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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1474070590
| 9781474070591
| B071FB6DTF
| 3.92
| 165
| Aug 11, 2017
| Aug 11, 2017
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liked it
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None
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Notes are private!
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2
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Jan 30, 2019
not set
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Feb 04, 2019
not set
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Sep 28, 2024
|
ebook
| ||||||||||||||
| 0553393723
| 9780553393729
| B00P54ZO3Y
| 4.11
| 1,440
| May 19, 2015
| May 19, 2015
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really liked it
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****Full Review**** 3.5 stars I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content ****Full Review**** 3.5 stars I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Sofia and Killian were childhood bestfriends but a traumatic experience leaves its mark on Sofia and sends Killian on a dark winding guilt trip. They go their separate ways for a few years only to reconnect when Sofia is hired to straighten out Killian's accounting for his gym. They rediscover the friendship that was always there while romantic feelings start to make themselves known. These two are meant to be together but as secrets get revealed they are going to have to fight for it. Once Pure is third in the Shattered Past series but can definitely be read as a standalone, there are mentions of past couples that people who read the previous books will enjoy. Killian and Sofia are both in their early twenties but I still think this read more like a contemporary romance instead of a new adult. They both exhibit sensitivity and at times a lack of confidence that comes with this age but came across more mature in a way that I think will appeal to a broader readership. Killian is going to steal quite a few hearts with his sexy exterior and tender interior. He owns and runs a gym while being a MMA (mixed martial arts) star but has no problem asking Sofia for help when it comes to balancing the books and promoting. Sofia prefers to remain in the background and while she may have diminished her inner flame, Killian still sees it burning. Sofia's rape is obviously a defining moment in her life but as the story goes on her character grows in way that the strength she builds from that moment is the only thing defining her. Sofia easily could have developed into a one dimensional quiet mousey character but the author infused her with this great strong vulnerability that only became stronger and less vulnerable. Killian had almost the opposite progression, he easily could have been left as the tough, untouchable, and muscle bound alpha but instead he is revealed to be multifaceted. He is, of course, strong strength wise but also gentle, kind, and vulnerable when it comes to Sofia. They are adorable together; the story might get a bit cliché and induce some good natured eye rolls but I still found myself fighting big grins. Secondary characters, which mostly consist of Killian's brothers and sister, played a big part in the story and I can definitely see some future leading men and woman potential. The first half was quick reading for me as I was locked into Killian and Sofia sweetly coming together while the second half kind of slowed down. All I can say is bring your umbrella because the angst pours down on you. Our leads start to get a little too emotional and begin to question and guilt trip themselves to death over circumstances tied to Sofia's rape. It's all a little heavy handed and one or two of these angst moments could have been left out as all together it became too much. Now, why I think you all should read this and what I consider the hidden gem of the story is the subtle way Killian builds Sofia up. He is never pushy with her and in fact, the kind way he takes things slow for her will warm your heart, but Killian manages to slowly get Sofia to work out with him and get her to learn self defense moves. In an unmeaningful way that means so much he'll say he wants her to know how to defend herself and then quietly positions her to gain those tools. It's not heavily focused on in the story and why I call it the hidden gem but when Sofia gets herself out of a dangerous situation and says to Killian "I fought because that is what you ingrained in me" it really hit home for me. These two aren't only sweet and sexy together but more importantly stronger together. Killian and Sofia make each other better, what could be more romantic than that? Merged review: ****Full Review**** 3.5 stars I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Sofia and Killian were childhood bestfriends but a traumatic experience leaves its mark on Sofia and sends Killian on a dark winding guilt trip. They go their separate ways for a few years only to reconnect when Sofia is hired to straighten out Killian's accounting for his gym. They rediscover the friendship that was always there while romantic feelings start to make themselves known. These two are meant to be together but as secrets get revealed they are going to have to fight for it. Once Pure is third in the Shattered Past series but can definitely be read as a standalone, there are mentions of past couples that people who read the previous books will enjoy. Killian and Sofia are both in their early twenties but I still think this read more like a contemporary romance instead of a new adult. They both exhibit sensitivity and at times a lack of confidence that comes with this age but came across more mature in a way that I think will appeal to a broader readership. Killian is going to steal quite a few hearts with his sexy exterior and tender interior. He owns and runs a gym while being a MMA (mixed martial arts) star but has no problem asking Sofia for help when it comes to balancing the books and promoting. Sofia prefers to remain in the background and while she may have diminished her inner flame, Killian still sees it burning. Sofia's rape is obviously a defining moment in her life but as the story goes on her character grows in way that the strength she builds from that moment is the only thing defining her. Sofia easily could have developed into a one dimensional quiet mousey character but the author infused her with this great strong vulnerability that only became stronger and less vulnerable. Killian had almost the opposite progression, he easily could have been left as the tough, untouchable, and muscle bound alpha but instead he is revealed to be multifaceted. He is, of course, strong strength wise but also gentle, kind, and vulnerable when it comes to Sofia. They are adorable together; the story might get a bit cliché and induce some good natured eye rolls but I still found myself fighting big grins. Secondary characters, which mostly consist of Killian's brothers and sister, played a big part in the story and I can definitely see some future leading men and woman potential. The first half was quick reading for me as I was locked into Killian and Sofia sweetly coming together while the second half kind of slowed down. All I can say is bring your umbrella because the angst pours down on you. Our leads start to get a little too emotional and begin to question and guilt trip themselves to death over circumstances tied to Sofia's rape. It's all a little heavy handed and one or two of these angst moments could have been left out as all together it became too much. Now, why I think you all should read this and what I consider the hidden gem of the story is the subtle way Killian builds Sofia up. He is never pushy with her and in fact, the kind way he takes things slow for her will warm your heart, but Killian manages to slowly get Sofia to work out with him and get her to learn self defense moves. In an unmeaningful way that means so much he'll say he wants her to know how to defend herself and then quietly positions her to gain those tools. It's not heavily focused on in the story and why I call it the hidden gem but when Sofia gets herself out of a dangerous situation and says to Killian "I fought because that is what you ingrained in me" it really hit home for me. These two aren't only sweet and sexy together but more importantly stronger together. Killian and Sofia make each other better, what could be more romantic than that? ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Apr 07, 2015
not set
|
Apr 09, 2015
not set
|
Sep 27, 2024
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0553390473
| 9780553390476
| B00IQROC1C
| 3.53
| 623
| Jan 01, 2014
| Aug 26, 2014
|
liked it
|
2.5 stars I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Darcy 2.5 stars I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Darcy is just your average schmuck who somehow lands a job as a housesitter for a wealthy heiress. While generally selfish and clueless, Lydia the heiress, decides to allow Darcy to attend a charity event in her place. Darcy has her misgivings but seeing as the charity event will have appearances by the Sonics, her favorite baseball team, she can't quite bring herself to say no. There, she meets Chase Westbrook, one of her favorite players. Chase is a MLB pitcher looking to sign a bigger contract, play for a better team, and finally prove to his dad he is successful. When he sees who he thinks is Lydia the playgirl heiress he decides a night of frivolous fun is order. Darcy is a character that is hard to fully like, she seems to get caught up in the glitz and glamour but ultimately she is outright deceiving Chase. Chase is no innocent babe either, his agent tells him that Lydia's grandfather likes the influence Chase seems to have on her and since the grandfather has a controlling interest in the Yankees, a team Chase desperately wants to play for, he pulls a devious trick of his own to keep who he thinks is Lydia by his side. There is a little depth to the characters with issues from parents and personal insecurities discussed but you probably wouldn't need a life jacket to swim in their waters. As they spend more time together our leads start to develop stronger feelings for each other. There isn't much for emotion written or felt here but the reader can see and understand, to some degree, what Darcy and Chase see in each other. The mistaken identity is eventually found out and gotten over and Chase decides gosh darn it he and his team are good enough. All these happenings and affirmations all happen fairly fast as the ending ends up feeling rushed. This story is