3.5 stars. This was a lovely story about two people I really liked. Thea had struggled with her health (asthma, by the sounds of it) as a child and alt3.5 stars. This was a lovely story about two people I really liked. Thea had struggled with her health (asthma, by the sounds of it) as a child and although quite healthy now, was considered fragile and actually doubted herself some of the time too, as she still had the occasional difficulty with breathing. She also happens to be a brilliant pianist. Gabriel was a spy who had worked for England in France. He had suffered some truly horrific experiences after he was captured, and now realises that someone is gradually knocking off his spy colleagues. He struggles to keep his distance from Thea, disappearing for over three months after their first kiss. Of course, she thinks his rejection is due to her weak constitution, or because she is not pretty enough. Or because he still loves his deceased wife. (view spoiler)[ It is more because he has dominant tendencies in the bedroom- yes, he even spanks a bit- which horrified his wife. He is worried Thea would not enjoy his sexual demands). (hide spoiler)] It's pretty soft on the kink, tbh- which is probably what I prefer!
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She accidentally becomes embroiled in the murder drama when she foils an attempt to kidnap Gabriel’s son. And off we go on a mystery and romance adventure! He helps Thea to gain self-confidence and she teaches him to show affection and not be afraid of loving someone. (The relationship he finally builds with his son is especially sweet.) Yes, it is probably hackneyed and all that, but it was a fun read, with Callaway’s trademark sex-capades accompanying some nice emotional depth. I was rooting for these two all the way, and it was definitely one of the best in this series.
Merged review:
3.5 stars. This was a lovely story about two people I really liked. Thea had struggled with her health (asthma, by the sounds of it) as a child and although quite healthy now, was considered fragile and actually doubted herself some of the time too, as she still had the occasional difficulty with breathing. She also happens to be a brilliant pianist. Gabriel was a spy who had worked for England in France. He had suffered some truly horrific experiences after he was captured, and now realises that someone is gradually knocking off his spy colleagues. He struggles to keep his distance from Thea, disappearing for over three months after their first kiss. Of course, she thinks his rejection is due to her weak constitution, or because she is not pretty enough. Or because he still loves his deceased wife. (view spoiler)[ It is more because he has dominant tendencies in the bedroom- yes, he even spanks a bit- which horrified his wife. He is worried Thea would not enjoy his sexual demands). (hide spoiler)] It's pretty soft on the kink, tbh- which is probably what I prefer!
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She accidentally becomes embroiled in the murder drama when she foils an attempt to kidnap Gabriel’s son. And off we go on a mystery and romance adventure! He helps Thea to gain self-confidence and she teaches him to show affection and not be afraid of loving someone. (The relationship he finally builds with his son is especially sweet.) Yes, it is probably hackneyed and all that, but it was a fun read, with Callaway’s trademark sex-capades accompanying some nice emotional depth. I was rooting for these two all the way, and it was definitely one of the best in this series....more
KA books can veer from one star to five stars for me, and this one landed very much at the top end. My first book from the Colorado Mountain series, wrKA books can veer from one star to five stars for me, and this one landed very much at the top end. My first book from the Colorado Mountain series, written some time ago (2011) and I loved it.
Our heroine, Nina, was an unusual KA woman- a mature, successful lawyer, educated and articulate, rather than a stammering, orphan/foster child or potty-mouthed from the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks girl. She also had a damned sight more backbone than many of her heroines, which I appreciated.
Secondly, while the hero Max was KA's usual rough-talking, "g" dropping (as in, incapable of sounding out the "g" on the end of any word finishing in "ing"), sexy beast, he had tons of charm and more complexity than I was expecting.
I adored the English connection, and with Nina having lived many years in London, we had her using lovely English vernacular, all of which is very familiar to Australians. It was like we had the best of both worlds.
The back story of both protagonists was interesting and moving at the same time- KA always has her MCs struggling with major issues and this story was no exception. I felt a strong emotional connection to them and was really pushing for their HEA.
I have found that the earlier KA books appeal more to me. Not because she wears her political and social heart on her sleeve these days (KA is clearly an environmentalist, although if she were serious about this, she would be taking a long, hard look at the damage industrialised farming and its enablers, the meat and dairy industries, do to the environment, and have her characters change their -very unhealthy- diets!) but because there is a warmth and earthiness about the older books that seem to have gone missing.
