November 2021 Reviews

R E V I E W ➠ Love Stories by Samantha Young

GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE

BLURB

A collection of contemporary romance novellas from New York Times Bestselling Author Samantha Young.
This volume includes novellas previously only available exclusively to newsletter subscribers. They have now been collated into this romantic collection of modern love stories.

Includes:

The Forbidden Christmas Gift:
It’s Christmas at Shaw’s Department store in Edinburgh! Reid Shaw should feel nothing but gratified by his success. But he’s not satisfied because the sexy Scot wants forbidden fruit for Christmas: Evan Munro. Reid’s Evan’s boss. He’s thirteen years older than her.
Oh … and she’s his best friend’s little sister.

New Year’s Eve:
After Ryan drunkenly kisses the object of her crush, Joe—her sister’s father-in-law— at his son’s birthday party, all she wants to do is avoid Joe for the rest of eternity. But when they find themselves stranded alone together on New Year’s Eve, Ryan discovers Joe most definitely doesn’t want to avoid Ryan…

Loving Valentine:
Micah Green has loved Valentine Fairchild for over ten years; ever since they were kids brought together by Micah’s difficult family life. Too many outside factors have gotten in their way, pushing them further apart over the years. But Micah, no matter how hard he tries, can’t forget her. When he finds a way to see her again, he realizes he’s wasted too much time loving Valentine from afar. Now he just has to convince her to let go of their past so they can move on with their future. Together.

Ember in the Heart:
When Ember Bonet overhears her sister’s fiancé’s best friend uttering rude remarks about the Bonet sisters at the engagement party, she instantly dismisses him as a pretentious man-child. Then said man-child, Foster Darwin, moves into the house next door along with his five-year-old daughter, making him hard to ignore.
Foster can’t believe his best friend, Colt, omitted to tell him the spinsterish Bonet sisters live in the house next door to his new home. Problem is, Ember Bonet is anything but spinsterish. From the moment they met, Foster has fought an overwhelming attraction to her. An attraction he has no time for. Not only is he determined to prioritize his daughter Georgie, he can’t fail his own father again. And Edward Darwin has made it clear that Foster must settle down with the right woman. Unfortunately, his family’s idea of ‘right’ isn’t the sexy massage therapist next door who’s eleven years his senior.
Determined to keep her distance from Foster, Ember fails when it becomes clear he and Georgie need support in their new life together. But proximity to one another is too great a temptation, and physical chemistry soon turns into so much more. If only Ember could get over their age difference and Foster his family pride…

RELEASE DATE: December 6, 2021

Not my first read by the author, and this was a little new to me from her, you get 4 short stories in this and I will be giving a review on an over-all of all. All were SHORT & SWEET, I think because they are novella’s it made it a little hard to really fully get into it. I would honestly say that I would have loved all of these in full shorter but full books. It was very festive, lot’s of romance, action, hot scenes and sweet kisses!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Romance: ♡♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: A Novella Collection
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!

R E V I E W ➠ Cruel God by Bella J.

(Underworld Kings)
GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE

BLURB

My name is Rex Cain…but you can call me god.
I am the ruler of the Cain empire—a legacy built from the blood and bone of others. Here in my kingdom, only the strongest survive, and only the wicked can thrive.
That’s why I took my father’s life before he had a chance to take mine. But my life doesn’t flow through my veins. It flows through hers, the girl he tried to take from me. The woman I’ve stained my hands in blood for.
My most prized possession.
My weakness.
My butterfly.
She thinks I’m her savior, and I’ll burn kingdoms to the ground to keep it that way.
While she waits for me on her knees, I’m a king who reigns without mercy. While she obeys my every command, I’m a dictator who starts wars. And while she breathes, I’m a man with something to lose.\
My name is Rex Cain, and she is my Hope.

RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Not my first time reading this author and I do like her writing style and her DARK. This though, this was a dark of the color dark and then add about 100 x’s more. And then add a few more! I read and like dark romances but this was very twisted, fucked up but also beautiful in it’s own ways.

