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
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
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
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
This is the story of Dex (Ethan), a giant, tattooed, pierced, bearded centre in the NFL, and Fiona (the younger sister of Ivy from the previous book),This is the story of Dex (Ethan), a giant, tattooed, pierced, bearded centre in the NFL, and Fiona (the younger sister of Ivy from the previous book), a flaky, and seemingly superficial, designer and furniture maker. They do spend lots of time apart in this book, which I generally don't enjoy in a romance, but Fiona really grows and matures, perhaps partly because of this separation. Importantly, she doesn’t give up on poor, repressed Dex. I thought that was really great- and different. She could get past her own hurt about what he said or did and see the pain that had led him to lash out. They both struggled because neither had been in a deep relationship before, and in the past, Fiona had always bolted when things got a bit hard. A much sweeter story than I had expected, especially after the previous book in this series, and a little bit different from the usual college/sports romance. Dex was pretty cute!
Note to self: NEVER send nude pics to somebody else's mobile phone! [image]...more
I haven't been reading much HR lately. Forced to stick to PNR and CR, I was despairing of finding a well-written, enjoyable HR, because there is so muI haven't been reading much HR lately. Forced to stick to PNR and CR, I was despairing of finding a well-written, enjoyable HR, because there is so much out there that is poorly written and ill-conceived. Then I stumbled upon this one.
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The writing was excellent- no malapropisms, grammar mistakes or inappropriate modernisms/Americanisms plonked into a Regency period story. And the story was interesting- I didn't stop reading it until it was finished. Finally, the characterisation was terrific. Sophie, our delightfully sweet (yet surprisingly passionate) heroine was quirky without being ridiculous, compassionate and empathetic without being a pushover, and an independent, original thinker who did not allow herself to be steamrolled by the somewhat intimidating hero, Max.
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Max himself started out as somewhat unlikeable and rigid, but Sophie's warmth and her positivity gradually melted the ice. The author also did a good job of slowly revealing why Max was the way he was, and when the deep emotions he had buried for many years were finally able to surface, he was quite a revelation.
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(Is it wrong of me to say I miss this guy?)
Importantly, I got the tingly, butterfly feelings in my tummy that I get when I have a strong emotional response to a story , and I haven't had those in an HR for a long time. (I think the last time was in Julie Anne Long's Angel in a Devil's Arms)
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I wouldn't say the plot is particularly complicated, but if you enjoy a well-written, emotional, relationship-based HR, with a couple of tastefully written sexy times thrown in (they were betrothed by this stage), this one just might do the trick!...more
One of my favourite tropes is the enemies-to-lovers scenario. If well done, both MCs end up learning so much about themselves and each other, and the One of my favourite tropes is the enemies-to-lovers scenario. If well done, both MCs end up learning so much about themselves and each other, and the journey is both revelational and emotionally satisfying. Many are not done well, and the combination of immaturity and petty scoring against each other, with way to early capitulation by the wronged party (almost always the girl) makes for a dissatisfying, shallow read.
I have to say this one is well done. Macon and Delilah are complex people, a little older (thank goodness, no college drama here, although their history starts with school drama) and successful in their respective careers. They do still carry the scars of their childhood and teen years, and while Macon (view spoiler)[has been deeply damaged by a violent, bullying father (hide spoiler)], Delilah's scars have been caused to a large extent by Macon. And this is where the problem lies, for me.
I am not a fan of so-called "bully" romance. That is an oxymoron. I am no psychologist, but to me, a teen bully is someone without empathy, and I struggle to accept that they could ever have a healthy relationship, where they are not battering their partner either literally or psychologically. I don't care what the explanations or excuses are: my sympathies ultimately lie with the victim. So Macon, in this book, is someone I struggled to actually respect for a lot of the book, because he was incredibly cruel to Delilah in High School.
Delilah confronted me with another of my dislikes: the heroine who constantly allows people to take advantage of her because she loves them or because they are family, even when tough love would lead to a happier outcome for everyone concerned. Delilah's sister was an irredeemably manipulative, lying bitch, but it's always: Delilah to the rescue.
So I had to get over all that, and it took a while. But Macon and Delilah developed as characters over the course of the book, increasing in both self-awareness and self-esteem, and it was ultimately a very satisfying, mature novel about the stupidly cruel things we do as children and teenagers in an effort to protect ourselves, and how it is possible to acknowledge them and move on. It was as much about self-forgiveness as it was about forgiving each other.