Definitely one of the better KA books I have read, and I will be going on to the next in series with high hopes. ...more
3.5 stars. A new-to-me-author- and the first book in this series was good! I started with low expectations. There is so much awful alien smut out there3.5 stars. A new-to-me-author- and the first book in this series was good! I started with low expectations. There is so much awful alien smut out there and I have a list of authors I avoid, authors who churn out this schlock like painting by numbers.
This was a well-written, engaging story with relatable characters who developed and learned from their experiences.
I was worried at first, with the whole rapey vibe that started the book, (the Golden Dynasty-style hunt) but the hero really surprised me, and I loved his gradual change of personality from one of overbearing arrogance to a male genuinely trying to be the best that he can be for his partner. I expected brutality and insensitivity but ended up with sweetness, even tenderness.
The heroine was terrific and I loved her “hybrid” status- her skin colour (red) and tail(!)- yet she was still so very human. I got the feeling that we were being challenged to look beyond the physical when it came to all the strange life-forms that appear in the story, and to focus instead on the character of that person.
World-building was solid and the setting believable. I read a review which criticised the fact that the aliens on Voraxia lived in trees yet had amazing technology. I think the reviewer missed the point- they tried to live in harmony with nature on their planet and didn’t use tech as an excuse to turn their world into a concrete and steel jungle. I think the author’s blending of tech and nature worked very well.
Finally, it was a ripping good yarn with lots of action - some of it brutal- balanced by moments of tenderness and some nicely steamy scenes. Definitely a cut above the usual in this genre....more
3.5 stars. The premise of a fake marriage is a problematic one- these sorts of marriages can only really happen in Romancelandia- but I am a bit of a s3.5 stars. The premise of a fake marriage is a problematic one- these sorts of marriages can only really happen in Romancelandia- but I am a bit of a sucker for them. Close proximity, sexual tension (provided they don't jump into bed in the first 20 pages) and the guaranteed HEA generally makes the angst worthwhile. KS managed to pull this off quite nicely. Her character development was on point, and many of the familiar personalities from her previous linked series deepened my appreciation of the emotional drama that took place in this book. Beckett and Greer could not have been more different. She is an all-in, passionate, impulsive woman who tends to do things because they seem like a good idea at the time, and doesn't seem able to anticipate consequences or potential fall-out.
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Beckett is the planner, the carefully-thinking-through-to-all-possible-outcomes kind of guy. She wore her emotions like a badge of honour, he was reserved and incredibly self-disciplined.
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When they embark on their fake marriage, which is relatively early on, each of them do it for love- Greer for her step-dad, who is terminally ill and would like to walk one of his girls down the aisle before he dies, and Beckett for his 6 year-old daughter, Olive, who he wishes to have with him full-time for the year Olive's mother will be in England with her new husband. Having a stable relationship with a potential mother figure in the house will hopefully convince the ex to leave Olive with him, rather than taking her to England with her. (Their interactions with Olive were lovely to read. She was a sweetie) What follows is an agonised dance around each other. Serious attraction, painful sexual tension and plenty of frustration- it's all there. I was like .... [image]
I admit I was a bit annoyed by each of the MCs at different times in the book. Beckett was SO serious and disciplined, I wondered whether he was too repressed to actually commit to a relationship with anyone. On the other hand, I admired his integrity, and his profound love for his daughter. Meanwhile, Greer was so gutsy and prepared to go out and get what she wanted, I felt she was giving way more to him than she got in return. She hung in there, banking on Beckett finally acknowledging the future she could see for them all. It took him far too bloody long, if you ask me, and the pain this inner conflict caused him was deserved- Greer was braver than he was, but then, I guess she didn't have a child to factor into the equation. What I liked without reservation was to see Beckett's relationship with his ex: not together longer than a few months after their unplanned baby is born, their relationship clearly never going to work, yet ALWAYS focusing on the child's best interests. No animosity, just love for their child. Such a rare thing to see and read- it was great! Not my fave book by this author- I really didn't enjoy The Bombshell Effect- as I prefer the male to do the pursuing- but I will always give anything written by this author a shot....more
This Scottish HR was quite a bit of fun. Yes, it is unrealistic- warrior maids? Really?
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Suspend your disbelief! I enjoyed the two MCs, and the hThis Scottish HR was quite a bit of fun. Yes, it is unrealistic- warrior maids? Really?
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Suspend your disbelief! I enjoyed the two MCs, and the hero's efforts to win over his bride were by turns hilarious and sweet, especially as they went against everything he had ever done before in the winning-the-girl department. Yes, he was arrogant and domineering, but Deidre led him a merry dance.
