Mariana Zapata slays it again with an utterly entertaining enemies-to-lovers story set within the world of professional figure skating. I listened to the audiobook of From Lukov with Love which is 15 hours long (524 pages), and I can honestly say that I didn’t want it to end.
Well…yay! Beginner’s Luck feels like it belongs on that shelf with Act Like It or The Hating Game (if anything belongs on that shelf with The Hating Game) in terms of contemporary debuts. There were so many great things about this book.
Dirty Headlines showcases a softer side to L.J. Shen’s writing, and I liked it. A lot. I swear she’s one of the OG creators of truly despicable alphaholes. Shen’s enemies-to-lovers stories are typically dark, filled with a massive amount of tension and hatred between the lead characters, and yet deliciously addictive. Truthfully, she’s the only author who can make me fall for a character who is virtually unredeemable (Case in point: Vicious). Dirty Headlines manages to keep the alphahole, the feisty underdog heroine, the push and pull, but adds lots of fun.
There is something about a Christina Lauren book that just makes me happy, so it comes as no surprise that My Favorite Half-Night Stand left me with a goofy smile on my face.
“If you only shine a light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim.” Romance readers typically want to read about people falling in love and living happily ever after. The fairytale is a nice distraction from mundane life, but the truth is that sometimes I hunger for more. What happens after the happily ever after? I’ve been married to the same man for quite some time, and it’s nice to see my truth reflected on the page every once in awhile.
It sucks when an author whose work you admire writes a book that falls short of your expectations. I was pretty disappointed in Bring Down the Stars, the first book in the Beautiful Hearts series, especially since all my friends loved it. However, I think it makes the triumph of Long Live The Beautiful Hearts all the sweeter. It contains everything I felt the previous book lacked.
I was hesitant to read Bring Down the Stars because I knew it was a modern day re-telling of Cyrano de Bergerac. Nothing good can come from a relationship built on a foundation of lies. And yet I willingly waded into what I was confident would be turbulent waters, praying that the characters would be worth the risk to my heart. Weston and the beautiful poetry are shining stars in this story and the main reason for nudging the book toward 4-star territory.
It’s nice when you pick up a freebie, months later cruise through your Kobo and find a cute cover with a cute guy in a suit and think “this looks fun,” and then lo and behold, it is fun…
Lovers Like Us is the second book in the Like Us series. There are even more characters involved this time around, but I think I finally have a good handle on who’s who. There are more conflicts and added suspense, including family drama, tabloid scandals, and a crazy stalker on the loose.
Every Breath is the first Nicholas Sparks book I have read. I wanted to love it but, unfortunately, I was underwhelmed.
I am a big fan of the True North series. I can’t get enough of the cozy Vermont town and the hard working, fun characters that live there. Fireworks is a second chance romance that has all the makings of a great addition to the series. Skye is my favorite part of the story. I related to her vulnerability and how she underestimates her worth. She is so loving and giving that I found myself wanting to fight all her battles. Benito is a hot cop and her ultimate dragon slayer. He is also Skye’s first love and breaker of teenage hearts. Reunited after 12 years apart, it’s time to heal old wounds and either stoke those old flames or extinguish them forever. There are quite a few aspects to keep you interested in this story in addition to the reunion. You have Benito’s major drug bust in the works, Skye’s creepy stepfather to contend with, the mystery of what went down around the time Skye left, and Skye’s job problems. It’s the story’s execution left me feeling lukewarm. It is told in alternating chapters from Skye’s and Benito’s perspectives—a pretty standard device in modern romances. There are also chapters that […]
I just fell in love with a bisexual god named Maximoff Hale, a rich philanthropist who excels at everything. The man is fiercely devoted to and protective of every single member of his enormous family. Selflessly, Maximoff only indulges in one night stands, refusing to subject lovers to the public scrutiny a more serious romantic relationship with him would cause. He’s the perfect specimen. His hot tatted and pierced bodyguard, Farrow, is no slouch either.