Better
by
Jaime Samms (Goodreads Author)
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My Review: A- hot I will admit that when I sat down to read this book, it wasn't what I expected, but it was such a powerfully good book. Both of these men are so damaged, but they are trying to heal and make things work. It's makes for an incredibly e...moreMy Review: A- hot I will admit that when I sat down to read this book, it wasn't what I expected, but it was such a powerfully good book. Both of these men are so damaged, but they are trying to heal and make things work. It's makes for an incredibly emotional book.
Jesse hasn't been in a relationship since his last boyfriend systematically abused and eventually almost killed him. He's trying to get his life back on track though and a guy, Aaden, has caught his eye at the university library where he works at. Unfortunately, just leaving that abuse behind him isn't enough and every time Jesse thinks that things are getting better, something happens which brings back the nightmares and the pain of that abuse. Jesse thinks that he can just power through his emotional upheaval and everything will be okay, but he just ends up hurting both him and Aaden in the process.
Aaden knows what happens when you aren't able to deal with abuse. He has an older brother, Ricky, who was abused as a child and wasn't able to deal with it. He's in an institution and is basically only a shell living inside his own head where he knows that it's safe. Unfortunately, he sees too much of Ricky when Jesse is suffering. He knows where Jesse is headed if he doesn't deal with things, but it's not something that Aaden can do for him. It's a painful lesson for both of them.
There is no doubt that these two guys love each other, but there is so much damage for both of them, it's not a sure thing that either of them are going to be able to get past their very harsh issues. The story is riveting and as the reader, your heart simply aches for both of them.
There are many poignant moments in this book, but some of my favorite come between Aaden and his group of friends. I love what their relationship added to the book. On the other hand, Jesse has a very different support system through his friend Sarah. If there is a single thing that I can complain about with this book, it is her character. She was harsh in so many ways. I can understand why she was written the way that she was, but towards the end of the book, I just couldn't see how her story line was helping the story at all.
To see that I enjoyed this book seems wrong just because it is dealing with such harsh issues, but I enjoyed watching the relationship between Aaden and Jesse develop and how they both learned more about themselves and each other. There was never a moment in the book where I thought that the subject matter became too much. I don't do depressing reading and that is something that the author handled beautifully. She never let the harsh details overwhelm the beauty of the story and the developing relationship between these two. It remains an uplifting book throughout.
But a warning for you: This book does deal with some of the realities of sexual abuse and rape and may be too much for some readers. I never had any issues with that, but if you are particularly sensitive, you just might.(less)
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dnf
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Cop Out
by
K.C. Burn (Goodreads Author)
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My Review:
Be sure to read the story description above because it gives a good premise of the story line.
This book was fabulous. You have to go into reading it with the fun that the book is intended. This is a tongue in cheek erotica (seven lovers? we...moreMy Review:
Be sure to read the story description above because it gives a good premise of the story line.
This book was fabulous. You have to go into reading it with the fun that the book is intended. This is a tongue in cheek erotica (seven lovers? we're talking fantasy stuff here), but it is just so fun and creative. Jenna Ives has written a fabulous book around the fairy tale modernized into an erotic story. The seven dwarfs from the original story are not dwarfs in this book, but they all maintain the characteristics of the originals, Dopey...Sneezy...Grumpy...Doc...Sleepy...Bashful....Happy.
They are simply a group of seven friends who live in an old bed and breakfast together. Without anywhere else to turn, "Blanche" (she doesn't remember her past so they don't know her name) moves in with them and finds that she can help each of these men in her own way. They are normal guys with normal stresses and she fulfills a need for all of them (and not all of them are sexual.) She spends a day with each guy and they all have their days of the week.
It's honestly a sweet story with a seriously erotic twist. It was highly entertaining. Everytime a new character was introduced, I giggled internally at how creatively Jenna manipulated this story to work with the original fairy tale. Really, super creative! If you are a fan of modern day fairy tales, I encourage you to try this erotic version. I don't think that you will be disappointed.(less)
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The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire B+ spicy My Review: This was a novella that I really enjoyed, except for a single scene. There was one scene in this book that was so reminiscent of the cheesy final scene in Grease (yes, the movie) that I phys...moreThe Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. Claire B+ spicy My Review: This was a novella that I really enjoyed, except for a single scene. There was one scene in this book that was so reminiscent of the cheesy final scene in Grease (yes, the movie) that I physically cringed. *ugh* It was so bad. But before and after that scene, I really loved this book and the story. In fact, without that one scene, I would have rated this novella an A.
