If this book was any longer, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. Admittedly, novellas are tricky to pull off successfully, but it can be done. Guarding His Obsession has three major problems: the story, the writing, and—since I listed to the audiobook—the narration. It’s a losing trifecta.
I posted previously about The Beauty of Audiobooks. They really have changed the way I approach reading and have helped me reach my reading goals faster. The biggest audiobook retailer is Audible; however, they are rather pricey for my budget. Fortunately, I found an online site where you can legally listen to free audiobooks! This godsend is Hoopla Digital.
Infini by Krista and Becca Ritchie is an epic young adult forbidden romance. Lucka and Baylee are best friends turned teenage lovers. They are both members of a Cirque du Soleil style acrobatic circus, and unfortunately for them teenage cast members are forbidden to date. Breaking this firm rule results in pain and sets in motion serious repercussions that span nearly a decade.
It’s been a few years since I read the original Driven trilogy. K. Bromberg has expanded the series since then, but Colton and Riley remain my favorite couple. Aced is a nice way to fill in the gap between the end of their story and the epilogue.
911, I’ve got a situation. You see, what had happened was I was reading Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren and my Kindle spontaneously combusted. Like, we’re talking flames shot out of that bad boy, and now my bedroom is covered in a thick cloud of smoke and my comforter is charred. In my defense, the book really should have come with some kind of warning about explosively erotic scenes so I would have had my fire extinguisher on hand. Just sayin’.
Sweet Filthy Morning After is like a quickie audiobook bonus chapter about the morning after that crazy night in Vegas detailed in Sweet Filthy Boy. There are no earth shattering revelations, but it’s nice to have Ansel’s perspective. He’s every bit as sweet and idealistic as you’d expect. The audiobook is so short (30 minutes) that I’m not sure it’s worth buying. However, I borrowed it for free from Hoopla Digital and enjoyed it.
Knitting in the City has fast become one of my favorite romantic comedy series, and Beauty and the Mustache is now one of my favorite books in the series. I started listening to the audio book version when I needed a pick me up, and it delivered in a big way. Joy Nash’s narration is perfection—southern accent and all.
I have never believed in Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy was highly suspect as a child. However, the idea of a fairy godmother, while not remotely realistic, has always appealed to me. Mariana Zappata is like a literary fairy godmother, able to transform the deepest of book slumps into joy simply with strokes on a keyboard. I was in a book Funk with a capital “F” after reading my last book. Zappata worked her magic with Lingus, though, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I know, I know. I gave a rather scathing review of Debt Inheritance, so why on Earth did I read First Debt? Apparently I’m a glutton for punishment because I decided to give this book a chance when I saw it was available at the library. I figured I had nothing to lose except maybe some of my precious reading time, because…free. Oh, and it was the audio book version so…bonus!
Dark romance may not be at the top of my list of favorite genres, but I’ve read several that I quite enjoyed. Ones with characters I could relate to and relationships that I could ultimately root for even when those relationships were rather twisted. I think maybe I’m just not cut out for this particular style of brutal dark romance.
Penny Reid is known for her witty romances. It’s what drew me to her work initially and keeps me coming back for more. Her Knitting in the City series is an excellent example of her clever storytelling. Each book details the life of one of the ladies in an eccentric knitting group. While quite enjoyable, Friends Without Benefits lacks some of the whimsical spirit I anticipated.
I’m a fan of the Driven series by K. Bromberg, and Down Shift makes a nice addition. You’ve got two strong main characters, each of whom are at a crossroads in their lives. Zander is forced to face his past and evaluate his priorities when his reckless behavior puts him dangerously close crashing and burning. Getty needs to find independence and confidence after escaping an abusive past.