4 stars? 4.5 stars? I’ve gone back and forth several times, and I still can’t get this book out of my head. Here’s the thing. The Ground Rules concludes with a resolved plot. Notice I didn’t say it was as happily satisfying as a hot fudge sundae, but Roya Carmen doesn’t leave the reader hanging. Why then would she open up the same can of worms and write a second book?
K. Bromberg has done it again with Slow Burn! We were introduced to Haddie and Beckett in the Driven trilogy – one of my all-time favorite series – but we finally get to know them in this book. Haddie is carrying around a lot of baggage following the untimely death of her sister. Wanting to forget her grief for one night, she seduces Becks into a one-night, “no strings” hook-up. For Becks though, one night isn’t enough:
Kaleidoscope Hearts reads very much like the type of New Adult novels I try to avoid—a whole lot of drama over nothing.
“I. Love. You. Period. It’s a goddamn soul-shattering love that will never, ever be matched. My love for you is unapologetic and forever.”
Sleep? Who needs sleep? This book was so engrossing I finished it in one sitting. My emotions are all over the place though, and I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about it.
Take note: this is how you write a good friends-to-lovers story. While this trope has its appeal, more often than not I can anticipate there will be a healthy dose of the following that will piss me off: immature characters; manufactured drama; lack of communication. Blurred Lines successfully manages to avoid those pitfalls.
Although Spin isn’t a 5 star read for me, I can say it is the start of a new favorite series.
While ShutterGirl is a bit of a departure from CD Reiss’s more sensual writings, her foray into the contemporary romance genre has all the hallmarks I’ve come to expect from CD’s work: superb writing woven with complex characters and a captivating plot. This is an alluring second-chance love story about two completely opposite people who dare to fall in love.
I admit I was disappointed by the depressing overtones of Becoming Calder given that I had expected more of a romance, but I was pleased to find the story picks up steam in Finding Eden.
This novella does a pretty good job kicking off the 5-part Timber Towers serial. Frankie Jordan is Boston’s highest selling real estate agent. She’s poised to take over her father’s successful agency. Derek Block is an elusive cutting-edge architect. He’s the developer for Timber Towers, an exclusive apartment complex in Boston. In Unblocked – Episode One, the two meet when Frankie interviews for the job of the complex’s in-house real estate agent. There is sexual tension, but neither wants to jeopardize their potential working relationship.
“Love is reckless because true emotions are immune to logic. The most beautiful love stories are often the most tragic.” Jewel E. Ann has officially become an auto-buy author for me. The first book in her Jack & Jill series, End of Day, completely blew me away and was a rare 5 star read for me. Middle of Knight proves just how addictive this trilogy is.
Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, but when you’re an avid reader who reads well over 100 novels per year, many books tend to blend together. Authors that bring something fresh to the table stand a better chance of producing work that stands out. Jewel E. Ann brought her A-game with End of Day, and I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it. She has woven together a gripping, intriguing, and clever novel that I could not put down. What a fantastic start to the Jack & Jill series.