Deuce and Kendra have a complicated history, but that was never enough to keep him by her side for a single night. Now his professional baseball career is over and after a ten year absence, he is home to take over the family bar. The family bar that Kendra has spent the last two years turning into an internet cafe and coffee bar.
I liked the conflict of their relationship. Kendra has been there for his family when Deuce hasn't. He's been pursuing his dream at the cost of the relationships of his family and Kendra. This novella is a growing-up process for Deuce and I really liked it.
Tangling with Ty by Jill Shalvis A- spicy My Review: Honestly, the reason that my rating is what it is...I loved Ty's character. Can you say sexy? Can you say vulnerable? Can you say wounded? OMG, he was HOT and I loved him. Can I have him? No, okay I guess I will settle for simply lusting over him through this story. And honestly, Nicole was a pretty decent match for him. She has her own issues and sees all the attractive aspects of his issues. It was really sexy.
The best part of this story? When Ty fell through Nicole's ceiling and she had to put her doctoring skills to work. Did I mention that this story (and Ty) is really sexy? Um, yeah...I liked this one. Sexual tension is good especially when it is coming from a wounded, vulnerable alpha male. YUM!
Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen Child A spicy The premise for this book was awesome. The Reilly boys have come into some money...$10,000 to be exact. Rather than splitting it, they have made a bet. Oldest of the 4 brothers is a priest and he wants the money for a new roof on his rectory/church. As a result, they all have a bet. He doesn't think that the triplets can do what he has committed to do for a lifetime... All they have to do is abstain for 90 days.
One of the triplets is already out of it and Connor is feeling the pressure after a month. As a result, he makes the stupid mistake of telling his best friend Emma that she's the only safe girl to hang out with because she's basically a guy. Uh yeah...ticked off female on a mission. The thing is...neither of these friends has ever seen the other as the opposite sex until the beginning of all this nonsense and then suddenly the chemistry is through the roof. They are both reeling and floundering, not knowing what to do now to keep their friendship...or if friendship is even the goal anymore.
LOVED this story. Such a perfect example of the friends to lovers meme. I really, really enjoyed it!(less)
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Time Out
by
Jill Shalvis (Goodreads Author)
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My Review: A hot It's no secret that I love Jill Shalvis, but even I was surprised by how much I loved this book.
On the night after losing the Stanley Cup, two of Mark's guys were in a bar brawl with two players from the other team. The video made it a...moreMy Review: A hot It's no secret that I love Jill Shalvis, but even I was surprised by how much I loved this book.
On the night after losing the Stanley Cup, two of Mark's guys were in a bar brawl with two players from the other team. The video made it as a YouTube viral, so now instead of basking in a really wonderful hockey season for his team, Coach Mark Diego is having to repair the teams image. His plan for that....to put his two rogue players to work at his brother's community rec center coaching baseball.
Unfortunately, the rec center coordinator is childhood friend, Rainey. At least they were friends until she threw herself at him one night and he turned her down flat. Since then, things have been a bit tense between the two of them, even though that happened fourteen years ago.
The best thing about this book...the dialogue between Mark and Rainey. OMG, Jill is just an amazing writer. Everything about this book seemed effortless and natural. When I was reading it, I would completely forget that I was reading a book. I became completely immersed! Mark & Rainey have pretty much known each other their entire lives. As a result, even though things are really tense sexually between the two, there is an ease to their dialogue that I just loved. They completely knew how to push each other's buttons and I loved reading that.
I liked the whole story line set-up. It was fun and you all know that I am a huge sports-book fan! Add in that these two had this long, crazy history between them, and yep...this book was good! I picked it up late one morning and didn't put it down again until it was completely finished. It was that good! I just love Jill Shalvis' writing. It keeps me laughing, but at the same time, there is a depth of emotion that is just gorgeous. Beautiful love story!