a quick read as there isn't too much substance to it but let's be honest, as a reader you know that and buy this book for the same reason reality tv shows are so popular; escapism. It's a cotton candy summer sports themed romance, great for a beach read. Merged review: 2.5 stars I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Darcy is just your average schmuck who somehow lands a job as a housesitter for a wealthy heiress. While generally selfish and clueless, Lydia the heiress, decides to allow Darcy to attend a charity event in her place. Darcy has her misgivings but seeing as the charity event will have appearances by the Sonics, her favorite baseball team, she can't quite bring herself to say no. There, she meets Chase Westbrook, one of her favorite players. Chase is a MLB pitcher looking to sign a bigger contract, play for a better team, and finally prove to his dad he is successful. When he sees who he thinks is Lydia the playgirl heiress he decides a night of frivolous fun is order. Darcy is a character that is hard to fully like, she seems to get caught up in the glitz and glamour but ultimately she is outright deceiving Chase. Chase is no innocent babe either, his agent tells him that Lydia's grandfather likes the influence Chase seems to have on her and since the grandfather has a controlling interest in the Yankees, a team Chase desperately wants to play for, he pulls a devious trick of his own to keep who he thinks is Lydia by his side. There is a little depth to the characters with issues from parents and personal insecurities discussed but you probably wouldn't need a life jacket to swim in their waters. As they spend more time together our leads start to develop stronger feelings for each other. There isn't much for emotion written or felt here but the reader can see and understand, to some degree, what Darcy and Chase see in each other. The mistaken identity is eventually found out and gotten over and Chase decides gosh darn it he and his team are good enough. All these happenings and affirmations all happen fairly fast as the ending ends up feeling rushed. This story is a quick read as there isn't too much substance to it but let's be honest, as a reader you know that and buy this book for the same reason reality tv shows are so popular; escapism. It's a cotton candy summer sports themed romance, great for a beach read. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Aug 05, 2014
not set
|
Aug 07, 2014
not set
|
Sep 27, 2024
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 1640638474
| 9781640638471
| B07SQLPT9Q
| 3.75
| 189
| Aug 05, 2019
| Aug 12, 2019
|
it was ok
|
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Adam and I I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Adam and I had been kicked out, were running for our lives, and the morning sun hadn’t even risen. Ruth and Adam had a whirlwind romance that had them going to Gretna Green to get married. Adam hasn't been completely honest about who is and plots involving his uncle stealing money that have him in danger, so before they can fully enjoy their happily ever after, evil snatches it away. Fourth in the Advertisements in Love series, The Bewildered Bride gets the story rolling right away, almost too quickly for me. I haven't read the others in the series and for the first twenty or so percent I felt like I was missing some background or key information. There is some lying by omission going on from Adam and he isn't completely honest about how much danger his uncle is, leaving Ruth in the dark in a way that completely hamstrings her. I felt even more lost than Ruth with the plot about Adam's evil uncle, I'm wondering if there was some information about this in the previous book or if Adam and Ruth's relationship starts there, as they're getting married when we first start the book. The middle was a still a bit muddled for me but towards the end, the author untangled everything to make things clearer. “I have to believe the good in him. He did not take me to Gretna Green just to have at me. We married. I was a bride. I was loved.” The star of the show was definitely our heroine Ruth. Since no one in her family ever met Adam, they don't believe she was married, making her family having to rescue her from a brothel and then delivering a baby nine months later, a dark mark on her reputation. Ruth's mother and sister don't believe her story about marrying Adam either, letting their friends say hurtful things to Ruth. I felt for her and her pain was palpable on the pages, it was just the construction of the story plot that I couldn't completely get on board with. On their way back from Gretna Green, they are attacked by men possibly sent by Adam's uncle and it ends up where Adam thinks Ruth is dead and Ruth thinks Adam is dead. Ruth doesn't have any proof that she was married to Adam and Adam has a tough road to travel before he can get back to being in control of his own life again. This is a great set-up for some drama but when our hero and heroine meet back up again, Ruth doesn't recognize Adam (the first time because she doesn't have her glasses on). Adam proclaims some weak excuse for not telling her and for the vast majority of the story, we have Adam lying to Ruth again and some unreliability that she can't recognize him. I just didn't feel the romance between the two. Ruth was a strong and heartbreaking character with all she had to deal with, while I felt like I couldn't connect with Adam and his lying. The evil uncle plot was a bit hard to follow but the author did a great job of portraying the emotional and historical feel of the times; classism and racism. I could have missed some information starting with book four, if you're a reader of the series you'll definitely want to read this for Ruth and if you're starting here, be prepared to maybe be as bewildered as Ruth. Merged review: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Adam and I had been kicked out, were running for our lives, and the morning sun hadn’t even risen. Ruth and Adam had a whirlwind romance that had them going to Gretna Green to get married. Adam hasn't been completely honest about who is and plots involving his uncle stealing money that have him in danger, so before they can fully enjoy their happily ever after, evil snatches it away. Fourth in the Advertisements in Love series, The Bewildered Bride gets the story rolling right away, almost too quickly for me. I haven't read the others in the series and for the first twenty or so percent I felt like I was missing some background or key information. There is some lying by omission going on from Adam and he isn't completely honest about how much danger his uncle is, leaving Ruth in the dark in a way that completely hamstrings her. I felt even more lost than Ruth with the plot about Adam's evil uncle, I'm wondering if there was some information about this in the previous book or if Adam and Ruth's relationship starts there, as they're getting married when we first start the book. The middle was a still a bit muddled for me but towards the end, the author untangled everything to make things clearer. “I have to believe the good in him. He did not take me to Gretna Green just to have at me. We married. I was a bride. I was loved.” The star of the show was definitely our heroine Ruth. Since no one in her family ever met Adam, they don't believe she was married, making her family having to rescue her from a brothel and then delivering a baby nine months later, a dark mark on her reputation. Ruth's mother and sister don't believe her story about marrying Adam either, letting their friends say hurtful things to Ruth. I felt for her and her pain was palpable on the pages, it was just the construction of the story plot that I couldn't completely get on board with. On their way back from Gretna Green, they are attacked by men possibly sent by Adam's uncle and it ends up where Adam thinks Ruth is dead and Ruth thinks Adam is dead. Ruth doesn't have any proof that she was married to Adam and Adam has a tough road to travel before he can get back to being in control of his own life again. This is a great set-up for some drama but when our hero and heroine meet back up again, Ruth doesn't recognize Adam (the first time because she doesn't have her glasses on). Adam proclaims some weak excuse for not telling her and for the vast majority of the story, we have Adam lying to Ruth again and some unreliability that she can't recognize him. I just didn't feel the romance between the two. Ruth was a strong and heartbreaking character with all she had to deal with, while I felt like I couldn't connect with Adam and his lying. The evil uncle plot was a bit hard to follow but the author did a great job of portraying the emotional and historical feel of the times; classism and racism. I could have missed some information starting with book four, if you're a reader of the series you'll definitely want to read this for Ruth and if you're starting here, be prepared to maybe be as bewildered as Ruth. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Sep 16, 2019
not set
|
Oct 20, 2019
not set
|
Sep 21, 2024
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0062397621
| 9780062397621
| B0151VE6FW
| 3.99
| 1,198
| May 31, 2016
| May 31, 2016
|
liked it
|
Stays mostly in the shallow end, no risk story telling. Hero reminded me a little bit of SEP's Bobby Tom Denton, with charm and flirt. Heroine had abu
Stays mostly in the shallow end, no risk story telling. Hero reminded me a little bit of SEP's Bobby Tom Denton, with charm and flirt. Heroine had abusive past but pretty much glossed over except for mention and device to create ending foil to HEA. Small town cuteness, drama, and series baiting secondary characters. Relationship skirted depth but couple had some fun back and forth. Solid contemporary romance apple pie, good but not terribly exciting. Merged review: Stays mostly in the shallow end, no risk story telling. Hero reminded me a little bit of SEP's Bobby Tom Denton, with charm and flirt. Heroine had abusive past but pretty much glossed over except for mention and device to create ending foil to HEA. Small town cuteness, drama, and series baiting secondary characters. Relationship skirted depth but couple had some fun back and forth. Solid contemporary romance apple pie, good but not terribly exciting. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Mar 29, 2017
not set
|
Mar 31, 2017
not set
|
Sep 17, 2024
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 099037713X
| 9780990377139
| B0182HPHQE
| 4.48
| 1,756
| Nov 17, 2015
| Nov 17, 2015
|
it was ok
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None
|
Notes are private!