A nicely crafted, well-written story by an author I always enjoy. It's not Darkest London (I'm a sucker for PNR set in Victorian England) but it was a great read.
4 stars, but sometimes the potty-mouthed heroine and the violent hero annoyed me. He was a battle god, I guess! Ruby Dixon is a top-notch world builder4 stars, but sometimes the potty-mouthed heroine and the violent hero annoyed me. He was a battle god, I guess! Ruby Dixon is a top-notch world builder. Her Ice Planet Barbarians (I have read most of them, but admit I became a bit bored with them eventually) and her Fireblood Dragons in the post-apocalypse series are very readable. The detail she describes in these worlds is quite astounding. But this book was a surprise, and in a good way.
The book is long. Was I bored?
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For starters, I am a bit of a mythology geek. I love me some gods and goddesses, wherever they happen to be from. Ruby has cherry picked bits and pieces, added her own special twist, and created a fascinating, colourful world. It is primitive and brutal, the gods are selfish, callous and cruel (when are they not?) and our poor modern girl is sucked into this world with nothing but the clothes she stood up in.
It is the time of the Anticipation, a festival where the inhabitants of this world, Aos, await the arrival of their god. You see, every now and then the High Father (a kind of Zeus/Christian God) casts the 11 gods down to live among humans in order to remember qualities like compassion, empathy and mercy, feelings that they have gradually lost over the centuries. He does this to make them better, kinder gods. To help them get in touch with these feelings, a human anchor must be bound to the god, someone to teach these selfish beings what life is like for mortals.
[image] Umm.....NO.
(view spoiler)[Then, just to make it more complicated, four versions- Aspects- of the god are sent to Aos: Arrogance, Apathy, Lies and Hedonism. (Seven Deadly Sins, anyone?). Only one will survive, but to kill an Aspect, one needs to kill the anchor. That Aspect is absorbed by the Aspect remaining alive. The final Aspect standing then goes back up to heaven (the Aether). (hide spoiler)]
In this first book, Faith finds herself about to be sacrificed to the Battle god, Aron, so without knowing what she is signing up for, volunteers to be his anchor. Shoulda read the fine print, Faith. It's a steep learning curve.
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That she didn't punch him and snark more at him verbally was a credit to her self-control and common sense. She certainly didn't mince her words when she got mad at him- it was often fairly crude. Along the lines of "Go fuck yourself." Well, Aron was such a tool, he needed a rough, straight-talker to slap him into shape. Faith certainly met that criteria. You gotta be tough when you go toe-to-toe with Aron of the (freaking) Cleaver!
Aron was supremely annoying a lot of the time, and I am sure that was the author's intention. It took him a long time to develop some positive character traits, and strangely enough for a war god, he was very weak when it came to strategising or planning. He just wanted to go roaring into battle and smite peeps with his axe. It was Faith who did the thinking for them, and I loved that Ruby had her some that role. She showed imagination and initiative in their struggle to remain alive,(view spoiler)[ even though she was terrified by the fact that she was the target. I could understand her ambivalence when dissecting Aron's motives: was he keeping her alive because he cared about her, or only because her death meant his death? (hide spoiler)]
I note the irony of the High Father not giving a toss about the mortal Anchor's lives and happily sacrificing them on the altar of making his naughty children nicer.
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Way to go, dad.
In the end, Faith was awesome- brave and intelligent. It was a struggle to survive as a woman in that misogynistic world, and I hope Ruby might tweak it a tad in the future, so that women have more roles than whore, slave, wife or the occasional psycho bitch goddess. (Just a question- when a woman is jealous of her man's possible attentions towards another woman, why does she want to attack the OW? That's just rubbish- and adds to the stupid women-compete-for-men shite that our patriarchal culture brainwashes us with. Let's just sheet the blame home to the man who had a choice and didn't choose you.) Another gentle gripe: why is Faith friendless, alone, in a shit job and so very, very ordinary in our world? Why do authors persist with this cliché? OK, we need room for the MCs to grow, to become awesome, I get it. But it seems very convenient- no loose ends back home when they decide to stay in their new world- and it makes their transformation just that little bit unlikely. I am reminded of the The Golden Dynasty. The heroine there had a very close relationship with her dad, a responsible position in his business and was a successful woman in her own right. She still chose to stay with her crazy barbarian king. It can happen.