Jill Shalvis + sports book + Harlequin Blaze = PERFECTION!(less)
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My Review: C+ spicy There was a time in my life when my romance reading contained entirely Regency era historical romances. This book reminded me so much of those, even though it is a modern day, contemporary novel. This book takes place in England and...moreMy Review: C+ spicy There was a time in my life when my romance reading contained entirely Regency era historical romances. This book reminded me so much of those, even though it is a modern day, contemporary novel. This book takes place in England and features a family of cat burglars. Cat burglars who find their targets through the social whirl of the upper echelon of London society. The first quarter of this book especially read a lot like a historical novel, and just to be clear, I was not thrilled with that. Finally, though, this book did start to settle into a contemporary feeling suspense novel and started to pick up for me.
There was a lot of this book which was completely unbelievable. But it still managed to keep my attention and keep me entertained. I lived in England for two years which both hurt and helped my enjoyment of this novel. It helped just because I got to revisit those memories of visiting the local pubs and the neighborhoods in London that I loved. It hurt when it came to insider knowledge about how difficult, and expensive, it is to drive and park in those same neighborhoods of London (hello, congestion charges anyone?)
I had a hard time believing the cat burglar story line, but at the same time, when I set aside my doubts about it, I found it to be entertaining. I liked the romance between Eve, the family cat-burglar, and Kahu, the police detective from New Zealand. I enjoyed the tension of their relationship, both sexually and just the stress of the fact that they are on opposite sides of the law. It was a fabulous conflict for the story. The resolution at the end was a little too neat, but it kept me guessing. I had a few clues of what was going to happen, but certainly not to the full extent of what actually did happen.
Who would I recommend this book too? I think that there are enough historical undertones that historical readers would enjoy the crossover aspect of this book. It is a contemporary romantic suspense, but with just a few slight modifications it could just as easily be a victorian era historical novel. As such, I think that it would make a good transition novel for historical readers who want to move into reading more contemporary.(less)
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My Review: B+ hot I really loved this book. It was so different from everything out there on the market today and, on top of that, it was completely entertaining. Harry is a lone wolf. He has no desire to become part of a pack after an incredibly horri...moreMy Review: B+ hot I really loved this book. It was so different from everything out there on the market today and, on top of that, it was completely entertaining. Harry is a lone wolf. He has no desire to become part of a pack after an incredibly horrible pack event ended in the death of his mother when he was ten. But he is still a wolf, and as such, he is drawn to people. As a result, he has formed a small group of friends in town with the towns elderly women. He plays bunco with them, goes to movie nights with them, etc. What he doesn't realize is that the elderly facades are disguising the town's coven...who are actually young and attractive women. When the town pack tries to force him into being part of the pack, the truth starts to come out.
June has been friends with Harry for eight years...in fact, they have been best friends. But she has been hiding under the 80 year old facade of Sandie who runs the local tea shop. When she realizes what is happening with the local pack and what they are trying to force Harry into, she knows that it's time for June, her real, young, attractive persona to come out and work to save him. She's a witch, although he has no idea, even though she has known that he is a werewolf throughout their entire friendship.
There is a whole new world here that I simply loved. Within the Covens and the Packs are a TON of politics. Ultimately, it is all to help maintain their anonymity, but that doesn't mean that the Covens and Packs understand or want to understand and work together, which leaves Harry and June smack dab in the middle of a HUGE mess. I really liked how all of this was handled in the book. It's complex, but was never confusing. There is also a huge cast of characters, but they were so much fun within the small town setting.
For me, though, the character that made this book is Harry. I loved his character. He's a lone wolf, but he's a natural alpha. Actually, June is a natural alpha too (as a witch? I know what you are thinking...some great twists to this world!!) I loved the scenes where June and Harry pitch their alphas against each other...so much fun. Every single time....I didn't know which one of them was going to come out on top. From beginning to end, I was completely immersed and mesmerized by the story. It's fabulous and entertaining. Just a fun, fabulous read!(less)
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