|
2
|
not set
not set
|
Nov 25, 2015
not set
|
Sep 11, 2024
|
ebook
| ||||||||||||||
| 0369703650
| 9780369703651
| B09L51J3RY
| 3.92
| 595
| unknown
| Jun 28, 2022
|
it was ok
|
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. What the h I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. What the hell was Lily Carpenter doing in Honeymoon Harbor? Second Chance Spring is the story of a second chance romance between guarded Lily and Burke, a NFL QB who she broke up with by text. I wasn't aware it was a part of a series, Honeymoon Harbor, when I started it and because of how much series characters play a part in this one, that greatly impacted my enjoyment. Burke is living in New York, where he's the starting QB for the Gotham Knights and trying to figure out if he wants to become a free agent, sign with the Knights again, or retire. He gets a call from his brother that their mother was in a car accident, so he rushes home only to find that Lily, the woman he dated for three months and was already starting to think was the one, now lives in his hometown. And now that day had come. It was time, she knew, to face the music. After having a horrible childhood where her mother, father, and grandmother played tug of war with her through the courts, Lily changed her last name when she was eighteen and tries to live a guarded single life. When she met Burke at a charity function they instantly were attracted to each other but she warns him right away that it can only be hook-ups between them and when Lily starts to have deeper feelings for Burke, she breaks up with him and runs. Bouncing from town to town, Lily remembers how Burke talked about his hometown and how she fell in love with it through his words, so she decides to stay a few months there, only to end up staying and building roots and relationships with everyone. Now two years later and Lily and Burke are coming face to face again. But the one thing Burke knew was that nothing was going to interfere with him coming up with a game plan to win Lily Carpenter. If you're a frequent reader of the Honeymoon Harbor series, you'd probably enjoy all the past characters that make up Burke's family (his mother and father are the novella couple that start off the series) and the townspeople that are at length shown in the beginning. As a new reader, it was overwhelming with so many characters, especially when I was just trying to get to know Burke and Lily. A big chunk of the beginning was more small-town and family fiction as everyone came in and out of the picture. It's mentioned that Lily has a big secret, something to do with not wanting to be recognized by the press and that is why she's fighting hard to stay away from Burke and around 50% she reveals what it is. It has to do with her past and how damaging it was to be in the news, honestly, something that didn't feel like too big a deal to me as a reader and obviously to the characters in the story. Burke shrugs it off, along with the friends Lily has made in the town when she tells them about her past. It was such a non-entity that was supposed to be the block and angst keeping Lily and Burke apart but pretty much flopped as a reveal because of how it wasn't a big deal and not really dealt with again. But just then, in that very special moment, seated on a quilt, sharing tacos with the man she loved, she was living her best life. The second half has the reveal done with and Burke and Lily tentatively try to bond again and I thought here was where the romantic relationship between the two was really going to get going and while they spend more time together finally, there was also a secondary romance taking place and more of that small town, family fiction eclipsing Lily and Burke. There wasn't much to their relationship on page emotional development, more of a condensed stop and go showing of their foreplay, fade to black bedroom scenes, and then some more sexual by-play. Then the ending gives a rushed resolution that even when it's supposed to be the romantic wrap-up to how these two are going to work out being together the story seems to be more concerned with Burke's career. I typically love details to characters and story but this had too many characters in it, all those little details began to feel pointless, trivial, and really slowed the pace down for me. Again, if you're a Honeymoon Harbor reader, you'd probably enjoy this a lot more than me as a newcomer because you would know these characters and care about them. I wanted to get to know Burke and Lily but they were often playing second fiddle in their own book and neither character gave me an emotional connection, which definitely lead to their romance feeling perfunctory. This wasn't about the heat and emotion of a singular romance but rather a broad look-in at the characters of Honeymoon Harbor and a small-town, family fiction vibe. Merged review: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. What the hell was Lily Carpenter doing in Honeymoon Harbor? Second Chance Spring is the story of a second chance romance between guarded Lily and Burke, a NFL QB who she broke up with by text. I wasn't aware it was a part of a series, Honeymoon Harbor, when I started it and because of how much series characters play a part in this one, that greatly impacted my enjoyment. Burke is living in New York, where he's the starting QB for the Gotham Knights and trying to figure out if he wants to become a free agent, sign with the Knights again, or retire. He gets a call from his brother that their mother was in a car accident, so he rushes home only to find that Lily, the woman he dated for three months and was already starting to think was the one, now lives in his hometown. And now that day had come. It was time, she knew, to face the music. After having a horrible childhood where her mother, father, and grandmother played tug of war with her through the courts, Lily changed her last name when she was eighteen and tries to live a guarded single life. When she met Burke at a charity function they instantly were attracted to each other but she warns him right away that it can only be hook-ups between them and when Lily starts to have deeper feelings for Burke, she breaks up with him and runs. Bouncing from town to town, Lily remembers how Burke talked about his hometown and how she fell in love with it through his words, so she decides to stay a few months there, only to end up staying and building roots and relationships with everyone. Now two years later and Lily and Burke are coming face to face again. But the one thing Burke knew was that nothing was going to interfere with him coming up with a game plan to win Lily Carpenter. If you're a frequent reader of the Honeymoon Harbor series, you'd probably enjoy all the past characters that make up Burke's family (his mother and father are the novella couple that start off the series) and the townspeople that are at length shown in the beginning. As a new reader, it was overwhelming with so many characters, especially when I was just trying to get to know Burke and Lily. A big chunk of the beginning was more small-town and family fiction as everyone came in and out of the picture. It's mentioned that Lily has a big secret, something to do with not wanting to be recognized by the press and that is why she's fighting hard to stay away from Burke and around 50% she reveals what it is. It has to do with her past and how damaging it was to be in the news, honestly, something that didn't feel like too big a deal to me as a reader and obviously to the characters in the story. Burke shrugs it off, along with the friends Lily has made in the town when she tells them about her past. It was such a non-entity that was supposed to be the block and angst keeping Lily and Burke apart but pretty much flopped as a reveal because of how it wasn't a big deal and not really dealt with again. But just then, in that very special moment, seated on a quilt, sharing tacos with the man she loved, she was living her best life. The second half has the reveal done with and Burke and Lily tentatively try to bond again and I thought here was where the romantic relationship between the two was really going to get going and while they spend more time together finally, there was also a secondary romance taking place and more of that small town, family fiction eclipsing Lily and Burke. There wasn't much to their relationship on page emotional development, more of a condensed stop and go showing of their foreplay, fade to black bedroom scenes, and then some more sexual by-play. Then the ending gives a rushed resolution that even when it's supposed to be the romantic wrap-up to how these two are going to work out being together the story seems to be more concerned with Burke's career. I typically love details to characters and story but this had too many characters in it, all those little details began to feel pointless, trivial, and really slowed the pace down for me. Again, if you're a Honeymoon Harbor reader, you'd probably enjoy this a lot more than me as a newcomer because you would know these characters and care about them. I wanted to get to know Burke and Lily but they were often playing second fiddle in their own book and neither character gave me an emotional connection, which definitely lead to their romance feeling perfunctory. This wasn't about the heat and emotion of a singular romance but rather a broad look-in at the characters of Honeymoon Harbor and a small-town, family fiction vibe. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Jul 22, 2022
not set
|
Aug 04, 2022
not set
|
Aug 13, 2024
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0062847678
| 9780062847676
| B075QC3G2N
| 3.81
| 420
| Jun 19, 2018
| Jun 19, 2018
|
it was ok
|
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Shiloh is a U. