“There are no guarantees in life; you know that. You could decide tomorrow that I'm not the one for you too. But guess what? I know that
3 Sexy Stars
“There are no guarantees in life; you know that. You could decide tomorrow that I'm not the one for you too. But guess what? I know that this... what we have? It's worth the risk.”
Sweet, flirty, sexy... This is one of those books. And I liked it. Even if it's not the usual book that makes me 100% connected to the story, I thought it's enough to make me smile and swoon a little bit.
The story revolves around New York city girl Charlotte Freemont and handsome country guy Lucas "Luke" Wilder. Their paths crossed one day when Charlotte's car broke down and she was stranded in a small town in Texas, the place where Luke lives along with his twin-brother and his sister. They didn't have a pleasant first meeting though as they spent most of their time bickering. Charlotte finds Luke arrogant while Luke thinks she's bratty. Because there wasn't any other mechanic that could fix Charlotte's car, she was forced to stay in this small town for days. That's when the time when she spent more time with Luke and got to know him better.
If you are a fan of light NA romance that is not high on angst and with no unnecessary drama, then this would be a good bet for you. The characters have this undeniable chemistry that is noticeable from start to finish and their dialogues are fun to read. Plus, I cannot ignore the fact that Luke is one admirable lead. He's not a stereotypical hero that we usually read about-- manwhore, conceited, possessive... and so on. He's just Luke. Simple, kind, and admirable man. I didn't initially warm up to Charlotte, though. In the first few chapters, she was portrayed as a snob and spoiled brat heroine but I was glad that her character developed in the later parts of the book.
“Life is one-way, and there is no return trip. What are you waiting for?”
I don't think I would ever be disappointed in a Penelope Dougla4.5 Stars!
“Life is one-way, and there is no return trip. What are you waiting for?”
I don't think I would ever be disappointed in a Penelope Douglas book. To say she's an amazing writer is an understatement because so far, all her books tick the right boxes for me.
Corrupt was another book that stunned me. It was a bit dark and twisted and I must say, a badass version of Bully. The story centers around the characters Erika "Rika" Fane and Michael Crist. Both who came from rich families, these two grew up together but they seem to be totally apart because Rika is already destined to become the future wife of Michael's brother, Trevor. Rika has always been secretly in love with Michael but because Michael stays away from him, she just keeps herself from afar, hoping that he would spare a glance at her. Soon she finds herself getting involved with The Horsemen, a group where Michael is part of. One incident leads to another which results to The Horsemen plotting revenge on her after several years.
The story was told in alternate POVs and alternate past and present timelines. At first, I was a bit lost because the plot seemed hazy and I really didn't know what Michael and The Horsemen were up to. The first half also moved a bit slow. When I've reached 60% though, the story started to pick up its pace and became more interesting.
I especially loved Rika and Michael's push and pull relationship and the way Michael kept resisting Rika despite the fact that deep down inside, he also felt the same way for her. I found their slowly-developed love story odd yet enticing and I believed that the strange connection they've shared since their childhood was the one that kept me glued to the pages throughout.
“She thought she was nothing to me, insignificant and invisible. She wanted me to open my eyes and see her again so fucking badly, but she didn't realize that I already did.”
Penelope's flawless writing here was just another proof that she could do just about everything. The story was incorporated with lyrical lines that added a sense of drama and a little bit of heartbreak to the romance. Plus, you can't say no to the sensual scenes that bring out some feels.
It was definitely a too-good-to-refuse kind of book. If you are in for some dark love story, you don't want to miss being "corrupted". lol
Not bad for an office romance novella. This was quite a fun, hilarious read. The entertainment factor was there. However, it didn't off3 Naughty Stars
Not bad for an office romance novella. This was quite a fun, hilarious read. The entertainment factor was there. However, it didn't offer anything new. Just the same old hot af womanizer boss who lusted over his attractive employee... etc. etc.
Michael Leighton is Leighton Publishing's playboy CEO. He is one of tabloids' most favorite subjects because of his appetite with different women each week. Despite his success in the corporate world, he seemed to encounter a lot of problems when it comes to his previous executive assistants. This led him to post a job hiring for interested applicants, offering a much higher compensation. When Mya London applied for it and was immediately employed, she didn't expect to develop a love-hate relationship with Michael because he is simply such an arrogant and domineering boss and they always go against each other.
There was overwhelming chemistry in this novella. Both characters were hot and sexy. And there were certainly steamy office scenes that could make everyone blush. This was sure to be a guilty-pleasure read and if you are a type of person who doesn't mind a story with a stereotypical storyline -- just pure entertainment laid on to take away your stress, then go go go read this quick-read story. :)
"Because I should have been with you, Ronnie. It's always been you."
Heat Wave is my second Karina Halle read. Although I loved some of its3 Stars
"Because I should have been with you, Ronnie. It's always been you."
Heat Wave is my second Karina Halle read. Although I loved some of its parts, it fell short of my expectations. It didn't wow me as much as Smut did.
Veronica "Ronnie" Locke became attracted to Logan Shephard when they met at a fundraising event which was hosted by her mom. With their instant connection, they're supposed to start going out and fall in love. It didn't happen, though. Because Logan's attention shifted to her sister Juliet right when he saw her for the first time. Eventually, Logan and Juliet dated and got married. Now seven years later, Juliet's already dead and Ronnie and Logan reunited in Hawaii-- the place where Logan's hotel is located and where Ronnie is going to work as the hotel's chef.
I loved that there was an angst. Angst is good. However, the forbidden love story didn't quite amaze me because the characters lacked some depth. I wasn't also convinced when it comes to Logan's feelings to Ronnie. How come he married Juliet but deep down inside he's in love with Ronnie? His reason was too shallow and I didn't buy it.