The darkness in this will break you, and the little hope will make you shed tears.

That is the best way I can describe this book. This is on the line of dark and darker, I can’t explain it without feeling every emotion while reading this, from curious to turned on to in fear and sad. My mind was at war with my libido during this whole book and it brought out all the feelings at the same time…I wasn’t even sure about the surrounding while reading just captivated in the moment. Unfortunately the more I read the more my mind won over, and I think this hero or rather anti-hero was a bit too much in my eyes. The lines were blurred to begin with but he was so far away that I finally realized that liking the kinds of this anti-hero isn’t something for me. I love dark, alpha, dominant, possessive but this one just went beyond that, the punishments, his thoughts, the other woman…made me angry the more I read. It wasn’t so much the situations which may be the fucked up thing about me here but more of the I was missing the actual Romance, yes even in this darkness I wanted that little hope and feeling…I never got it. What I also did not get which I was kind of waiting for to justify it all, was the romance. I know people will say well this is a dark romance but where is the romance part? This review went from 5 stars to 4.5 down to 3.5 and on the verge of it being a final 3 star which makes me sad because I think had I had that romance and affection between the H & H it would have been okay for me, not to mention the fact that the heroine barely speaks at all. I know there was a warning on this book but just not for me.

p.s. you do get a little of that romance at the very end, but for me it was too late. Just in case you’re reading my review and wonder if there was any at all at least. To each it’s own, had I had that sooner and throughout this would be a different review. Best of luck to the book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Romance: ♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: HIGHLY TRIGGERS & PERSONAL DISLIKE
Standalone/Series: (Underworld Kings)
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!

R E V I E W ➠ Hot Mess Christmas Express by Claire Hastings

(12 Days of Kissmas )
GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE

BLURB

On the seventh day of Christmas, some of the swans are missing…
Caleb is hot. Sienna is a hot mess. But after just one night together, a mix-up causes this delightfully dreamy doctor to freeze out the reluctant pharmaceutical sales rep.
For two years, Caleb has given Sienna the silent treatment until a holiday wedding at the Seven Swans Inn forces him to acknowledge her existence again. And despite their chilly past, the forecast for Christmas quickly becomes hot and steamy.
‘Tis the season for mistletoe kisses, but when the magic wears off will this second chance be nothing more than a second heartbreak?

RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2021

This author is fairly NEW to me, I haven’t read enough to determine the style fully so this was a fun read I got from the author because I was complaining on a certain read at that time and this got me out of it. I said fun read I meant it, you get both characters that are pretty strong and then they also share and have history. It was a fun festive ride is what I will say and the hot-head on the Hero was a turn on & off at the same time to me, the swoony moments were great but when he was a A-hole he WAS one for sure. Thank you Claire for sending this over to me I had fun reading it and it got me away from the bad book that I had read at that time and to be able to continue reading more ARCs!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Romance: ♡
Steamy: 🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: (12 Days of Kissmas )
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