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Shiloh is a U.S. Marshall in the Paranormal Investigation Unit. Her have to be available at all hours job makes relationships difficult, to say the least. However, her current boyfriend Vincent has her wondering if maybe more could be on the horizon, until a Vampire decides to take over a trailer park. It is all on Shiloh as her boss goes missing, black magic is creeping around, and enemies and allies get switched around. First in a new Urban Fantasy series, Stray Magic doesn't mess around in dropping you into the world, so much so, I felt a bit lost and overwhelmed in the beginning. This is the first in the series but I couldn't help feeling I was missing some background in regards to character relationships. There are some info dumps for the world building but with references to super computers and advanced technology alongside a video rental store and flip phones, it was hard to set the story in a time and place. The acknowledgment of some supernatural and paranormal beings, being known to the world, is just that, a brief acknowledgement. I would have liked a more thorough explanation of the world; this feeling was tied into feeling like this wasn't the start of the series. Told in first person from our heroine Shiloh's point-of-view, she is our leader through the story. She is half djinn half human with abilities to grant three wishes and has Quarrel pheromones that are hard for her to control. She is tough, snarky, and fun to follow along with but it was hard to feel her emotional connection to the other characters, thus, making secondary characters feel vaguer. This story is basically Shiloh trying to solve a mystery with supernatural beings and seemingly involved in, not a love triangle, but love quad. Shiloh has her boyfriend Vincent, who, she keeps saying, she wants more with, the vampire Tennyson who she spends the most time with and while it seems there may be more on his side, there are leanings from her, and her co-worker and ex, Jaxon. What we get from her thoughts about Jaxon are mostly, her observations about how hot he looks, how pretty his eyes are, and remembering how much she liked him in the bedroom; it doesn't feel deep. There seems to be or was a deeper relationship between them but we never see it and I never felt it. The mystery/thriller angle of investigating who is behind the necromancy and black magic was fun to follow along with but we barely got to know the villain and the wrap-up of that part was rushed. There are some shocking twists along the way but some felt unsupported making the plot threads feel wild and loosely thrown about. Shiloh was a solid character but emotional connections to secondary characters helping us get to know them and create a setting and world was lacking. There was an outline of the supernatural world but random components (Shiloh's quarrel pheromones, Crux sexual transport) were thrown out there and never really integrated with the story and characters. There are loose ends at the end of the story with part of the mystery not solved and the quad love angle getting a twist. If looking for a female lead urban fantasy with supernatural beings running amok, this would fit the bill, just be prepared for this to feel more like a dry first reading and hope for emotional connections/understandings/payoffs to come in the second. Merged review: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Shiloh is a U.S. Marshall in the Paranormal Investigation Unit. Her have to be available at all hours job makes relationships difficult, to say the least. However, her current boyfriend Vincent has her wondering if maybe more could be on the horizon, until a Vampire decides to take over a trailer park. It is all on Shiloh as her boss goes missing, black magic is creeping around, and enemies and allies get switched around. First in a new Urban Fantasy series, Stray Magic doesn't mess around in dropping you into the world, so much so, I felt a bit lost and overwhelmed in the beginning. This is the first in the series but I couldn't help feeling I was missing some background in regards to character relationships. There are some info dumps for the world building but with references to super computers and advanced technology alongside a video rental store and flip phones, it was hard to set the story in a time and place. The acknowledgment of some supernatural and paranormal beings, being known to the world, is just that, a brief acknowledgement. I would have liked a more thorough explanation of the world; this feeling was tied into feeling like this wasn't the start of the series. Told in first person from our heroine Shiloh's point-of-view, she is our leader through the story. She is half djinn half human with abilities to grant three wishes and has Quarrel pheromones that are hard for her to control. She is tough, snarky, and fun to follow along with but it was hard to feel her emotional connection to the other characters, thus, making secondary characters feel vaguer. This story is basically Shiloh trying to solve a mystery with supernatural beings and seemingly involved in, not a love triangle, but love quad. Shiloh has her boyfriend Vincent, who, she keeps saying, she wants more with, the vampire Tennyson who she spends the most time with and while it seems there may be more on his side, there are leanings from her, and her co-worker and ex, Jaxon. What we get from her thoughts about Jaxon are mostly, her observations about how hot he looks, how pretty his eyes are, and remembering how much she liked him in the bedroom; it doesn't feel deep. There seems to be or was a deeper relationship between them but we never see it and I never felt it. The mystery/thriller angle of investigating who is behind the necromancy and black magic was fun to follow along with but we barely got to know the villain and the wrap-up of that part was rushed. There are some shocking twists along the way but some felt unsupported making the plot threads feel wild and loosely thrown about. Shiloh was a solid character but emotional connections to secondary characters helping us get to know them and create a setting and world was lacking. There was an outline of the supernatural world but random components (Shiloh's quarrel pheromones, Crux sexual transport) were thrown out there and never really integrated with the story and characters. There are loose ends at the end of the story with part of the mystery not solved and the quad love angle getting a twist. If looking for a female lead urban fantasy with supernatural beings running amok, this would fit the bill, just be prepared for this to feel more like a dry first reading and hope for emotional connections/understandings/payoffs to come in the second. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jun 04, 2018
not set
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Jun 16, 2018
not set
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Jul 29, 2024
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0062851853
| 9780062851857
| B07TV72V5J
| 4.20
| 744
| Mar 31, 2020
| Mar 31, 2020
|
it was ok
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I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Adria unde I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Adria understood how her past had affected her. A piece of her was broken. She accepted that. She lived with it. Third in the Wild Rose series that follows a group of sisters that had a difficult childhood, Tough Talking Cowboy, was a sobering read. Aria's mother had drug issues when she and her twin sister Juliana were growing up, this lead to Aria experiencing grooming and child abuse as she tried to protect her sister. While Aria's mother is still a sex worker, she's managed to keep herself clean and start a new business with her friend, Juliana hasn't been as lucky and battles a drug addiction due to feeling guilty over what Aria did to keep her safe. Aria and her other sisters (heroines from other books in the series) manage to get Juliana in rehab and Aria moves to her friend's ranch to be closer to Juliana and start their new business. His gaze landed on the scars on his chest, then swept down to the ones covering his side, hip, and thigh. “It’s not pretty.” Drake was an Army Ranger who had to retire due to injuries from an IED, he's covered in shrapnel scares and has major leg damage. He's severely suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and just had his fiancee end things. His sister and brothers are worried about him but he can't contain his anger and pain about how his life is now going. When Aria shows up and he finds out she is staying in the cabin he likes to go to for quiet, he has a total melt down that ends with him holding Aria in a strangle hold as he is lost in a flashback. Due to the abuse Aria suffered in her childhood, she is no stranger to PTSD and, almost, too calmly handles the situation she is thrust into (she plays a game on her phone as Drake holds her against his body with his hand around her neck). These two definitely have deep pain but they also just want someone to love and love them, their pain brings them together. “And I will do whatever it takes to prove to you, you are not broken. And maybe I’ll convince myself that I’m not either.” If you couldn't already tell, this is a very heavy toned book. The issues both characters are dealing with are deep and scaring. They have a fairly immediate attraction to each other and decide that in order to fix a couple of their issues, Aria not being able to trust men enough to enjoy sex and Drake thinking he's impotent, decide to sleep together to work on them. By the 30% mark, they're pretty much all in with each other and the story seems to want to lean to them being cured already, which for how deep their issues were, obviously, seems too quick. Then by 50% marriage and babies is being discussed and yeah, I thought the romance was really rushed. “You needed her. Now she needs you.” With Aria and Drake not really having any more emotional hurdles with each other, the focus shifts to Drake rehabbing his leg, Aria's business opening up, and Juliana coming out of rehab. The story felt more like a general fiction than romance genre to me. There's a very late angst moment involving Juliana that added even more to the heavy tone and at a point where I want to be starting my happy sigh as my couple really sinks into their love with one another, there was just more sadness. The last two chapters acted as epilogues and all the joy I wanted to experience while reading along in the story, was hurriedly dumped here. “Just because you can’t see my scars doesn’t make them any prettier. They’re a part of me. They’re evidence I survived.” She flexed her hand under his. “These are a part of you now, Drake. They are proof of what you’ve been through, your strength, your resilience.” The way these two characters met and then ended up together made me feel like they would have went for anyone, they early on talked about just wanting someone to love and the way they thought it could be a cure all, I never felt the specialty between them. I also didn't like how in the beginning Aria blatantly disregarded Drake's psychiatrist's opinion on their arrangement. This ended up being more heavy toned, less focused on romance than I was looking for, and lacking some joy. Merged review: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Adria understood how her past had affected her. A piece of her was broken. She accepted that. She lived with it. Third in the Wild Rose series that follows a group of sisters that had a difficult childhood, Tough Talking Cowboy, was a sobering read. Aria's mother had drug issues when she and her twin sister Juliana were growing up, this lead to Aria experiencing grooming and child abuse as she tried to protect her sister. While Aria's mother is still a sex worker, she's managed to keep herself clean and start a new business with her friend, Juliana hasn't been as lucky and battles a drug addiction due to feeling guilty over what Aria did to keep her safe. Aria and her other sisters (heroines from other books in the series) manage to get Juliana in rehab and Aria moves to her friend's ranch to be closer to Juliana and start their new business. His gaze landed on the scars on his chest, then swept down to the ones covering his side, hip, and thigh. “It’s not pretty.” Drake was an Army Ranger who had to retire due to injuries from an IED, he's covered in shrapnel scares and has major leg damage. He's severely suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and just had his fiancee end things. His sister and brothers are worried about him but he can't contain his anger and pain about how his life is now going. When Aria shows up and he finds out she is staying in the cabin he likes to go to for quiet, he has a total melt down that ends with him holding Aria in a strangle hold as he is lost in a flashback. Due to the abuse Aria suffered in her childhood, she is no stranger to PTSD and, almost, too calmly handles the situation she is thrust into (she plays a game on her phone as Drake