loved but man can she man handle a grown man! I truly applaud her.

Penny is one strong and independent woman. She won’t take no for an answer easily and she will get what she wants one way or another, unless she promised you otherwise. She tough and to the point but is in control of her self and can get a bit crazy with her work but it’s all in defending her clients. Her flaws: speaking out of turn, judging folks, always blaming herself, clean freak, quick to counter attack (verbally), bossy and mouthy. But it works in her line of work.

Russell is one powerful dude but was cut straight and man handle, for the first time and hopefully not exactly the last time *wink wink*, by the one and only Penny. He’s strong and attentive to his work and can be overbearing but that’s just him doing his job. He’s also caring and loving. Crying is is weakness because he can’t handle it of others, especially girls cry. He has pride and holds it highly with that, if he loses his trust in you, well, things will look bad. Flaws…..? Nahh, I don’t think he has any. Heehee~

One thing I super found interesting and love about these two were that they understood each other and use that to their advantage. Because they were so similar they got along well when others would have scoffed off already. And their banters were to die for. I loved enery tension and heart beating second of it! It got me on the edge of my seat waiting for their next move and I wasn’t disappointed.
And one thing I found I super love about this couple were at the last couple of pages. They still managed to surprise each other. That’s just…..awwww~

Plus, we got to see Zac again! Penny already made her introduction in Zac’s novel, The Prosecutor, so we couldn’t leave him out in Penny’s. He has a pretty huge role in this one as Penny did in Zac’s novel so it’s pretty even between the two. I would have loved to see more of their eldest brother David but…we’ll see. I want to get his side of the story and maybe a compromise??

But I’m looking at Jenna to have her own story and maybe even to ha e it with Brent? Or would David be a better fit?? *shrugs*

But l definitely loved this book! I definitely enjoy action!

This book was provided by the author for an honest review~

Rating: 4.5 out 5

Review: THORNBROOK PARK by Sherri Browning

 
Review:

I got to say this book was not what I was expecting. Not set during my usual Regency readings, this romance story is set in the throws of technology, motor vehicles, and electricity; the 1900s. The Edwardian era!!! I see Dowton Abbey all over this!

I really enjoyed this book. Both Eve and Marcus were great characters and were very adored by me because I absolutely love their chemistry. Even though they barely met in the beginning they bonded very well at an instant and made their surrounding environment quite peaceful. They also became a sort of friends and helped complement each other in their flaws; like in conversations where they felt uncomfortable, the other would secretly change the subject by throwing in a question to veer off the uneasiness of where the topic were heading towards. It was a win win situation of sorts. A partnership work.

They also understood each other in a way that many might not have. Both have lost something in their lives so they knew how to act and treat one another on a different level  compared to how they treated others. They saw each others’ pain and helped cure it as their friendship grew into something more in a short time. I really love how they interacted with each other and how they conversed with lines from books and literature. I found that really fun and witty to read because they just made such a cute couple.

But there’s a back story to this romance. Yes their attraction is quick but subdued because of each of their own personal circumstances, there’s also the fact that Eve’s only friend, Sophia has plans to marry Marcus off to her sister. Even if Marcus is Sophia’s brother-in-law therefore making Sophia’s sister also an in-law, Sophia just wants her sister to be close to her. And to Eve’s dismay, she just can’t help being attracted to Marcus. But then Eve’s also back to find the whereabouts on her husband’s missing investments and who’s to help her but Marcus.

Marcus on the other hands has demons he’s holding and Eve seems to be the only angel able to cure him. Carrying to deaths of war of which he didn’t intend to have when he bought his commission he also carries the lives of a dear friend’s family on his back. He had made a promise to care for their welfare and so has took it as his responsibility to look after the young children and give them a good and manageable working life. But then of course he couldn’t leave a widow in distress after returning home from a long stay in India, so he took it upon himself to help Eve find the culprit in her husband’s missing investments. But then his brother, whom he can’t seem to like and his brother’s wife gets in the way of their growing attraction and things just gets complicated at times.

Gosh I just adored this story! I loved how the mystery were woven into the story and helped paced the romance and their relationship. I may have figured who was behind the mystery and all but I still really enjoyed the adventure.