I was in the mood for something light and easy, and this definitely did the job....more
I am still enjoying this YA series, although silly Katy did not have enough healthy scepticism and should have spotted the villain’s servant early on,I am still enjoying this YA series, although silly Katy did not have enough healthy scepticism and should have spotted the villain’s servant early on, but she was too busy being pissed at Daemon to be rational. [image]
She was also freaking out about the new powers she suddenly has, transmitted to her when Daemon healed her, so I guess she is just an older teen being impetuous and emotional. However, really dumb decisions and a few TSTL moments by the heroine, which had deadly consequences, annoyed me.
[image] Hope she grows a brain.
I am over the OW thread, too. Onward and upward to book 3......
This author is very interesting for me. It's kind of like/dislike in terms of content. The world-building is good but she does enjoy lots of blood and gore (a bit like Laura Thalassa in Pestilence from her Four Horsemen series) and steamy sex scenes (which I generally don't mind, tbh, if they are well-written). But her heroes can be problematic, with OTT alpha-holes who are incredibly egotistical and arrogant and rarely show a more sensitive, vulnerable side. It's a good author who can include that aspect in an alpha hero's character, as it makes them much more rounded, and also likeable, despite their failings. I acknowledge that 18/19 year-old males are not usually especially contemplative or insightful, and are ruled mostly by their sex drive, but there are always exceptions, and these are the special ones I would rather read about.
An interesting and somewhat complicated HR. No easy read this, populated as it was with flawed characters and nasty individuals. The writing is very gAn interesting and somewhat complicated HR. No easy read this, populated as it was with flawed characters and nasty individuals. The writing is very good and if you enjoy HR where the couple really have a struggle achieving their HEA, you will enjoy this one. Probably not the best book to read after nearly 3 months in Covid lock-down (thank you, Melbourne)!
Adam, the Earl of Bexley, is very much under the thumb of his controlling, almost cartoonishly evil, father, the Duke of Hastings. He needs his father's financial support for some financial ventures and spends his spare time working out his frustrations by boxing in private fights. He is a passionate and almost brutal man, but also very caring of those he loves. Adam is actually a pretty decent bloke, but has always been too afraid to tell his dad to just f*** off.
Caro, an amateur ballet dancer trained by a misandrist courtesan (the former mistress of her father), has a disgustingly profligate and useless family (surprise- only the male members remain!) She is determined to somehow provide financial support for the only brother she likes and respects. This plan includes forcing Adam to marry her- by having him ruin her. She is herself still a virgin, but has seen so much in her short life- hard to believe she is just seventeen in this book, tbh, -that she is prepared to trap the earl without compunction, assuaging her guilty conscience by vowing to make the earl "very happy". And let's not pretend that women had many options in those days- they didn't.
Yep- a great bunch, folks. They do improve upon acquaintance, however, and are much more nuanced and complex than I originally thought them to be. Kingston, the rake from The Young Blood, book 4 in the series, is introduced as a truly loathsome and manipulative creature, and he does NOT improve upon acquaintance!
I did love the passion and, ultimately, the noble and selfless actions of the MCs, when I was mostly despairing of them ever doing the brave and decent thing.
Definitely worth a look, although I am worried the rest in the series will be just as difficult to read!...more
3.5 stars. Well, how to review a book like this? It put me strongly in mind of Cecelia Grant's A Lady Awakened, and that was also a book I wasn't sure 3.5 stars. Well, how to review a book like this? It put me strongly in mind of Cecelia Grant's A Lady Awakened, and that was also a book I wasn't sure I really enjoyed.
It could have been the detached quality of the MCs, whose motivations I felt I never quite got to know. It could have been the story arc, which included some rather gruesome murders, that seemed a bit random and even unbelievable. It could have been the repugnant nature of the promiscuous Alfie and his life choices, with his complete disassociation from any consequences his seductions might have had. It could have been the ambivalent heroine, who took the stiff upper lip to ridiculous extremes in the way she simply put up with the abject misery of her marriage and the horrible family members on both sides. (No doubt, she might have felt there was little she could actually do, but even her emotional response to all this seemed lacking.)
I did warm to the book and Alfie's behaviour did make more sense in the end, but despite the way he finally became aware of the damage he had been doing for years, all because he wallowed in a grief he refused to acknowledge, and was truly remorseful and regretful, I could not excuse him. If he were able to make reparations in some way for any of his callous, disinterested actions, and spent time doing that, then I might reconsider! He was generous and very supportive of people he wanted to help succeed, so in that regard he was very forward thinking. He also loved art and I could appreciate that. But as it was, I never felt he truly deserved happiness. Yes, I guess I am a bit of a meanie!