holds her against his body with his hand around her neck). These two definitely have deep pain but they also just want someone to love and love them, their pain brings them together. “And I will do whatever it takes to prove to you, you are not broken. And maybe I’ll convince myself that I’m not either.” If you couldn't already tell, this is a very heavy toned book. The issues both characters are dealing with are deep and scaring. They have a fairly immediate attraction to each other and decide that in order to fix a couple of their issues, Aria not being able to trust men enough to enjoy sex and Drake thinking he's impotent, decide to sleep together to work on them. By the 30% mark, they're pretty much all in with each other and the story seems to want to lean to them being cured already, which for how deep their issues were, obviously, seems too quick. Then by 50% marriage and babies is being discussed and yeah, I thought the romance was really rushed. “You needed her. Now she needs you.” With Aria and Drake not really having any more emotional hurdles with each other, the focus shifts to Drake rehabbing his leg, Aria's business opening up, and Juliana coming out of rehab. The story felt more like a general fiction than romance genre to me. There's a very late angst moment involving Juliana that added even more to the heavy tone and at a point where I want to be starting my happy sigh as my couple really sinks into their love with one another, there was just more sadness. The last two chapters acted as epilogues and all the joy I wanted to experience while reading along in the story, was hurriedly dumped here. “Just because you can’t see my scars doesn’t make them any prettier. They’re a part of me. They’re evidence I survived.” She flexed her hand under his. “These are a part of you now, Drake. They are proof of what you’ve been through, your strength, your resilience.” The way these two characters met and then ended up together made me feel like they would have went for anyone, they early on talked about just wanting someone to love and the way they thought it could be a cure all, I never felt the specialty between them. I also didn't like how in the beginning Aria blatantly disregarded Drake's psychiatrist's opinion on their arrangement. This ended up being more heavy toned, less focused on romance than I was looking for, and lacking some joy. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Sep 20, 2020
not set
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Sep 30, 2020
not set
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Jul 23, 2024
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0373295502
| 9780373295500
| 0373295502
| 3.46
| 155
| Jan 01, 2009
| May 26, 2009
|
did not like it
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 28, 2024
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Jul 07, 2024
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Jun 28, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0843944382
| 9780843944389
| 0843944382
| 4.08
| 1,376
| Oct 1998
| Jan 01, 1998
|
liked it
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3.5 stars *This is a #TBRChallenge review, there will be spoilers, I don't spoil everything but enough, because I treat these reviews as a bookclub dis 3.5 stars *This is a #TBRChallenge review, there will be spoilers, I don't spoil everything but enough, because I treat these reviews as a bookclub discussion. Zanita scrunched her shoulders and warily glanced around the room. She had no idea what he had been talking about, and now she had no idea what she had been talking about. But he thought he knew what she was talking about. I'm going to start by saying that 97% (admittedly not up to Tyber scientific standards) of this story is goofy fun, which makes the extremely dark moment at 90% whiplash the hell out of you. I'm going to try and recapture the light fun I had reading for most of the story but I can't help but feel that 90% moment as I look back at the story. Buckle your seat-belts, because Mario Cart wishes it had banana peels to make you spin-out the way this book does. Tyber stared at her, speechless. Again. When he did speak, his voice held a note of awe. "You are completely non-linear, Zanita." Zanita is a reporter for her local paper, in which her grandfather is the editor. She's been regulated to soft stories as her grandpa doesn't want her in any danger. In an effort to break out and maybe get picked up by a bigger newspaper, she decides to go rogue and investigate Xavier LaLeche, a man claiming to be able to heal with psychic energy. However, Zanita is a bit left of center and she mistakes signing up for the psychic seminar with a physics one, taught by the world renowned Tyberius Augustus Evans (I will refrain from always typing out his full name, but know in my heart I am). Tyber is delightfully confounded attracted to her and he's pretty much instaloved from the moment they speak. Zanita's favorite saying at the moment is “Men, boil them in oil!” and wants nothing to do with a relationship, but Tyber is a Chris Hemsworth look-a-like with a PHD, she's only human, folks! Tyber creates situations to get her back in his orbit, a movie night, and a pool party, where she's the only guest!, you sly Dr., you, and when he learns that she's trying to investigate LaLeche, he comes up with a plan to help her, make sure she's safe, and work to lower her guard towards a relationship. He was shameless. An unconventional, incredibly alluring, no-holds-barred kook! Zanita really liked him. The plot of them investigating LaLeche is definitely there but, it's also kind of loosely strung together. Your enjoyment of this is going to hinge on if you want bananapants additives, Tyber lives in a reworked Victorian mansion that has a labyrinth of mythological topiary creatures and generally sounds like the Winchester mansion, Tyber's bed is a giant oyster, maple syrup is at one point drizzled down into her bush (seriously, this seems more logistically problematic than sexy??), and Zanita can't get any sleep in the beginning because of The Hogs (rogue pack of pigs) and goofy side-characters, Tyber lives with a former scientist that now thinks he's the cook on a pirate ship, talking/acting accordingly, a cat named Hambone, that well, this was Zanita meeting him: "And this is Hambone." The cat raised a chubby paw. Zanita knelt down to shake his paw. "Hi, Hambone, pleased to meet you." She swore the cat grinned at her, an aunt of Zanita's that might just put a Lady Danbury in her place, a little kid that when asked what his father does, he answers with: He replied innocently, "He does women.", and a My-Maggy, which frankly, I'm not totally sure where she came from but she's described as a “battleaxe” once, so welcome to the party. For the first time in her life, she lost her inhibitions; she screamed and hollered and had one hell of a time. These two had off-center byplay that I enjoyed and you're also going to get some steamy scenes. Can I just say, can we get back to the main female character getting to “screamed and hollered and having had one hell of a time”? I mean: He slid into her like a steel pylon through molten ore., we used to be a proper genre. I really enjoyed their brand of chemistry, sure it's goofy interactions with physics cross-talk at times but there was absolute sweetness in the way Tyber handled Zanita: Zanita never knew if it was Tyber's regular routine to sit on the porch swing at that hour, or if he stopped his work just to wait for her to come home so they could sit and unwind together after the day. All she knew for sure was that she began looking forward to their quiet hour before dinner. And tell me why this goofy little scene had my eyes watering out of nowhere: Courage. She sucked in a deep breath. "Tyber, we need to talk about this—" "Hey, look," he interrupted her, "one of the tropical fish is staring straight at you with a strange glint in its eye." "Where?" She peered over her shoulder at the tank. He swooped across her. "Zanita, really, how could a fish affect a strange glint?" His eyes danced with mirth. And something else. Something suspiciously close to the quarter deck. "If they're your fish, they could. Get off!" "Know how fish kiss? Like this." His open mouth covered her own. He raised his head, strands of his hair brushing across the peaks of her breasts. "They look like this, don't they?" Pressing his lips together, he sucked in his cheeks, causing his lips to bow out like a fish's mouth. Leaving his mouth tightly closed, he moved his pursed lips up and down while crossing his eyes. It was the funniest thing she had ever seen. Peals of laughter caused her to clutch her stomach. Tyber untied the sash on her robe, bending over to nibble her midriff with his undulating fish lips. Zanita couldn't stop laughing. It tickled and every time he raised his head to stare at her with those crossed eyes and moving lips, she was gone. Zanita is about to say that she thinks she should move out of Tyber's house, she feels herself getting too attached and is ready to run, Tyber feels her fear and with a little panic of his own and understanding of her, he distracts her and brings her back to him. You can read manipulation in his actions throughout the book, sure, but this is also romance fiction, so I inherently know (also add in some of those emotional nuances) that Zanita loves him, so you can also read his love and understanding of her. It could read corny but I've been reading some newer contemporary romance that could use a return to some of this sweet and “corny” fun between two people falling in love; fun can have depth, too! "To remove the temptation from you; it's obvious to me, Tyber, you can't help yourself from acting like a boyfriend." Think. Think. "You've got this all wrong, baby." "I do?" "Yes. I'm not acting like your boyfriend. I—" Think! "I'm conducting an experiment." "An experiment?" Her brows furrowed as she mulled this over. "What kind of an experiment?" What kind of an experiment! I'm testing my sanity. "It's… it's an experiment on… High Energy." Now, on to that ending, it was a bit rushed in regards to how they find out the way to prove that LaLeche is a fraud and without much fanfare, Zanita writes her article. The article angers LaLeche in a way that has him acting out a villain that felt wildly too dark for this story. (view spoiler)[He traps Zanita in her apartment and physically acts to rape her until she fends him off by saying that the FBI is onto him. (hide spoiler)] Oops, yeah, I forget to say that the FBI is sideline in this. The real fear felt by Zanita in this moment was heavy hitting, made even more so by how the previous 90% of the tone was goofy fun. This dark moment just didn't fit and honestly threw me enough that I lost a ton of the light fun I was having reading this and colored my experience. We get Tyber comforting her and dealing with LaLeche (he does literally dick punch him before the FBI arrests him, so slight return of good feelings) and then Zanita finally making a move, which I loved, Tyber deserved that after all the putting himself out there he did. I did see this has a sequel, with Tyber and Zanita back in action, and if I ever feel like goofy fun again, I'll probably read but I'm not sure I'll be able to fully relax as I'll be on guard for another really dark moment. *I was in love with the Tyber tightie whitey book cover but my god, look at that Kindle cover. THE LIGHTENING ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 14, 2024
