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Showing posts from August, 2019

seriously romantic: the debt by jackie ashenden

jackie ashenden's dare novels are short, sexy, and totally bingeworthy. her heroes are total alphas with soft gooey warm centers and her heroines are badass women who know what they want and have a plan to get it. they might need the hero's help, but they are never helpless. in the debt ,  ellie and ash have chemistry to spare, and while there is a formula to these books, the details are always what makes them so readable. you fall for these characters and enjoy inhabiting their world. this book sets up a new series from ashenden, and i can't wait to keep reading more. **the debt will publish on september 1, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/harlequin (dare) in exchange for my honest review. 

seriously romantic: how to belong with a billionaire by alexis hall

if book 2 tore everything apart, how to belong with a billionaire  sews it all back together. but like with any serious injury, it is going to take some time to heal and for the broken pieces to knit themselves back together again. ardy starts off in a pretty bad place, and you think it's bad and then you see what caspian is doing to himself and like it's totally self-inflicted and yet, that pain of his flays your heart open, it flys ardy's heart open too. there's a lot they need to figure out, the past is something caspian has been denying for too long. and the only way he can move forward is by dealing with it. this story only works if you've read the previous two books in the series. it's essentially 50 shades  for the male-male romance reader set, but way better written. **how to belong with a billionaire will publish on september 3, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my

seriously romantic: how to blow it with a billionaire by alexis hall

in true middle of a trilogy style, this book is pain and angst and darkness. how to blow it with a billionaire picks up right where book 1 left off. and then the hits start coming. it's not that caspian doesn't love ardy. he does. he just doesn't know how to have a healthy relationship. he doesn't know how to accept that what he gives ardy is exactly everything ardy wants. and the more he tries to deny that dominant part of him, the more he actually damages the core of their relationship. this book doesn't end with a cliffhanger per se. but ardy and caspian are not in a good place, so if you are going to binge-read the series, wait until book 3 comes out next week. **how to blow it with a billionaire published on december 12, 2017. i received a digital copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my honest review. 

seriously romantic: how to bang a billionaire by alexis hall

when arden st. ives randomly cold calls billionaire caspian hart to fundraise for their shared alma mater, he has no idea where the simple phone call will lead. caspian is a mystery but his pull is magnetic and ardy can't stay away. but caspian has demons. so many demons. he's hurt and scared. he loves ardy but doesn't believe he knows how to love. he needs ardy but everything he touches turns to ash. and it's possible that the only thing that can happen between them is hurt. and also sex, which there is plenty of in how to bang a billionaire . there's a power dynamic between them, and ardy is a true submissive, just as caspian is a natural dom. but the really fascinating thing about them, the one truth that people sometimes lose sight of in some bdsm relationships, is that in the ones that work, the person who actually holds the real power is the sub. because the truth is, caspian is more fragile and more likely to hurt than ardy will at the end of this. some

simply all about black sheep by meghan march

previously, i reviewed black sheep  when it released in audio, but now the e-book and paperback are here and it's going into wide release. this duology is everything, i loved  cannon. i wasn't sure i would. i wasn't sure he was redeemable. given everything  that happened in the dirty girl duet (which is still not my favorite series), i wasn't sure there was a way back for him. but he just blew me away. i think in part because he's not over-the-top alpha. make no mistake, he's dangerous, and he knows how to lead. but he has had to deal with too many shades of gray to know that there is no one right way. and having that level of nuance just makes him crazy attractive to me. anyway, here's an excerpt of my full review: there are so many lies and layers upon layers of intrigue. dominic is a master of playing games and cannon has been caught up in them for too long. but there is still hope for him. march is amazing at creating alpha heroes who would

seriously romantic: the aussie next door by stefanie london

jace walters is totally my new book boyfriend. diagnosed on the autism spectrum, he is high-functioning and thrives on routine and order. but his mom, on the advice of his doctors, knows that occasionally he needs to be shaken out of his rut. and okay, i know i just posted a whole thing about family butting into someone's business, and while i wasn't a huge fan of the opening with the dog-sitting machinations. that is really the biggest chunk of it, and we don't actually spend too much time with characters who aren't jace and angie in the aussie next door . i mean, you get to know some of the townspeople, and for sure there is the possibility of more stories there, but on the whole, it is very delightful. angie and jace have such great chemistry. and when they actually talk to each other and trust in each other they are perfect together. this was such a delightful story, i hope we see more from this world. **the aussie next door will publish on august 27, 2019.