Sabine, on the other hand, was someone I could respect, even while I initially found her character very cold.
I have read one other in this series, and it happened to be the book where Alfie is first introduced. The Secret Heart. He was awful in that one, and if I do read books two and three, I will probably find him just as repulsive. Perhaps it's a good thing that I have read book 4- it might make me react a little less aggressively to his character than I otherwise might! People make mistakes. They realise it and are sorry. I can forgive that. But when you do the same thing, over and over, and hurt people, without ever making the effort to look at the fall-out of your actions, that is much harder to forgive.
There were some truly meaningful moments, and some of Alfie's thoughts when he was indulging in bouts of self-loathing were almost poetically expressed:
Every time he looked at her, every time she spoke- want, want, want. He really was a monster, wasn't he? Trailing his lusts across the stage of life the way a snail trailed slime.
OR:
While he shambled on, hollow as ever. Forever wanting something he couldn't have and unable to move on, no matter how hard he tried. He'd learned something during the long years when he'd believed Lily to be dead and loved her anyhow: real love was like a parasite that burrowed so deep into a man's heart that it could not be dug out without killing the host.
Very evocative and almost surreal imagery that gave me a much better idea of the man underneath the consummate seducer. Certainly, the self-loathing is starkly evident.
Summing up, a really well-written book, with unusual and difficult characters so very different from your run-of-the-mill HR. The rake in this one truly is a horrible person, the heroine often stiff and remote. While not always enjoyable, it was an interesting and challenging read....more
There is quite a backstory here and a lot of it is in the previous book of this series, but I think one can read this without having read book 1. I canThere is quite a backstory here and a lot of it is in the previous book of this series, but I think one can read this without having read book 1. I cannot say that I liked the hero, Nick, at all. His lack of self-awareness and plain idiocy at times, when shit was bleedingly obvious, did get very annoying. Adelaide was a much stronger character. She had gone through a great deal, much of it very traumatic, and all of it the fault of the hero, by the way. I really felt she deserved a better man than Nick. Certainly, one with more strength of character. Compounding this, Adelaide's endless capacity to forgive this whiney, self-absorbed arsehole who spent a lot of the book blaming others for the things that went wrong in his life was infuriating, as was her self-loathing for her "lustful" impulses. This was never dealt with, and her despair over her "wickedness" became boring. Having read all four books in this series, I found weak heroes to be a common thread in all the books, so beware of that if you continue on with the others. It's all very well for heroes to be flawed, but if they never develop the requisite strength to deal with life's catastrophes, then they don't deserve a good woman. And if a woman does not expect a man to apologise and learn from his mistakes, and does not hold him to a high standard, she cannot complain if she does not get a good man. The writing was adequate....more
2.5 stars There are all sorts of tortuous goings-on in this one. A case of mistaken identity on the part of the heroine, Alice, who believes the hero N2.5 stars There are all sorts of tortuous goings-on in this one. A case of mistaken identity on the part of the heroine, Alice, who believes the hero Nathaniel seduced and abandoned her sister, and the viscount hero himself, who is a target for an assassin he believes might be his brother. He is actually a bit of a kook, probably because he has seen most of the previous heirs in the family knocked off and is awaiting his turn!
The odd grammar mistake, or wrong choice of word, distracted me, too. For example, “Alice stared miserably at the floor. How to revenge without being seduced, that was the question…” "Revenge" is a noun, and cannot be use as a verb- the verb is avenge.
It was a bit of a fun romp at times, and quite an enjoyable read, but I like my heroes a little more masterful, tbh. Nathaniel had his moments, but all this guy seemed to do best was run away....more
Quite a sweet love story that started out a bit ho-hum, with the hero exhibiting very frivolous, shallow behaviour and the heroine coming across as moQuite a sweet love story that started out a bit ho-hum, with the hero exhibiting very frivolous, shallow behaviour and the heroine coming across as more mature than he was. But the character depth developed really nicely and I was quite moved towards the end, the hero becoming a much more sympathetic and likeable person, even if I wondered whether he was actually capable of becoming more self-aware!
The writing was sound, despite a couple of odd /inelegant turns of phrase (one pokes fun AT one’s betters, not OF one’s betters, for example) and I enjoyed the insightful conversations between the H and h, where he clearly struggled with the knowledge that she could see through his façade and understood him, perhaps better than he understood himself.