R E V I E W ➠ Covert Vengeance by Kennedy L. Mitchell

(SEALs and CIA #2)
GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE

BLURB

He’s desperate for revenge… and her.
Navy SEAL Tony “Flakes” Hackenbreg’s career and sanity ride on the upcoming mission to hunt and capture a known ARMs dealer. Being forced to partner with the dangerously beautiful CIA agent Elliot Smith is the last thing he wants or needs. With her love for explosives, sassy mouth, and a body most men would kill for, Elliot is everything he never knew he needed. Nights and days forced together the two shift from enemies to partners before morphing into a sizzling attraction that neither try to resist. But keeping Elliot protected during the covert mission proves to be the hardest challenge of Tony’s career.
She’s willing to kill anyone who stands in her way… except the one SEAL whose commands she’s eager to obey.
Elliot Smith’s last operation to Colombia cost her everything: her flawless mission reputation with the CIA, her partner, and nearly her own life. With vengeance on her mind, she doesn’t want or need a mouthy, dominant SEAL monitoring her every move like an overprotective babysitter. But when he sneaks past her defenses, making her open up about her past and hopes of a future, Elliot wonders if she’s finally met her equal.
When tension turns to passion in the middle of a covert mission they miss the signs of a trap, putting Elliot’s life in the evil hands of their shared enemy. Can Tony find her before the ARMs dealer slips away with the only woman he’s ever loved or will Elliot be lost for good?
Covert Vengeance is a standalone, no cliffhanger, SEAL romantic suspense novel. Each book in the SEALs and CIA Series can be enjoyed on their own; however, because of character crossover, reading the series in order is recommended. This series is suggested for mature readers due to detailed intimate scenes, discussion of abuse, violence, and foul language.

RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2021

Not my first read by the author, and I have not read Book #1 in this series. Mainly because I am a 50/50 on suspense action books. I have read Kennedy before and I have enjoyed her style and writing, and when I say she is really good at suspense I MEAN IT! I think for me not just with her books but in general with that is I usually miss the romance the overly-top just plain romance and Kennedy has also done a great job incorporate that into a lot of her suspense books but this one I was just missing it more I think. The action overtook it for me. But that’s just my personal preferences. Over all the suspense, action, characters in this was on point.

In the beginning I was confused on who the hero was going to be only because of the circumstances, which is why I DMed the author asking freaking out hehe that said once I got to the point of what was really going on in the beginning my heart broke a little for all of them. SEAL Tony Hackenbreg and CIA agent Elliot Smith are both strong characters and together it was a wild and real journey is the best I can describe this without giving too too much away. One thing I will say was wow besides the writing style and words is the remarkable research done on military and everything around and in between. You can truly see that the author went thoroughly on details. These two characters join forces and the story that unfolds is a thrill!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Romance: ♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: Personal
Standalone/Series: (SEALs and CIA #2)
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!
Recommended: ☑

R E V I E W ➠ Twisted Christmas Multiple Authors Anthology

GOODREADS

BLURB

What better time of year to unwrap forbidden love than Christmas?
Step-brothers, teachers, priests, and guardians…the heart wants what it wants.
These 12 love stories aren’t just taboo, they’re deliciously twisted.
Your wildest fantasies delivered in this LIMITED EDITION collection.

RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2021

All of these author’s are NEW to me reads. I will say that there was a lot of them I enjoyed and a lot that I skipped through a lot because they either are a trope that even for a TABOO-SEXY read I could not enjoy (i.e. cheating or fucking two guys (sometimes brothers) just the way it’s written not more as a erotic but a story and I hated it) they are steamy yes, you get a little bit of a story along with it to, clique of course they are short stories but I will say that first one with the priest *turn up the heat* here is what you’ll get inside:

Sweet Blasphemy – A Priest Romance (got my approval)
Always Been You – An Adopted Brother Romance (got my approval)
The Attack Zone – A Boyfriend’s Brother Romance (COULD NOT CONNECT)
Bittersweet Revenge – An Age Gap Romance (got my approval)
Dirty Secret – An Ex-Boyfriend Dad Romance (got my approval)
Hating Mr. Cooper – A Best Friend’s Dad Romance (got my approval)
Unwrap Him – An MM Guardian/Ward Romance (COULD NOT CONNECT)
Through The River — Into The Woods – A Taboo MMF Romance (got my approval)
Stray – A Step-Brother Romance (got my approval)
Illicit Hearts and Broken Virtues – A Foster-Father Romance (got my approval)
Sugar Daddy Santa Claus – A best Friend’s MFF Romance (COULD NOT CONNECT)
Baby – Forbidden Age-Gap Romance (got my approval)

These are definitely twisted and taboo. Some of them turned me off but that’s because I personally just did not enjoy them or couldn’t connect with the writing style. It was a lot of fun to read I will say that, gets you all tingling everywhere 😉

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Romance: ♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: Some Stories DISLIKES
Standalone/Series: Anthology
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!