seriously romantic: the truth about cowboys by lisa renee jones

i think i finally figured out that i dislike books with nosy family members who know more than one of the lead characters and does stuff for their own good. the truth is, if anyone in my family ever dared treat me like i didn't know my own mind and wasn't able to make my own life choices i would lose my shit like whoa. i don't even have words for how angry that makes me. which is to say, that when the truth about cowboys  starts off with the hero's grandmother having rented out his office/cottage without his consent or knowledge because she knows what's good for him. it wasn't the greatest start. this isn't to say that this book isn't enjoyable. jessica and jason are both compelling characters, the chemistry between them is palpable. it's just this whole set up is not for me. every time some secondary character stuck their nose in between the two leads i was shaking my head in frustration. **the truth about cowboys will publish on august 27,

seriously romantic: how to love a duke in ten days by kerrigan byrne

how to love a duke in ten days  starts off brutally, we learn the secrets the red rogues are keeping, have witnessed the violence they've suffered, the things they were forced to do to survive. it's not easy to read. but, and this is a credit to the author, you are compelled to keep reading. it's riveting. these characters are shrouded in danger, in mystery. and when alexandra is forced to break a promise she made after experiencing sexual assault and put her trust in a man, it's lucky that the man turns out to be piers atherton, duke of redmayne, because even though he knows there's darkness in her past, there is something about alexandra that compels piers to want more.  but he's also everything she's been afraid of for a decade. winning her over won't be easy. but their journey is so delectably worth it. **how to love a duke in ten days will publish on august 27, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin

seriously romantic: search & destroy by julie rowe

in search & destroy ,   the world is one viral outbreak away from destruction and dr. carmen rodrigues is the cdc's outbreak task force director and is trying to keep the world from falling apart while also not allowing herself to fall back into feelings with former homeland security liaison john dozer. back in afghanistan they shared a moment. but it was sullied by lies and misinformation. and too much time has gone by to heal the wounds from that time. wounds that they both carry. but they're also under constant threat from a terrorist group that remains one step ahead of them in the game. no matter how hard they try to hide or stem the flow of disease that is spreading, they keep hitting roadblocks. this is another thrilling installment, and these two characters sort out their difficulties under duress, but it's satisfying. and clear that there is more to come. **search & destroy will publish on august 26, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtes

seriously romantic: safe by jess bryant

another short story set in fate, texas, safe follows trevor thorne, a closeted baseball player who is close to the end of his minor league career. his roommate, and up-and-coming, out-and-proud player rodrigo cruz is on the verge of a big league contract. and the tension between them has reached astronomical levels. there's no more hiding what they want, what they need from each other. this is short and sweet, with minimal angst and a happy ending. a quick read for a pick-me up. **safe will publish on august 26, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/ninestar press in exchange for my honest review. 

seriously romantic: beauregard and the beast by evie drae

so full disclosure: i am evie's lit agent. and yes, i love all her words. i fell head over heels for her writing when i was judging a contest, and when she sent over the full manuscript i basically immediately offered her representation. this is not that original manuscript i fell in love with, but one we worked on together. beauregard and the beast is a genderqueer retelling of beauty and the beast , which i've gone on record before as saying it's my least favorite fairy tale. there's something about the stockholm syndrome that has always rubbed me the wrong way. but lucky for me, this manuscript updates the fairy tale in a way that is, well, perfection. all the problematic aspects of the story are gone. meanwhile we get to meet our "beast," one adam littrell is an mma fighter nearing the end of his career. he's got a rep as a growly, mean mo-fo, but the reality is that he is an ooey-gooey cinnamon roll. when his best friend sets him up with person