|
Jun 19, 2024
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Jun 14, 2024
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0451412788
| 9780451412782
| 0451412788
| 3.77
| 1,809
| Oct 06, 2009
| Oct 06, 2009
|
it was ok
|
This is apparently a spin-off series. I highly recommend reading Darkyn, the series it spins off from. Otherwise, you'd be like me and have no idea wh This is apparently a spin-off series. I highly recommend reading Darkyn, the series it spins off from. Otherwise, you'd be like me and have no idea what in the total Earth is/was happening. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 14, 2024
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Jun 25, 2024
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Jun 14, 2024
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1335458182
| 9781335458186
| 1335458182
| 3.71
| 1,427
| Aug 26, 2021
| Jun 04, 2024
|
really liked it
|
3.5 stars I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review But Finn hadn't needed to be told: 3.5 stars I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review But Finn hadn't needed to be told: he'd always known Zoe was off-limits. Meet Me in Tahiti is the third book in the Meet Me series about four childhood friends that experienced a traumatic car accident in their senior year that has left lasting marks on each one in different ways into their adulthood. Zoe was the rich girl fairy princess that her parents and everyone in town coddled, this only increased when she became a paraplegic after the accident. Finn was the boy who had to drop out of school to work three jobs to help his ailing mother, but for a summer where they both worked at a restaurant together, Finn and Zoe recognized and were drawn to something in the other. For two years they danced around each other until after Zoe's accident has Finn finally making a move, only to be rejected harshly by a Zoe who was hurt and in pain about her new circumstances. Now, when they meet twelve years later, they're still drawn to each other but that old pain is still there too. He wanted time with her. This had a sweet and lightness to it, with a first half that had Finn just absolutely sick for Zoe that captured my heart. I'm serious, when Zoe shows up at his hotel resort, oh yes, kid from the wrong side of the tracks Finn does good and is now an owner of six hotel resorts, he's supposed to fly out the next day. He keeps making up excuses, and it will have you almost feeling sorry for the guy because of how helpless he is over her. We get some reminiscing flashbacks to Zoe and Finn during that summer together and then the two years and ultimate breaking point of when Zoe was harsh with him. The angst is all about Finn during his younger years staying away because he didn't feel good enough for Zoe and how that has carried over to him as an adult. Finn staying at the resort with Zoe though, is all about him wanting to show her that he's good enough for her now, so he's pretty much all-in from the beginning. Zoe for her part, felt too young and unexciting for the two years older Finn when they younger and now as an adult, still won't believe that he could ever like her like that. So, we have two people who are both wanting to get together, Zoe finds adult Finn even more attractive and definitely wants to start something with him, so why is this book three hundred pages? Well, we do get that sweet yearning and tension in the first half but the second half drags out with multiple rinse and repeat moments of stop, go, and misunderstanding. She laughed. “Are you only interested in one thing?” There was the smile, the glow, the heat, that promise. “Depends how you classify one thing.” One thing. The one thing was her. When they meet back-up as adults, Zoe is twenty-eight and Finn thirty, they do have some younger feel to them, especially Zoe with her “giggling” and covering her face whenever she's flustered, if the giggling hadn't been repeated so many times, it wouldn't have tripped me up as much, because these two did have a sense of reverting to their when-we-met younger selves that, mostly, worked tone. They share some kisses in the second half but the door is firmly closed in this one, they're headed to bed and then Zoe's waking up in the morning with a quick mention that they did sleep together. And it was at that precise moment that Zoe fell in love. I really enjoyed how Zoe's disability wasn't an element of the story but rather a part of her character, she's a travel writer and while she obviously acknowledges, lives, deals with other people's missteps, and thinks about accessibility, it wasn't forced but simply the fabric of her life. Having Finn growing up with a mother who taught him a lot in this regard and then him, obviously, thinking about Zoe when working to design the resort in Tahiti, really laid down a strong foundation building block in their relationship. All the secondary characters played their parts and helped to fill out the world and add to different dynamics of our two main characters. There's not a lot of the series connection friends in this but they share phone calls for some appearances. As the vast majority of the story takes place at the island resort, you'll also get some great tropical setting with descriptions of food, flowers, and some boat rides. I lost my heart to Finn and how much he just wanted to be around Zoe in the first half but there were a bit too many stop and repeat moments in the second that wore me out some. There's a grand gestures ending, covert by Finn and overt by Zoe, that will make you smile and if you're looking for an island setting and a sweet, trembling but trying couple, you'll want to pick this one up. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 28, 2024
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Jul 02, 2024
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Jun 08, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0312534523
| 9780312534523
| 0312534523
| 3.87
| 2,431
| Mar 27, 2012
| Mar 27, 2012
|
it was ok
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 06, 2024
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Jun 14, 2024
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Jun 06, 2024
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Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1944571663
| 9781944571665
| B0CM733GHV
| 4.53
| 418
| Jul 19, 2024
| Jul 19, 2024
|
really liked it
|
I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review With both parents now dead, learning the tru I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review With both parents now dead, learning the truth wouldn’t hurt anyone except herself. Don't Look Back is third in the Evidence: Under Fire series, and while you'd miss out on arriving fully in the know about interpersonal relationships of characters, I didn't have a problem starting the series with this installment. There's enough nudging in of recaps to get new readers in the know and the beginning gives a flashback to a big moment between our leads, Kira is rescued by Rand; readers of the series will feel like they're just picking up where the last book left off. If you've been a reader of Suzanne Brockmann or binged through the tv shows The Night Agent, The Old Man, and Bodyguard (British), then you're definitely going to want to pick this up. She was flattered he wanted to date her, but she had no doubt he would crush her heart even more than her first love had. Kira's father has died and she's found some papers of his that leads to many questions as to why he took so many trips to the island of Malta. With how sheltered her parents kept her, she always wondered if her mother defected from East Germany and her father smuggled her into the United States. After getting kidnapped by a billionaire terrorist and almost dying (#2 Trust Me), Kira decides it's time to get her first stamp on her passport and find answers on Malta. Helping out one of her friends, she's set-up to teach three classes on a military base about respecting and protecting artifacts to soldiers, when she comes face-to-face with Lieutenant Commander Randall Fallon, the Navy SEAL who asked her out before she was kidnapped, ended up rescuing her, and then ghosted her. “Kira, I’m pretty sure I’ll follow you anywhere.” Rand is pretty sure Kira's father kept him away from her by deleting his emails and sending a fake email from “Kira's boyfriend” to get him to back-off. When he see's Dr. Kira Hanson will be on base, he's not going to let this second chance go. As she's shooting him down a second time, they hear actual gun shots and suddenly Kira's life is in his hands again. Since these two previously met in the prior book, Rand's attraction is already built-in and while there is an issue from a previous relationship in Kira's past that has her scared to give Rand a chance, she's also already attracted to him, I missed seeing some of their building attraction. While these two spend the vast majority of the story together, Rand ends up following Kira to Malta, reprising an undercover role, and they have some steamy open-door scenes, the romance still felt like only around 30% of this story, this was heavy on the suspense. She paused, pulling him to a stop. She turned and rose on her toes and kissed him. Brief and soft. “I really like you, Randall Fallon.” If you're into the suspense side, though, you're going to love this. When Kira goes to Malta to search out secrets, she gets way more than she bargained for. Even though her dad went to Malta multiple times, he told Kira he was trying to recover art stolen by Nazis, she discovers her father was involved in spy games. At around the midway point of the story, a big reveal happens and Kira is spun into a world of conniving Russian oligarchs, family secrets, and trying to stop an attack on United States soil. As this is an ARC, I don't want to spoil too much of the suspense plot threads, but just know, some you won't see coming and some tie back into book two. It's all suspenseful and at times the cast of characters really blows-up but it's tightly plot contained enough that, you won't need sleep, you'll need answers. Her past was a mess, but he offered her a future. She wasn’t alone anymore. The research additives, Malta setting descriptions will fascinate you, military jargon and actions give a good enough realism feel, and, because I'm a history nerd, I enjoyed one of my favorite named summits, Seasick Summit, getting a shout-out. Rand did his part as the strong, capable, little hot piece that uplifts and believes in the heroine. I thought the multiple mentions of Kira's social anxiety and feeling shy felt a bit overdone, as her character never showed anything but self-assured and her not believing Rand really wants her felt a little forced as he was always the one to ask her out and pursue. Together, they worked appealingly. The story takes place only a little over a week, and while I could have stood for more romance focus/development, the suspense was suspense-ing, this was packed full of plot threads weaving in, out, and together, delivering a heck of a ride. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 14, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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Jun 06, 2024
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0515118370
| 9780515118377
| 0515118370