R E V I E W ➠ Ignite by Melanie Harlow

(Cloverleigh Farms #6)
GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE

BLURB

My new neighbor is a firefighter—and a scorching hot single dad—but I swear I didn’t set off that smoke alarm on purpose.
(And I was beyond mortified when he rushed in and saw me naked.)
Nothing happened, of course—because I, Winnie MacAllister, romance junkie and owner of a constantly broken heart, have sworn off men for one solid year.
Even protective men with chiseled jaws, bulging biceps, and deep brown eyes that make my breath come faster. Even former SEALs with broad chests and strong hands that make my skin sizzle. Even gorgeous, grumpy guys who have their hands full raising two adorable little girls and claim they don’t believe in love.
Until Dex kisses me one night, and I drop all my defenses.
(Also my underwear.)
He says he’s not gentle, and he’s right. He says I should take the dream job I’m offered in another state, and he’s right. He says he’s too old for me and could never be the man I deserve.
He’s wrong.
Dex and I might be twelve years apart, but the fire between us is the kind that will never burn out.
How can I convince him to give happily-ever-after with me a chance?

RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2021

Damn, he was handsome. My heart was still fluttering.
“It’s fine,” I told myself.
“It’s find that my new next door neighbor is a hot firefighter and single dad with muscles for days and dark, broody eyes. It’s fine, because I am the boss of my feelings.“

Not a new to me author, I also have read all the books in this series. Two things first off: my idiot self did not realize this will be Book #1’s daughter (the hero’s) and when I figured it back out again I about screamed of excitement. And the second thing to get out of the way is that even though I absolutely loved this book I really really really think that the hero did not GROVEL enough. I said what I said!

Lets start with the heroine Winnie like the Poo 😉 she is a sweetheart! Her personality is addictive and her smile and laugh will make you want to too. She is someone who is in love with love. Hopeless romantic through and through, until enough is enough and she makes a bet with her sister for a good reason. She is rehabilitating herself from love. Then Dex the single-dad firefighter ex-marine moves in next door and not only is he hot in a tight shirt but his two daughters are what dream kids are made of. The way he is with them will have you melt your heart even in his grumpy grumpy self! This is YES a age-gap duhh I wouldn’t expect anything else but the second gen to have at least a repeat. In this case if you are starting with this book in the series DON’T! Stop and go back to book #1 because every single one of these books is CAPTIVATING! That said back to the story, so Dex moves in next door and what does a firefighter do when an alarm goes off? Come to the rescue…in this case right time wrong place because Winnie is just getting out of the steamy hot shower and ends up well the neighbors end up seeing a little more than any of them wanted, and one of them didn’t mind of course. This story has so much fun, laughter, heart, romance and action. It’s almost a history repeats itself that means you get a glimpse of Frannie and Mack. I will say that this could have been a 5 plus read for me but I just couldn’t let go that the hero really didn’t grovel enough, in my head that is but over-all the story was sweet and fun!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Romance: ♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Book 6 in Series
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

R E V I E W ➠ Chasing Serenity by Kristen Ashley

GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE

BLURB

From a very young age, Chloe Pierce was trained to look after the ones she loved.
And she was trained by the best.
But when the man who looked after her was no longer there, Chloe is cast adrift—just as the very foundation of her life crumbled to pieces.
Then she runs into tall, lanky, unpretentious Judge Oakley, her exact opposite. She shops. He hikes. She drinks pink ladies. He drinks beer. She’s a city girl. He’s a mountain guy.
Obviously, this means they have a blowout fight upon meeting. Their second encounter doesn’t go a lot better.
Judge is loving the challenge. Chloe is everything he doesn’t want in a woman, but he can’t stop finding ways to spend time with her. He knows she’s dealing with loss and change.
He just doesn’t know how deep that goes. Or how ingrained it is for Chloe to care for those who have a place in her heart, how hard it will be to trust anyone to look after her…
And how much harder it is when it’s his turn.

