I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my friends friends for clogging my Goodreads feed with updates of binge reading books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Because of them I just may have found a new favorite author. I definitely discovered a delightful sports romance to add to my favorites bookshelf.
It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for this sequel to Him, and overall Us is a success. Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy do an admirable job of integrating endearing protagonists, humor, and steam—with a smidge of angst on the side—into an enticing storyline.
The truth is I tend to be more lenient in my reviews of novellas. There’s just no way you can pack enough character development and storyline complexity into a book that is under 150 pages. I dive in knowing that it won’t measure up to a full-length novel, so it’s unfair of me to judge it by the same standards. That said, Hearts in Darkness is a well-done, sexy little story.
The Baller has everything I look for in a sports romantic comedy: a ballsy heroine, a cocky athlete, banter up the wazoo, real integration of the sport, and a mature relationship. Placing a checkmark in all those columns makes it seem formulaic; however, the characters really help elevate this story.
Licked is the first book I’ve read by Brooke Blaine, and I’ve got to say I love her writing style. It’s very reminiscent of Alice Clayton in its sexy humor, but with a quirky, irreverent flair.
This is such a sweet story. It’s a different type of sports romance where the sport of hockey is integral to the plot, and yet not a single game is played.
The Ground Rules Undone is the thrilling conclusion to The Rule Breakers trilogy. When we left off, Mirella was in one hell of a pickle. Told entirely from her point of view, this story focuses on the consequences of Mirella and Weston deviating from the rules. Unlike the previous books, there’s very little sex, yet the chemistry is still insane in this combustive love triangle.
Whew! Well, this book is aptly named. Virtually every chapter in the first half contains sex scenes. We’re talking panty melting, grab your fan, look-up-erotica-in-the-dictionary-and-see-this-book’s-cover sex scenes.
This was kind of meh for me. I didn’t love it; I didn’t hate it. The plot is strong, and I found the first half really intriguing. I got sucked in by Mina’s hardships and Lev becoming her guardian angel. A lot of wonderful conflicts are set up, and I was looking forward to everything coming to a boil.
I don’t read nearly enough romantic suspense/mysteries, which is surprising since it’s a sub-genre I like. This book combines romantic suspense with political intrigue that, in theory, should be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Volume One is now free! Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks Review Reasonable Doubt is one of my all-time favorite erotica series. There’s always a bit of trepidation when I re-read a favorite book—a concern that it won’t be as good as I remember. I had the perfect excuse to re-read Reasonable Doubt Full Series (Vol. 1-3) when I was gifted an audiobook copy, but I was still hesitant. I had a specific voice in mind for the anti-hero, Andrew, and much like movie adaptations of books, I was worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. My fears were completely unfounded because I loved the book even more the second time around, and the voice actors are spot on.
When I finished Marni Mann’s Unblocked Collection, I had this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It felt like moving away from your best friends—their lives keep going on, but you drift apart and you no longer know what they’ve been up to. Marni Mann has gifted fans with a mini reunion in Wild Aces, but it is a standalone that can easily be enjoyed without reading the other books.