I also loved that Eve was written like we were in the mind of a male. I’m not sure if that was intentional but that’s howbi saw her. How she thought about Marcus was just so much like how a male would see and think of a woman when deprived of love for a long time. Well, she was windowed for a year so it was quite understandable but I just thought it was funny. Eve was also very modern. It wasn’t a bad thing because the times were changing during this era and women reforms were forming so it was very refreshing to see that. Eve also still retained some of the very proper etiquettes of a woman of the olden days at certain times in the book, which I was very grateful for because it just shows how time were slowly changing and not just all forgotten about
Marcus I loved. He was so in tune to Eve’s feeling that I was just hooked on him. Not just that but he was very aware of people’s feeling and cared a lot for them personally. He treated people fairly but can still have that over bearing presence when he needs too and can be very intimidating even though he’s just a soft and sweet spoken beta hero! Plus he’s bookish and I love that even more about him!
So, all in all this was a super great and fun read and for being my first of Sherri Browning book I absolutely loved it! She has a really great way of telling their story and even more on showing their vulnerable sides which is really sweet.

I highly recommend this and can’t wait for more from Sherri!!!

Rating: 4 out 5

Review: Kissed by Tonya Anne Crosby


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Synopsis:

Swept from the aristocracy of England to the Colonies on the eve of war, Jessamine Stone vows to wed no man but her one time fiance Christian Haukinge. She sets out to win back Christian’s affections, unaware that her brother has already offered him a bribe to break her heart.
Driven by something dark, Christian agrees to the devil’s bargain, but soon finds Jessie’s innocent passion, trust, and faith undermine his resolve for vengeance. Now only the woman he has betrayed can heal his deep and scarring wounds. But these are dangerous times and love alone cannot mend all wounds.

Review:

I got this as an Audible from the author and publisher.

I was really surprise with this book because it was nothing like the synopsis. The synopsis was only the beginning of the story and there were so much more after that that I was unaware of and it really got me unhinged.

I was really hooked from the beginning because I absolutely liked Christian and his back-story to why he was willing to ruin Jessamine and take her brother’s money. But I really wanted more from him as the story went on, even if I did get a lot from him as the story moved from England to the Colonies in America I wanted more depth and emotion other than just jealousy and rage. But he does have my point for having this huge bag of love for Jess before everything went down the drain. I really liked that he was in tune to his feelings for her and were very open about it too.

But Jess on the other hand I didn’t like so much. From the very beginning you can tell she was very naive and clumsy, innocent and childish. She didn’t know much about relationships which I understood for her time but can she really be that naive at the age of 22? I’m not sure, she should had known something of the likes or something, but that’s just my opinion. She was interesting I’ll admit especially when she was was in conversation with Christian, I found it witty and fun. But as time went down the drain I just found her annoying and a TSTL heroine for Christian. When did it change? It was really at the beginning of the story when she couldn’t open her dang mouth to speak the truth against her scheming brother and tell Christian she loved him when he had said it to her.
So now Christian thinks her a harlot for playing him because she’s supposedly “engaged” to this 50  year old dude (who stole Jess from Christian 6 years ago when he lost his title to his ash of a brother by proclaiming him a bastard) and so Christian ruins Jess by asking if she “liked” their scandalous liaison under the oak tree a couple of days ago~ She deserved that for not opening her mouth and being stupid! But anyways, he leaves her to the colony and she is sent to live with her uncle, incidentally “also” in the colony.

So here was where the whole story changed and threw me off. I knew Christian was a….privateer of a sort from the beginning and a revolutionist so I knew something was going to be focused around this part of the story but it was just so different. I thought I was reading a totally different story. It went from a revenged filled love story to a pirate smuggler revolutionist story on the run from the law! Plus, Christian was so different from the Christian I was introduced too. Yes, he was heart broken and now back in his Captain role as smuggler and revolutionist but he was just so mean! Yet I liked him because he still had that familiar vibe to him. And Jess deserved his harsh words and treatment.

But Jess was just another story. She just gotten worse. She was even more stupid than I thought she could get. I liked that she got out of her shell now that she’s “ruined” and away from her brother but she’s still so dumb. For example, when she’s arguing with Christian about who gets to sleep on the bed or in the bedroom she would always expect him to do as she says and when he doesn’t, she gets mad and does the opposite of what he has told her and storms off. But then she thinks to herself and says something along the lines of;

“…he should have came after me…he should have given me the bed….he doesn’t care about me at all…“.

Girl, please. You were the one who walked off and was in the wrong and you expect him to be the one to apologize? Sheesh~

But enough about my irritations about Jess, the story just got me brooding through in boredom. I mean Christian was just mean, and mean he was. But he was just trying to teach Jess a lesson in listening to him, he does tell the truth you know, but she just won’t listen because she thought he played her with the bet he did with her brother so he’s not worth trusting.