RELEASE DATE: September 7, 2021

Not my first read by the author, she is a TOP FAV author I’ve read and re-read countless times. That said I am not going to lie and say I was not nervous about something new and now from this author. I just spend 4 books into a different Series and I couldn’t connect and did not like so I was nervous about this.

Heroine: Chloe Pierce – Hero: Judge Oakley

Okay first expression until page 20 before it goes into THE NOW. I liked & hated it at the same time because *frustrated* i absolutely hate when the hero and/or heroine are already in relationship especially in love with the other person because it takes me a long time to want to see or be able to see them together romantically. UGH just absolutely hate those scenes, granted I made it out of that debacle I had to take a break before diving back in because I’m a emotional reader and that made me want to continue but hate-reading bc I’m so annoyed that was in the book. I’m sure not a lot of people will read this long ass review or care but I am as honest with my review’s as I am with reading emotionally. What’s worse is from page 21 to 30 I COULD NOT STAND THE HEROINE OMFG can she just shut up and stop! *deep breath*

28% in: These two could not be more opposite if I tried. I am going to say that I am warming up to the heroine, a lot is really happening. So if you’ve never read KA you won’t know when I say this but A LOT has already happened and I am barely at the first quarter marker. KA’s book are long but when you get the right hit, you’ll want it to be even longer! I wish I could say that I warmed up to the heroine by 35% but honestly at that to me she is just a high-maintenance bitch. The little that she let go was so sweet and I was warming up to her but boy could she turn up the bitch, to a high. UGH!!!!!!!! In all the books and years I have read KA I honestly can’t say that I have disliked a heroine as much as this one. Such a shame because I do enjoy the plot and story line so far and ABSOLUTELY HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THE HERO. Why would KA do this to us, why?

AND I knew I would DNF this book because I was getting close to half of it and the heroine just got worse and worse. How anyone can feel sorry for a high handed, have all the money in the world and everything she is woman well in this case a child 23 year old…I don’t get it. She was not only mean and high maintenance but also disrespectful and just so damn high handed. UGH I think I officially give up on KA because the old style of her writing *not including the ROCK CHICKS those I couldn’t stand* was where I loved the author and I guess you outgrown books and authors as much as people and this is where I part with this. SO SO ANGRY because I just don’t get why she would write such a mean heroine. And before anyone says you should have stuck it out because in the end she redeems herself, no thanks she done so much damage by being a bitch that I don’t think I could ever feel sorry for her rich entitled ass. The only reason this is getting a 3 star is the Hero and my respect for KA’s writing.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Romance: ♡♡
Steamy: 🔥
Triggers: Personal Dislike
Standalone/Series: Book #1 in New Series River Rain
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!

R E V I E W ➠ Dream Keeper by Kristen Ashley

(Dream Team #4)
GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE
AMAZON

BLURB

Pepper Hannigan is determined to keep any romance off the table—and out of her bedroom—while her daughter Juno is still young. Sure, a certain handsome commando is thoughtful, funny, and undeniably hot, but Pepper’s had her heart broken before, and she won’t let it happen again. Not to her or her little girl, even if this hero could melt any woman’s resolve.
Augustus “Auggie” Hero can’t deny his attraction to beautiful, warm-hearted Pepper or how much he wants to make a home with her and her little girl, but Pepper’s mixed signals have kept him away. That is, until Juno decides to play matchmaker. Her efforts finally bring Pepper into his arms, but they expose the danger Pepper is in. To protect Pepper and Juno, Auggie will have to live up to his last name and prove happy endings aren’t just for fairy tales. 

RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2021

“He’s fire and thunder and maybe mountain,” I blurted. “And I’m water. Lake. Earth. We balance.”