| 4.09
| 3,859
| Apr 01, 1996
| Apr 01, 1996
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liked it
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3.5 stars She'd married well. And she'd done it to save the family another winter mouth to feed. She hadn't liked her husband all that much. But she 3.5 stars She'd married well. And she'd done it to save the family another winter mouth to feed. She hadn't liked her husband all that much. But she'd been soft-spoken and loyal to him and had birthed his son. She'd minded her husband as she had her family and would have done whatever he said until the day she died. But he had died. That had changed everything. This month's #TBRChallenge was “With a Little Help From My Friends”, the synopsis for this made it sound like the townspeople were going to, helpfully, push Althea into a marriage and while it was a little more forceful trying to push, and not to who the two sides were pushing, Althea did get a push towards considering marriage again, so it counts, I say! Althea's mom died when she was a baby and her dad remarried pretty quickly, leaving Althea with her aunt and uncle. This caused Althea to grow up feeling beholden, so when the time came for marriage, she just went along with the first guy, Paisley, who could provide for her. Paisley ends up dying in the first couple years of their marriage, leaving Althea with a three year old, Baby-Paisley, and a coveted farm. Going by her own childhood, she doesn't want to marry again because that spells abandonment and she doesn't ever want Baby-Paisley to feel how she did and she wants to be in control of her life for once. This upsets the two main families on the mountain (this takes place in early 1900s Ozarks) that want to one up each other with control of the farm. One man from each side of the two families is offered up to Althea, Eben and Oather, for her to marry. They took him for granted. They all did, Althea realized, including herself. His value to the community continued to be errantly minimized, because Jesse himself was underestimated. He was different. He was like no one else. He was not an equal. Did that make him less? No, Althea thought to herself. Not necessarily. While Althea is trying to stand strong on not remarrying, she does understand that she needs some help on the farm and offers a deal to “Simple Jess”, he work for her for a few months and she'll give him her late husband's pack of hunting dogs. Jesse has always wanted dogs of his own and happily takes the deal. I went into Simple Jess honestly thinking Jesse would turn out to have dyslexia or some other specific learning disability that the author could kind of do a little cop-out to, but when Jesse was born, the cord was around his neck, causing his brain to be without oxygen for a while, leaving him with intellectual disability. As this takes place in the early 1900s, there are terms and words used that we consider slurs now, so be very aware of that if choosing to pick this up. When I first started this, what captured me immediately, was the heart of the story and characters. This is second in a series, you can tell Jesse's sister and her husband were the main characters from the first, but I had no trouble starting here. Jesse is not always the same as others, he takes longer to think things through and gets overwhelmed easier but what I liked was how the author also showed the values he can bring and how he can understand. As he helps Althea around the farm, readers can tell he has feelings for her, with Althea learning about him and slowly getting building blocks (he kills a deer for her, bonds with Baby-Paisley) to see him a different way. With the characters and situation, it makes sense that their romance doesn't really heat up until the latter half of the book, I'm talking around 85%. While I understood and thought it worked/made sense that their romance would take longer to develop, what I wasn't as into was how the middle meandered away from Althea and Jesse. If you're more of a series reader, wanting more of the setting world in your stories than a straight focus on the main couple, then you'd probably enjoy this more. If you ever watched the show The Outsiders, this had some of that hillbilly mountain people feel. There was a secondary couple, Eben and Oather's sister Mavis, that took up a good amount of the second half and you're probably not going to be a fan of Eben and enjoy him getting a HEA (he's a playboy with daddy issues who emotionally and physically hurt/s Mavis). Oather also gets his own spotlight some with the issues that could and do come with being gay in the 1900s Ozarks (there was a little speech from his dad at the end that made my eyes water and became very close to stealing the best emotional moment). So, while I thought the beginning was slow building heartfelt good, the middle meandered away with more focus on the setting/world-building characters, a secondary romance that I wished wasn't, and a latter second half that felt pretty rushed. However, this was different in some good ways and I think it still should hold a spot on romance lists, with the caveat of content warning outdated terms. Althea didn't learn to love Jesse in spite of but because of, Jesse's Big Gesture at the end would put a lot of other heroes to shame. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 07, 2024
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May 17, 2024
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May 07, 2024
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0063347415
| 9780063347410
| 0063347415
| 4.15
| 1,906
| Jul 23, 2024
| Jul 23, 2024
|
it was ok
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I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review Torie needed protection from her grasping, un I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review Torie needed protection from her grasping, unkind father. He needed a mother for the twins. Viscount in Love kicks off a new series called Accidental Brides. The first twenty percent of this, Torie's sister Lenora is engaged to Dom, the Viscount. It's by no means a love match, Lenora never wanted to marry a Duke (I guess it was otherwise a given??) because she hates attention, so when she was a young girl she set her sights for a Viscount. Dom is known for his anger and yelling in the House of Lords (no really, you'll hear about it over and over) but otherwise tries to keep himself emotionless, this is because of daddy issues and how his father saw emotion, along with his dimples, as effeminate, so he tries not to smile. He likes Lenora because of her “ladylike” qualities and knows she won't challenge him too much but she keeps putting off setting a date for the wedding. It's when Dom's sister and her husband dies and he inherits guardianship of their twin children that Lenora decides that's a bridge too far and ends up, sort of, eloping with a baron. Leaving Dom at square one and wanting a nanny-wife for the twins. How fortuitous that Lenora's sister Torie has spent this twenty percent of story time befriending the twins and catching Dom's eye. Torie had a dizzyingly joyful feeling that she had found some family members who liked her, even given her deficiencies. This was almost four hundred pages long and since I wasn't feeling the, obvious given prompt of “rom-com” and “spice”, vibe, this dragged a lot for me. I didn't feel any relationship development between Dom and Torie, maybe the last 15% had more what I was looking for, They both like the eye-candy value of the other, Dom feels protective of Torie because of how rude and hurtful her dad and sister comments are to her in regard to how she can't read (dyslexia) and Torie thinks she catches glimpses of the caring person Dom is under the thunderous expressions. Since I didn't feel or thought I saw any relationship/emotional development between the two, Dom's protectiveness felt empty posturing and when the open door scenes started in the later second half, his “on your knees” spice left me feeling nothing. He leaned over the desk. “What's the going price for a bride?” The twins played a decent size role in this and I guess are there to supply the rom-com, they're just so wildly, freshly precocious with their eleven year old selves. Around sixty percent is when Torie and Dom finally marry, I wish we could have started the marriage of convenience more towards the beginning middle for some of that great proximity tension, but they don't have a problem starting their physical relationship pretty quick. From there it's just Tori realizing, oops, I do love this person and Dom coming to grips with the fact that, yes, he can feel love too. The third act break-up does have some character work with Dom realizing that his learned forms of communication from his father is not healthy and having to go chase down Torie and apologize, promising to do better. There was some of that emotion I was looking for in ending scenes and a reveal to Dom as he tried to do a big gesture for Torie that hit really well. He was a grumpy man, her husband, but all the same, she saw a gleam of pure delight in his eyes when she kissed him. The vibe in this never really jived with me, Dom's protectiveness and “mine” attitude felt empty and childish without the emotional/relationship development I like, the children's madcap antics felt forced, and Torie felt a little distance to me in her own story. Secondary characters that should have had some importance, Torie's dad, sister, and the Duke of Queensberry, fell extremely flat. However, if you want a historical romance that seems to be going for rom-com and spice (with a late addition rabbit that poops everywhere), though, you'd probably enjoy it more that I did. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 14, 2024
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Jun 28, 2024
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Apr 19, 2024
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0063308436
| 9780063308435
| 0063308436
| 3.68
| 35,650
| Jul 16, 2024
| Jul 16, 2024
|
really liked it