While the plot might have been a bit far-fetched with regard to how well-bred ladies would behave in those times, I was happy to suspend my disbelief and allow the emotional elements to carry me away. And it was lovely to have a strong heroine with real backbone.
After a veritable drought in good HR recently, this was a pleasure to read, so thank you, Jultri, for the recommendation! I will definitely give the others in the series a shot....more
Have you ever had the feeling that you are not sure why you grabbed a particular book on KU? It languishes on your shelf for months, and every time yoHave you ever had the feeling that you are not sure why you grabbed a particular book on KU? It languishes on your shelf for months, and every time you see the cover, you think: what was this about again? And: the title sounds a bit Mills and Boon- why did it get it again? Then you read it, and damn if it isn't actually really terrific!
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This is what happened here. I admit I am coming off some pretty superficial sports romance/NA books, so the bar might have been a tad low.
Firstly, I adore the fact that the FMC, Lina (Catalina) is Spanish and that part of the book takes place in a small town in Northern Spain. I also loved all the Spanish in the book- it was integrated so well, with clever ways of giving us the meaning of the sentences without just translating them, that I never felt it interrupted the flow. (I am bilingual and teach a foreign language, so perhaps that helped, too.) Part of my pleasure was also the fact that I had travelled to Spain only a few months before Covid hit, and loved my time there to bits.
Secondly, this new author did a wonderful job in providing depth of characterisation. Lina and Aaron were such appealing characters, with all the hang-ups and experiences that made them so interesting and explained so much about the way they navigated their relationship. They became real people to me, and that doesn't happen very often.
It was not a short book, yet I could not stop reading it. Their trials and Angst, the emotions they suppressed and the way they struggled for their HEA, all of this captured me. I was in love with Aaron myself, in the end, and I am notoriously hard on my heroes! The author got the balance just right, with an alpha, sexy, ex-footballer who was also sensitive and determined to win Lina over, even if it meant his pride took a hit again and again. His patience and consideration for her was impressive, and the way he supported her when she was with her large, noisy and intrusive family, or struggling with her ex, was very moving.
Indeed, Lina drove me a bit nuts at times, making him work so hard because she still couldn't get past what had happened to her many years before when she was in university in Spain. Once we were aware of what had gone down and why she ran to America, she suddenly made a lot more sense. It was really horrible. She was still bloody lucky that Aaron was not the type to give up. Many lesser men would have. As her father said, Lina certainly was a firecracker!
[image] This was a beautiful story, with so much humour, heartache and a very slow burn romance. Sexual tension through the roof is something I love in my romance. (Hence my dislike of ONS CR varieties- once the sex is done, the tension is gone). When it finally came to the sex, though, it was hot. Aaron was a master at gradual, very subtle, seduction. And then an absolute boss in bed.
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I sure kissed a lot of frogs, recently- but I think I finally found a prince. Congratulations to the author, Elena Armas. She nailed this- and I hope she writes more romance with this wonderful balance of passion, emotion and wit. And that's a big "yes, please" to the steamy Cavill-esque romance the author promised a friend in her Acknowledgements!...more
My first book from this series, and yes. I know, it's not #1, but it came up on Bookbub so I thought I would check it out.
An interesting story. I was My first book from this series, and yes. I know, it's not #1, but it came up on Bookbub so I thought I would check it out.
An interesting story. I was not too sure at first, with the cast of thousands (I think there are 13 siblings? Not sure how that was even possible, but I guess mum was just pregnant her whole adult life) and the grandmother from hell, who seemed too think it was ok to sexually harass any male under 65. Would it be so funny if an old grandpa was doing that to young women? I don't think so.
Leaving that aside, we have these two screwed up people who have been dealt a bad hand by life, and it is actually sweet how they come together and finally help each other to heal.
The MMC Tony was a bit hard to take at first, especially as the heroine Pepper kept saying how much she loved the way he smelled like a combination of things that included pizza sauce! Yes, he ran a pizza restaurant, but I don't know if that would be how I would want my man to smell all the time! I did like that he could be quite alpha at times, especially in bed, while still fragile and sensitive. Pepper was a perfectionist who struggled to accept that her own body was not so perfect (view spoiler)[ she suffered from PCO and had failed in her three attempts to get pregnant through IVF (hide spoiler)].
It took a while for both of them to get their heads out of their respective arses, but the epilogue was beautiful.