Not my first read by the author, she is actually my top favorite author and one I’ve read for years back in the day when I started. That said I really have been trying to give this series a good go and I truly did it’s just I honestly could not. I think a lot has to do with it because I read the Rock Chicks and did not like it at all, and so this kind of felt like it and I just couldn’t get into it. Another factor is that I truly love KA’s long books but this one particularly was just TOO LONG and I got BORED a lot of times. I as always love the KA writing style and can appreciate her sense for wording and keeping you engaged, unfortunately this series is not a favorite or for me but I did give it my best go.

Pepper is a character that well is perplexed and had a lot happening and going on that that is where I think my I GOT BORED came from is, that dare I say it THERE WAS TOO MUCH GOING ON that I did not see needed to be part. I know it’s an unpopular opinion to everyone but I am always honest in my review’s even if it’s my beloved TOP FAV author that I have read over the years. I hung onto that KA STYLE that I forgot everything else and when I did get into it I just could not connect. That said I will say that anyone who reads this book I would recommend reading from Book #1 and be prepared to really pay attention into it all to be able to fully get the feel. There is a lot of characters, a lot of romance, sweet, danger, suspense and hot scenes.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Romance: ♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥
Triggers: Personal Dislikes
Standalone/Series: Series Book #4 Conclusion to Series
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!

R E V I E W ➠ Snowy Ever After by Samantha Chase & Stefanie London

GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE (Samantha)
AUTHOR WEBSITE (Stefanie)

BLURB

What could be better than a holiday wedding?
How about two?
Join bestselling authors Samantha Chase and Stefanie London for a whole lot of love this holiday season with Snowy Ever After!

With some of your favorite Magnolia Sound and Patterson’s Bluff residents, we can guarantee you’ll get all those small town, holiday feels with guaranteed happily ever afters and I Do’s!


WEDDING WONDERLAND by Samantha Chase:
SAVE THE DATE!
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Mia Kingsley and Austin Coleman.
Or you will be if a snowstorm doesn’t blanket the town with piles of fresh snow, making the trip to the chapel near impossible.
But the Coleman family is not about to let a measly little storm ruin Mia and Austin’s perfect day. After all, Magnolia Sound is just the place for a perfect wedding wonderland.


DESTINED FOR FOREVER by Stefanie London
Romantic comedy screenwriter, Lily Dunn, watches her life go from happily ever after to crappily ever after when she gets dumped on live television.
Facing her overprotective family at her cousin’s wedding is not ideal. They think she’s not cut out for cutthroat Hollywood. How can she prove she’s moved on? Pretend to have a new man, of course. The only rule is: keep it fake.
But the chemistry with her former high school crush burns hotter than an open fire. Can two bruised and battered hearts find the kind of love that only happens in the movies?

RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 16, 2021

NEW to me authors. I got to be honest as always and say that I do not remember why I requested for this ARC, I must have been in the mood but I am glad because I really enjoyed these two sweet short stories. The other things that I kind of messed up on is the fact that I did not read any of these author’s original books I THINK I am not sure though if these are on it’s own stories or from previous characters, so I was wondering the whole time about that.

4 STARS -> WEDDING WONDERLAND by Samantha Chase: This one was a very themed and super cute story about the Hero & Heroine and the time of the wedding. The groom has some strong words on waiting and the bride wants to make her groom happy but also is stressed about planning a wedding so soon. What follows is a fun adventure on two souls that are meant to be and all the obstacles they have to overcome to get their official happily every after.

5 STARS -> DESTINED FOR FOREVER by Stefanie London now this one took my attention from the start, I liked the author’s writing style and everything. The characters were fun to read and complex enough to keep my attention. The story line is a common one because the heroine just got broken up with and is going to her cousins wedding and the hero is her long time from childhood crush attending the same wedding, they make a pack during the flight and what follows is a sweet, snowy, Christmas feel romance filled with cute scenes, romance, laughter, heartache, realness and THE FIRST KISS *swoon*

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Romance: ♡♡
Steamy: 🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Type: All Tags at bottom of this page!