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3.7 stars I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review A nanny job should be a cakewalk, r 3.7 stars I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review A nanny job should be a cakewalk, right? The Au Pair Affair is second in the Big Shots series were the friends of the main couple from book one, get their time to shine. Tallulah is in a cafe across from Burgess' penthouse, when she catches a clip of the hockey player elbowing an opposing player in the nose. Even though her gut told her she could trust Burgess and really got along with his twelve year old daughter Lissa, the trauma of surviving one man who hid his true self until it was too late for Tallulah, is now resurfacing. Even when Burgess walks into the cafe and Tallulah gets those calming vibes from him, she's scared to trust herself. It's not until Burgess' scheme to pay the majority of rent to make sure Tallulah is safe with a teammate's almost step-sister, that Tallulah decides to trust her instincts and take the job. While Burgess is trying to respect the boundaries of their age difference, eleven years, and boss/employee dynamic, Tallulah is ready to act on all that steamy chemistry between them, but wants to keep it no strings. Burgess knows they have the real thing though, he'll accept nothing but hearts fully committed. “Give me a chance to show you that you’re safe with me.” I had no problems jumping into the series here and liked how the story got rolling right away. Tallulah and Burgess had palpable heat right away, something that Bailey excels at and was much appreciated. Bailey also knew what she was doing when she made Burgess the one who wanted their relationship to be real and committed. Having him lay his cards out right away, his serious feelings for Tallulah, worked because it plays into his more mature age, thirty-seven, and helps take away any ick feelings to their boss/nanny relationship with giving Tallulah the decision making control. Tallulah wants to sleep with Burgess but is still working to fully reclaim her daring, live life to the fullest self after her traumatic experience (we get Tallulah telling Burgess about what happened later in the story). Burgess was never pushy but never let an opportunity to show Tallulah who he was pass-by, he says he'll be her bodyguard when she's nervous to do some daring bucket list items, like skinny dipping. It all works because he's there supporting her, while having the hots for her, and Tallulah's in the driver's seat for their encounters but always getting tempted by Burgess. Tallulah did a little skip as she reached him and his heart followed suit. Yeah. Yeah, she was worth trying for. Along with Tallulah learning to trust herself again, there's some of Burgess having angst over his age and how it's leading to the eventual end of his career and how he's having issues connecting with his daughter Lissa. There's not a lot of hockey in this, more like peripherally job shading in but how Tallulah bonds with Lissa and helps Burgess' relationship with his daughter definitely added a sweet strengthening block to their relationship. Just when Tallulah is deciding to fully go with her gut, some of the danger on the horizon hinted at comes into play and the second half has an angst moment where Lissa's preteen emotions and hopes throws a wedge into Tallulah and Burgess' relationship and when Burgess gets a serious injury, he lashes out with hurtful words, shattering some of that trust Tallulah had built up. He usually defended other people, but . . . she’d come to his defense? The third act breakup happens early enough in the latter second half, that we get a good look at Burgess actionable working for it to get Tallulah back and a believable working through her emotions Tallulah. A little forced proximity at the wedding of book one's couple, will probably delight readers of the series as they get another look at their HEA. Overall, this felt more refined than earlier works of Bailey I've read and I thought made this read even better, the hotness is still there but I believed in the emotion even more. There feels like a set-up happening between one of Burgess' teammates and the teammate's not quite step-sister that has me desperately wanting to read their book and I hope it's next in the series. This, had Burgess knowing what he wants and won't compromise for it but always supporting and protecting and Tallulah building herself back up with her own strength but only growing stronger when she leaned on Burgess' support, and hotness, don't forget the hotness. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 28, 2024
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Jul 06, 2024
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Apr 17, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0008641587
| 9780008641580
| 0008641587
| 3.89
| 14,076
| Aug 29, 2024
| Aug 29, 2024
|
really liked it
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3.5 stars I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review She’d recruited the sexy, town fish 3.5 stars I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review She’d recruited the sexy, town fisherman to help her have an adventurous end of summer/end of her twenties and she was suddenly feeling as though she was in way over her head. Hazel has worked at the same bookstore since the end of her sophomore year of highschool, about to turn thirty she's suddenly realizing that she's never done anything wild and crazy. When books start popping up in her bookstore, dog-eared (the horror!) and highlighted lines such as ‘Come with me, lass, if you want an adventure.’, she decides it's time to be a little reckless and follow the clues for a sort of scavenger hunt of adventure. Add in Noah, the new cute fisherman in town, who agrees to help her on the hunt and Hazel's about to have the summer of her life. He was looking at her like he knew that she had taken that book home and read it cover to cover and that the pirate she was picturing looked nothing like the one on the cover... The Cinnamon Bun Book Store was a cute small-town read about two people who thought they weren't good enough, only to discover they're perfect for each other. Hazel has lived in Dream Harbor all her life and feels boring, as she's the stay at home snuggle with a book over going to a party kind of gal and Noah never finished highschool and feels like his boat tours isn't successful enough compared to his family's seafood company empire. They're both attracted to each other, but Noah doesn't feel good enough for Hazel and Hazel thinks the younger by five years Noah is too hot and cool for her. As they spend time together with the clues leading them to getting tipsy in a blueberry patch, kissing on a Ferris wheel, and getting caught up on a boat in a storm, they realize they actually have things in common and genuinely like each other. The cutest guy in town had given her his sweatshirt and she could barely stand it. Everything is kept pretty light vibes in this, Hazel and Noah's self-confidence are their main hurdle, coming to terms her path in life is perfect for her and someone as good-looking as Noah would be attracted to her and Noah realizing he is smart and responsible enough to hold his head up around his family and friends. This had a little bit of a Jill Shalivs feel to it, with the big friend group and series baiting characters, cute moments, and plenty of bedroom scenes. I thought the second half started to feel slower as their self-esteem issues seemed to get dragged out for more page count. The ending had three scenes where I was like “Ok, this is the end. Oh, wait there's more”, and it kind of killed some of those finalized HEA moments, but maybe others will enjoy the more than one HEA. Maybe she hadn’t needed to change her life, maybe she’d just needed to change how she saw her life. How she saw herself. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, I just think it needed to be wrapped up a bit quicker. If you're looking for sweet, sexy, and a small-town ripe with singles that have potential future book hook-ups written all over them, this would be a great pick-up. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 24, 2024
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Sep 2024
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Apr 17, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0425226743
| 9780425226742
| 0425226743
| 3.95
| 31,971
| Mar 03, 2009
| Mar 03, 2009
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it was ok
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Apr 12, 2024
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Apr 12, 2024
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Mass Market Paperback
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WhiskeyintheJar
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| 3.92
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liked it
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Feb 04, 2019
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| 4.11
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really liked it
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Apr 09, 2015
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liked it
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Aug 07, 2014
not set
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| 3.75
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it was ok
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Oct 20, 2019
not set
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liked it
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Mar 31, 2017
not set
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it was ok
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Nov 25, 2015
not set
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| 3.92
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it was ok
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Aug 04, 2022
not set
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| 3.81
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it was ok
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Jun 16, 2018
not set
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Jul 29, 2024
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| 4.20
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it was ok
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Sep 30, 2020
not set
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Jul 23, 2024
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| 3.46
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did not like it
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Jul 07, 2024
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Jun 28, 2024
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| 4.08
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liked it
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Jun 19, 2024
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Jun 14, 2024
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| 3.77
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it was ok
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Jun 25, 2024
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Jun 14, 2024
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| 3.71
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really liked it
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Jul 02, 2024
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| 3.87
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it was ok
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Jun 14, 2024
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really liked it
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Jun 24, 2024
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liked it
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May 17, 2024
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May 07, 2024
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| 4.15
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it was ok
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Jun 28, 2024
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really liked it
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| 3.89
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really liked it
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Sep 2024
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Apr 17, 2024
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| 3.95
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it was ok
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Apr 12, 2024
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Apr 12, 2024
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