Don't know if I will read any of the previous books in the series- that wedding cake town in which they all lived called Bliss was a tad too much for me!...more
Another in this series of Misfit Brides, and the second one I have read. Tarra Blue was dumped at the altar, pregnant, when her in-laws discovered she Another in this series of Misfit Brides, and the second one I have read. Tarra Blue was dumped at the altar, pregnant, when her in-laws discovered she was still married to someone else, because the attorney at the time failed to file the divorce papers for her quickie Las Vegas wedding ten years before. She’s now 38 and ends to get stuff sorted before her baby is born.
Ben is a former high-powered M&A businessman, whose partner died of a heart attack at 38. This is the wake-up call that makes him finally aware he is very unhappy. He leaves his job and drifts, living with mum in Florida, until Tarra turns up wanting him to sign the new divorce papers.
This is when he remembers how much he loved those 3 days in Las Vegas. He is devastated to realise he was too scared to hold on to Tarra, when she was the one who could have saved him from the path to misery he took instead. A sweet novella, where I really liked the FMC, who had great strength of character. Ben was a bit lost, and as this is the second book I have read in this series where the MMC is kind of broken, I am wondering whether I will read any more of them. It would be nice to meet a man who was actually ok and could be completely there to help a broken woman get it together! ...more
2.5 stars This is not the worst College/Football romance I have encountered, but the MMC, Mason, is particularly unlikeable for most of the book, and t2.5 stars This is not the worst College/Football romance I have encountered, but the MMC, Mason, is particularly unlikeable for most of the book, and that really had me struggling.
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He was an unmitigated, arrogant man-whore whose self-talk (from his "inner Coach"- yeah, exactly) consisted mainly of:
Find easy pussy! Forget this chick!
Yep- "easy pussy". His words. What a charmer. And imagine, he was only what- 20? 21? Wow- that's actually a bit sad. I couldn't really work out why he was so lacking in basic decency, given his family life was pretty positive. There just didn't seem to be any excuse. (I could say something about the whole anachronistic concept of college Fraternities, and how much damage they do to young men, but I won't).
Add to that the fact that only about 2 or 3 females in the whole story were depicted as nice people- all the rest were skanky hoes, forever begging to give good ole Mase a blowjob, and you are getting the picture.
Kayla, by contrast, was quite an interesting character. Her male friends were really sweet, and still hugely muscled and hot. Why she didn't choose one of them was quite beyond me. I kept thinking
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I also admit, the cheerleading thing is a mystery to me- as an Aussie I don't really understand why a bunch of girls would dress up in short skirts, wave pompoms and cheer on the boys, instead of going out and playing their own game. Seems horribly sexist. I know there is cheerleading as a competitive sport, and I've seen the Netflix reality show about this, which was fascinating, especially as it was a mixed team. These kids are real athletes and gymnasts, and that makes much more sense to me. This was the kind of cheerleading Kayla had done, thank goodness. And I really loved her dedication to her sport.
I was not sure where the author was going with the story arc, either. It seemed there was a strong critique of social media and its power to destroy lives. Mason, oblivious to anything that wasn't going to benefit him, went ahead and believed its rumours and gossip rather than allowing Kayla to explain. And he pushed her into a relationship she didn't want. Again, what a douche.
I will read the whole series (3 books, I think) in the hope that Mason achieves at least some self-awareness and humility by the end of it all.
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And btw, my 23 year-old daughter thinks Mason is a prick, too!...more
2.5 stars I love this author- a few of her books are my go-to re-read when I need some comfort.
I will not be rereading this one, as it was ultimately 2.5 stars I love this author- a few of her books are my go-to re-read when I need some comfort.
I will not be rereading this one, as it was ultimately a bit of a let-down for me.
The characterisation and writing were fine, but the plot didn’t really grab me, despite the twist towards the end, and the fact that the H was the inheritor of a mafia empire meant I never really warmed to him. A business that thrives on prostitution, gambling, extortion, blackmail, illegal drugs and more is simply not justifiable in any way. I felt a bit besmirched at the end- and jumped straight into an HR to get over it!
Come on, Brynne- I’m all for the grey area- life certainly isn’t black and white, and your excellent Killers series makes that clear, but I need the good guy to be someone I can ultimately respect, and due to the choices that were made, this book missed that mark for me.
After the humour, passion and drama of the previous books in this series, this one was a surprising let-down for me. Not as interesting or as exciting,After the humour, passion and drama of the previous books in this series, this one was a surprising let-down for me. Not as interesting or as exciting, no real sexual tension and no drama. The author could have done so much more with the fascinating character of Joan, but it became a bit domestic and bland. And Thaddeus was a bit of a bore, tbh. It was a fine book, I liked it, but it is not one I would read again. ...more
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