seriously romantic: tides of time by luna joya

combine witchy goodness with an old hollywood cold case and you have the makings of tides of time  a debut paranormal romance from luna joya. this story was so readable, cami and sam are just so compatible and nerd out to silver screen history while enjoying some steamy sexytimes. couple all of that with some elemental magic and witch families and mysterious prophecies and you have a book that is just simply a fun summer read. the secondary characters are all fantastic and i believe that there is more to come in this series, as the sisters will all probably find their match. **tides of time will publish on august 20, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/city owl press in exchange for my honest review. 

strictly literary: society girl by alys murray

i should have known that the comparison to cruel intentions  would mean that society girl  would be less of a swoony romance. there's a lot of really bad behavior happening in this book, and sam dubarry is mostly a jerk. she is so focused on getting her father's approval that nothing, literally nothing of the awful things she does and lets happen sinks in. her focus is on that one thing. and while that kind of single-mindedness can seem admirable, it's also just hard to like someone who misbehaves so badly. that daniel best even allows her to apologize is something. but he's like the sweetest, kindest, purest heart. of course he falls in love with sam. he's the kind of person who is going to love the broken soul over any number of beautiful ones. in the end, this was a good read, but it wasn't an enjoyable one. i prefer my romance reads with a little less hazing and humiliation. **society girl will publish on august 19, 2019. i received an advance read

seriously romantic: on the corner of love and hate by nina bocci

on the corner of love and hate  is perfectly enjoyable. i think my issue is that i was promised lauren layne/kristan higgins levels of goodness, and while this is perfectly fine, it didn't blow my mind either. cooper and emma have been at odds forever. mostly because cooper is an idiot, but also because emma doesn't speak up for herself. so she resents the heck out of him, and because we're in her pov it's hard to see what redeeming qualities this guy has in the beginning. like he seems like the most incompetent person to inhabit a city council position and is somehow running for mayor and is expected to win, except then the town clutches their pearls about his single, playboy lifestyle and i'm that person who fails to see what someone's sex life has to do with their ability to govern. like he's not going around macking on underage girls or something equally gross. he's just a guy who has consensual relationships with women, and maybe it's more t

seriously romantic: hitting black ice by heloise west

after surviving a hostage crisis in the e.r. where they both work in hitting black ice , hunter and shawn are forced to face the attraction that has been building up between them. yet, both of them have past baggage that weighs them down. shawn is on the run from the witness protection program after his handlers proved to be double agents for the crime lords he was ratting out. there's a lot of crazy convoluted twists to his part of the story, and the explanations for those things come late in the game, and i'm not one hundred percent sure i understood where everything went wrong for him, but basically he's running and falling in love with hunter is such a bad idea, because he is lying to him about who he is, and he also is so worried about putting him in danger. meanwhile, hunter had an emotionally abusive ex who killed their dog and then proceeded to shoot himself in front of hunter's eyes in the parking lot of the hospital he used to work at. so needless to say

seriously romantic: the best friend problem by mariah ankenman

upfront disclaimer: mariah is one of my clients, and i've been involved with this book since it was an idea that started like "what if a girl who was trying to get pregnant on her own got to the doctor's office for an ivf consult and was told, 'surprise, you're pregnant!'" that was the drop of inspiration that brought the best friend problem into being. and i'm not being biased at all when i tell you what a delight it is. okay, maybe i'm biased. but i'm also telling you that this book is sweet and funny and so feel-good that you won't be able to stop yourself from grinning. friendship is at the heart of this story. not only are pru and finn the very best of friends, pru also has some amazing female friends in lilly and moira. when she decides she wants to be a mom, everyone is one hundred percent supportive. and when a night of throwing caution to the wind ends up becoming a game changer for both pru and finn, they have to navigate