The pacing of the book was also a let-down for me. It was too slow and too many scenes that are unnecessary should've never been included.
It's good that the book promised a mild entertainment in the first few chapters but it kinda lost its momentum in the second half with Ronnie and Logan's romantic development moving a little too fast.
The thing that somehow made this book redeemable was the writing of Karina Halle which was hands down beautiful and poetic. I loved how it was written with an air of melancholy. The setting was also beyond captivating. For me, this book is a really great summer read. You can read this when you're staying on a tropical island, sipping a mojito or something. This was a good angsty romance book as a whole, but it wasn't as spectacular as I expected. I believe there are a lot of Karina Halle's books that are better than this. For now, Smut remains my favorite.
"There are moments in your life, people in your life, that when they cross your path and meet your eye, you know."
What a perfect combination of cute and sexy. I kept seeing The Hating Game on my Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads timeline and since it's bee4 Stars!
What a perfect combination of cute and sexy. I kept seeing The Hating Game on my Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads timeline and since it's been gathering high ratings, of course my curiosity was piqued.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman, both executive assistants to the co-owners of Bexley & Gamin, have always been at a clash with each other. They share an office room together but they don't get along well. When their respective bosses announced that one of them will be promoted as the other boss, their competitive drive became stronger and of course, they hated each other more. If Lucy loses the job position to Joshua, she has to resign. Is she gets it, then she'll rule over Joshua. But everything turned to chaos when their daily banters slowly converted into strange attraction and irresistible sexual tension.
Despite the usual tropes -- office romance and enemies to lovers, the author was able to bring life to the story through her fun and quirky characters. Lucy's narration was all kind of hilarious. I found myself unable to stop laughing with the way she described her working relationship with Joshua and the rest of the employees of Bexley & Gamin. I also loved how the author painted Joshua's character in a hot and adorable executive kind of way.
The daily bickering was the one that truly stood out here. It was so entertaining to see them exchange witty dialogues that just make their chemistry more apparent. The only complaint I had in this book was the inconsistency of the plotline. I admit I was a bit unsatisfied with their hating game. I thought the romantic development (enemies to lovers) progressed real quick. I kind of wished their hate relationship was longer and that it lasted at least until the middle part of the book. It would be fun to see more of them acting like a cat and a dog in a box. lol.
As a whole, this book was a nice, sweet, and enjoyable story. Nothing extravagant when it comes to angst and conflicts but just an entertaining romantic comedy book that I'm sure everyone will enjoy. For fans of contemporary books and rom-coms, give this book a chance!
Rarely have I read a book as raw and amazing as this one. Punk 57 was quite possibly one of the best books that I have read this year. Such we5 Stars!
Rarely have I read a book as raw and amazing as this one. Punk 57 was quite possibly one of the best books that I have read this year. Such well-constructed storyline. Such real characters that are flawed yet redeemable. Such unique plot twist. It's packed full of everything. HATS OFF, PENELOPE DOUGLAS!
"Do you notice that, too? How all of us just want to get through life as quickly and easily as possible? And even though we know that without risk there's no reward, we're still so scared to chance it?"
The story is all about childhood pen pals Misha Lare and Ryen Trevarrow. They've been writing letters for each other since grade school and for about seven years, they've never seen each others' faces. They promised not to search each other's name on social media to keep their identity a mystery and to keep their meaningful friendship as it is. But one unexpected night at his band's party, Misha wasn't able to resist the temptation of looking at Ryen's Facebook account after he accidentally saw her picture online. That's when he knew that Ryen was actually there at the party's venue.
I'd be honest. This book was HOT. Like RATED PG HOT. And I'm warning you, Ryen and Misha's smoking chemistry and their steamy scenes will possibly burn your e-reader. lol. And since it's written by THE PENELOPE DOUGLAS, it'll be impossible to stop reading.
Steamy scenes aside, this book resonated a powerful message. I loved how it tackled a very important issue which is bullying that happens in every school. The anti-bullying theme here was quite different compared to Douglas's previous book Bully because in this book, the storyline was centered around the issue and most of the events happened at school. It presented a look at what kids go through every day. It was honest and terrifying and it served as an eye-opening view of what these kids' lives are like.
One of the things that I also loved about this book was Ryen's character which came as a huge surprise for me. She was not easy to like especially in the first few chapters, but I totally understood her. She's a famous student at her school. A beautiful and sexy cheerleader. But underneath it all, she's insecure. She's worried about losing her place and losing her friends. She's afraid to be alone. Afraid to be bullied. And that's what made me appreciate her character. For me, she was real.
Same goes for Misha. I loved that both of these characters shared the same passion for words, the same desire for attention and love. Not to mention the same rebellious trait which was quite entertaining. And as I've mentioned, these characters were redeemable ones.
"We're rebels with a reason."
And you know what especially blew me away? The PLOT TWIST. Yes, that twist was a shocker and totally unpredictable!
It will surely take me a lot of time to get over this book. It was simply amazing. A new favorite of mine. :)
"We're all ugly, Ryen. The only difference is, some hide it and some wear it."
This book is one smexy book. In comparison to Fifty Shades of Grey, this one is more about the adult hot scenes that happen between a boss and an emplThis book is one smexy book. In comparison to Fifty Shades of Grey, this one is more about the adult hot scenes that happen between a boss and an employee inside the office. JeeZ! But sexiness aside, this book also narrates a love story between the Beautiful Bastard boss Bennett Ryan and his brilliant and stunning intern Chloe Mills. I love this book but I was looking for more romance between the characters. I mean, not just the sex. I want more of them on the emotional, romantic side. I also think their story is too simple and there was no real conflict to make it a bit interesting. Nevertheless, it's a feel-good book and it's well-written. It's something you'd like to read for a change. :)
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