But a whole lot of stuff went on and yeah, we all knew who the villain was…. But it was just slow going.

Oh should I say this had a fleeting of the bodice-ripper theme in it. Yup, Christian and Jess’s relationship was basically a bodice-ripper read. It was just irritating that she would oppose but loved it and want it all at the same time. I’ll say it was one of those love-hate relationships and every time they “did it” it was just plain and simple anger sex! I felt no love in it sadly, just anger.

But one thing I absolutely hated was that their whole relationship problem was easily solved at once with the fact that Jess finally told Christian she loved him. With those “magical” words everything was pushed aside and fixed automatically between the two! It was just so…unbelievable to me that their whole love-hate relationship could be fixed just like that!

So yes, what did I think of it as a whole? I really didn’t like it. I really just wanted the beginning story of the revenged filled romance and could have done without the other half of the story with the smuggling and stuff. Plus the whole story could have been easily solved with Jess opening her mouth and telling Christian she loved him! That whole misunderstanding between the two wouldn’t have to have happened if she would have just spoken her stupidly mind.

So yeah, I’m not sure what to think but that I’m sorry I didn’t like this as much as I would have liked coming from an author I liked. I hope I will enjoy some of her other works more so I’m not giving up hope on her.

3 out 5

Review: The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan

The Heiress Effect (Brothers Sinister, #2) 
Review:

Oh my gosh I absolutely enjoyed this story so much! I was hooked right from the start and couldn’t stop.

I bought this as an Audible and also as an eBook so I got both of the best world from it! But we also got two story in this one Book! Yup two stories~

So we have Miss Jane Fairfield in London for her season to search for a suitable husband. You see, she’s an Heiress under the guardianship of her uncle and he wants her to marry. But to his failure, she has plans to stay unmarried for the rest of the year so that her sister Emily can come of age and then leave their uncle’s care. So Jane came out with a plan to be a drab and a prude humiliating others with rude comments and humiliating herself with obscene and obnoxious colors and mass amounts of lace on her dresses. And her plan works but she also gained some enemies in the making in the form of a Marquess who wants to set her straight in her place. And so there came to be Mr. Oliver Marshall. 
Emily you see has a problem. She has seizures (epilepsy) and their uncle goes to extremes to try to cure her of them, even locking her in their home for her safety. But one day she snuck out and meets a foreigner in the form of Mr. Bhattacharya, an Indian native studying at Oxford. There was instant attraction and well, they began to see each other secretly and innocently….

Mr. Oliver Marshall is a farm boy but is educated at Eton and is known as being the bastard of a Duke. He was then taken in and raised by no other than the couple from the previous book The Governess Affair, Hugo and Serena. Oliver is also very family oriented. He loves his siblings and care for them deeply even if they’re not blood related. As for his half brother Robert, the Duke, they are very close to my surprise but I loved it even more because it shows that he got best of both worlds though he feels like he is neither apart of any of them. So even if he lives in a mansion with his Duke brother he is still technically the son of a commoner even though everyone knows of his birth. But he won’t take that crap and has dreams to change the country and wants to be Prime Minister one day. Of course he learned his place in the huge world of power and money in such a sad way while at school and so keeps his mouth shut and obey now as an adult. When he got the mission to humiliate and punish Jane for not knowing her place and being  out spoken, he felt uncomfortable and disgusted but took the challenge anyway if he were to get the vote of the Marquess for his bill. But what he didn’t expect was to feel anything for Jane and understand her.

Jane was fascinated and frighten by Oliver’s knowing eyes and felt a need to poor her feelings and difficulties to him even if she knew he didn’t care for them. But as time went on and her charade was proving more vile, she just couldn’t keep up with them. Plus, her uncle threaten her with her sister if she didn’t marry. He believes she’s the one polluting Emily’s innocence! He blames everything on Jane for Emily’s bad behavior and out bursts as if Emily can’t think or act on her own accord.

And to Oliver’s surprise he saw a bit of himself in Jane a couple of time as he once was an outcast and knew what game she was playing. For he too was playing the exact opposite of that game. He was blending into the mold the society wanted and she was making herself stand out by breaking it. Both playing a role but both also wanting to be the opposite of what they were playing.