seriously romantic: rules of a rebound by nina crespo

the breakup bash is the party that keeps on giving when it comes to sexytimes for alexa, cori, and natalie. in rules of a rebound , natalie is looking to move on from her ex-husband dorian. she's got a pet to share custody of, a job to kick ass at, and a new home to make her own. when she meets rome, the bartender at club escapade, she figures one night of steamy sex is what the doctor ordered. but when her home is broken into and he helps her through the ordeal, things get complicated. she's not looking for a new relationship. and rome is on the same page, isn't he? he's got his own baggage, but he's also not interested in being natalie's rebound guy. he likes her, everything about her. and if he could stop worrying about his past failures, maybe he'll find a way to move forward with his life, instead of treading water all the time. rome and natalie are exactly what the doctor ordered for each other, they balance each other out and make each other s

seriously romantic: playing house by ruby yang

playing house is such a delight, a fast-paced, lovely read. when fay liu runs into oliver huang on a real estate tour, she is happy to see his friendly face. she trusts him to go with the flow and pretend to be her boyfriend, in order to get rid of a jerk who doesn't know how to take not interested for a viable answer. the pretense continues throughout the tour. and then these two urban planning uber nerds decide to keep doing it. looking at homes they have no intention of buying, just to spend time together. the bones of a house, the history of the community is their love language. literally they couldn't be more perfect for each other if they tried. the only little snag is that oliver has his resume out to fay's firm. and it's a little piece of information he holds back. and when it inevitably comes into play, so much awkwardness ensues. but it's the good kind of awkwardness, because both oliver and fay have been in stasis. and they need to look at what the

seriously romantic: white knight by meghan march

picking up right where black sheep left off, white knight  continues cannon and memphis' story. and it's one wild ride. from hard truth to hard truth, the one thing that remains steadfast is how strongly these two feel for each other. it's so deeply romantic, that connection between them, how fully committed they are to being on one another's side. we see old friends and meet some new ones. but all in all white knight is the perfect companion to black sheep . and it might be slightly blasphemous to say, but cannon might be my favorite casso yet. i mean, creighton is always amazing, but there has been an edge to cannon that makes him so interesting and to see all his defenses down and the man he's become, the power that he learns to wield throughout the story is beyond amazing. andi arndt and sebastian york narrate the audible exclusive books. and they are perfectly cast as memphis and cannon. sebastian york is always a little shaky on accents, but otherwise th

strictly literary: the house of salt and sorrows by erin a. craig

the house of salt and sorrows is a loose retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, the twelve dancing princesses . it sets the story in a kingdom by the sea, and then proceeds to dazzle with lush description and scary twists and turns. the thing about fairy tales, is that under all the glitz and glamour, all the talk of fairies and royal trappings, things are never quite what they seem. they're scarier and creepier and edged with danger. the stakes are real, annaleigh needs to figure out who is killing her sisters. because she doesn't want to mourn another one, and she doesn't want to lose her life. enjoy the ride as you read this story, and just follow the path the author leads you on. it's well worth the read. **the house of salt and sorrows will publish on august 6, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/random house children's (delacorte press) in exchange for my honest review. 

seriously romantic: relationship material by jenya keefe

evan doyle has built a new life for himself as, one with rules and order, because he needs that to overcome his deep trauma and ptsd. as the victim of a horrific crime, he's been in witness protection and estranged from his twin sister for over a decade. but a chance encounter as relationship material opens brings him face to face with his twin. and while his sister needs answers, evan isn't entirely willing to share them. he's moved forward with his life, and dredging up the past is deeply traumatizing. then there's the matter of his sister's best friend, malcolm umbertini. he flirts and promises more, but it's a more that evan is too afraid of trusting. he's too broken by his past, especially for someone like malcolm. the push-pull between these two, malcolm's incredible patience and how evan slowly lets him in makes for a beautiful love story. one filled with recovery and healing. **relationship material will publish on august 5, 2019. i rece