But for both Jane and Oliver there was an attraction that both denied and didn’t want. They had their whole life planned ahead for themselves and neither one of them fitted their plan or in their choice of spouse. Jane was too out there, loud, colorful, didn’t follow the rules of society and wild, while Oliver was observing, controlled, law abiding, and intact. Both lusted for each other and wanted each other but at the same time wanted the total opposite of it;

“…Oliver wanted someone like Jane, just not Jane…

Both these characters were very lovable and I loved that they learned from each other as they grew closer even when they knew nothing were going to come of it. They learned each others secrets and dreams and even became friends in the process and I super adored that they were more like friends than lovers that could count on each other during their own hard times.

As for the ending it was just adorable! Both, or more like Oliver found that he shouldn’t change for anyone because someone will love him for himself and that’s in the form of Jane. And how he proves his love to Jane was just too sweet it got me sniffing in glee. Both these characters were strong and knew what they wanted even if they were both playing a tough game but love broke through it and all is well and happy. Of course Emily got her HEA too so even better!

I’m super happy to have gotten a chance to listen to this in Audible and shall I say the Narration was superb!!! Rosalyn Landor was just perfect and I can’t wait to read and listen to more from both Courtney and Rosalyn!

P.S. I super love how caring Olvier is with his aunt. It was one of those scenes and moments I couldn’t help but feel touched about and want to hug Oliver tight. As I think about it now it doesn’t even feel like it was from this story but of its own and I loved it. It really made me smile and show a very heartwarming side of Oliver’s character.

Rating: 4.5 out 5

Review: SWEET TALK ME by Kieran Kramer



Review:

Oh my gosh! It’s Kieran Kramer! I just love her historical Regency romances and this jump into her first contemporary romance is just as fabulous! Wow. I’m feeling like every author these days are moving into another genre and are making super great hits with them. Way to go!

So, Sweet Talk Me is about two people getting a second chance at love in their small hometown in the country side. We have our heroine, True Maybank who’s preparing for her wedding with her perfect and handsome Southerner gentleman fiancee. And our hero, Harrison Gamble who’s a Country super star singer has come back home to help his brother and of course to find a new muse for his music. These two were childhood friends that had a one night fling in high school and then Harrison leaving their small town not soon after for ten years! So, you know there’ll be lots of touching scenes and life searching moments for these two.

True is super sweet, independent and very passionate. Although she has a lot on her shoulders, like caring and always worrying about her younger sister who’s a fantastic fun and loves to speak her mind; which drives True crazy with worry and all these parental warning signs. She’s also dealing with the economic situation at home which then lead her to her upcoming marriage to her wealthy fiancee. Of course she’s only marrying him out of obligation to her parents’ wishes so, that also builds on her shoulders because that’s what everyone expects her to do. But when Harrison shows back up, those fluttering butterflies starts to fly and she’s denying that it’s the doing of Harrison but because of her impending marriage. Of course all this has to happen when her fiancee just happens to be away….. Hea hea hea

And Harrison! Can I just say I adore this name. Harrison was just a plain smart ash. That’s all I got to say about him. I truly loved him but he’s just so……such a know it all. Yes, they were friends once and of course he’ll know about what True truly wants in life but man, he has to come back now? But man does he throw True off her course. Harrison’s is truly a nice guy. Having been mocked on many occasions as a child in the small town for being not good enough and poor, he made it huge as a celebrity and that was a huge in your face move he did to his town and to some of its folks. And he loves his brother. His older and autistic brother. It was very sweet indeed.

Over all this was a super loveable story. There wasn’t just one story but many short ones that inter connected to make a whole book in itself. The secondary characters made it for such a fun read and seeing how they complemented each other was great.

The relationship between True and Harrison came a long way from when they were children and it was super great to see how much they’ve grown and learned as changes and obstacles came their way.

This was a very charming, sweet, and heartwarming love story with every little thing to make it perfect and romantic. There’s a lot of emotions and touching scenes that can be a bit…..sad but it’s all worth it in getting to their HEA. This story really just got me thinking and wishing for a true and loving romance of my own. Of course I don’t want to go through all of the drama and hardships but it really made me want to believe in love and it gave me a lot of hope.

Kieran Kramer has a knack for story telling and her writing was just as great in this story. As a fan of her Regencies I know I’ll be looking forward to more of these contemporary small town romances from her.

Plus, thank you Kati for this opportunity to read this contemp by Kieran!

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Rating: 4 out of 4