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Nevertheless, a great start to what promises to be another entertaining and uniquely Ruby Dixonesque series!...more
3.5 stars. Whew! This was a difficult read for me. It could have been a 4 plus star book, but for the fact that I actively loathed the hero for most o3.5 stars. Whew! This was a difficult read for me. It could have been a 4 plus star book, but for the fact that I actively loathed the hero for most of it.
Now. I am totally a Meljean fan-girl, and I love that she has ventured into dark barbarian style romance, even while I hanker for another of her awesome steampunk stories. I was prepared for some brutality, a lot of violence/gore and some truly evil characters. Well, I got all that, and more.
So let's start with our hero, Maddek. I did struggle with him, tbh. Perhaps that is exactly what Mel/Milla wanted: a narrow-minded, tunnel-visioned, vengeance-is-mine soldier hero who needed a strong, visionary heroine- which Yvenne was-for him to evolve. He needed to be more than a warrior in order to be a king. Having said that (view spoiler)[ I was a tad disgusted by his intention to skin/i> the heroine when he first caught her, then kill/decapitate her, because he believed she had been responsible for the deaths of his parents. (hide spoiler)] Maddek not only refused to listen to her version of events, but actually threatened to tear out her tongue if she even mentioned his parents, in particular his mother. (Yvenne actually does this by accident at one stage and he brutally grabs hold of her tongue, almost choking her, as a warning. This, after he has been, for him, quite sweet. I got whiplash from the countless times he switched personalities.) So poor Yvenne cannot even defend herself against his accusation, or give an account of the situation that led to their deaths.
This pure, a-hole, bullying behaviour goes on for more than half the book, and all the while Maddek is waiting for the moon to be full so he can screw Yvenne to get her pregnant. He needs the child for political purposes but Yvenne will then become completely dispensable. Her bitter description of herself as merely a vessel was totally apt. I struggled to respect Maddek, with his blind hatred of Yvenne and obsessive need for revenge at all costs. Ok, I'll be frank: I wanted to bludgeon him repeatedly with an axe. See, already turning into a barbarian!
Yvenne was a remarkable heroine. She suffered enormously in her life, but her strength of character and her courage were impressive. A lot of the book describes everything she went through and I was exhausted by the end. That she hadn't gone mad or suicidal from it all was incredible. Only when Maddek finally realised what an absolute pig he had been from the get-go, and made his speech to Yvenne on his knees, begging for forgiveness, could I find it in my heart to support Yvenne's decision to give him a second chance. Those paragraphs had the tears trickling down my face.
World-building was outstanding, of course, (and it is a very brutal world) and the characterisation must have been good for me to become so emotionally invested in the outcome.
An impressive first in a new series, one which I will continue to read. But be warned- those people in that strange, fantastical world are generally not very nice at all, the gods and goddesses are capricious and cruel, and even the so-called good guys are total bastards a lot of the time. A dark, barbarian romance indeed....more
This was a little more like some of the earlier books by JT, although having a sportsman as the hero was unexpected. The writing is excellent, as alwaThis was a little more like some of the earlier books by JT, although having a sportsman as the hero was unexpected. The writing is excellent, as always. And I totally appreciate her releasing her books on KU!
Maddie is a relatively conservative young woman running a match-making service. He is a bad-tempered, promiscuous, jock-quarterback who, you guessed it, is told to clean up his image of drunken whoring by getting himself a fiancée/wife.
I liked Maddie- she was sweet. He, on the other hand, was so immature for a 28 year-old, I kept thinking I was reading a College Romance about a 20 year-old. His weirdly aggressive, man-ho attitude was apparently justified, because he had been rejected and unloved as a child, so didn’t trust anyone enough to be open to a real relationship. Hmmmm..... maybe time to get past that and move on at 28?
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Maddie had been dumped by a fiancé who was an aspiring Congressman. He also happened to be corrupt (art imitates life?).
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This dude creates issues for Maddie which force the hero to step in- and grow up.
I did not enjoy this story as much as the three book Slow Burn series, (I actually regularly make the Bianca's Old Cuban cocktail that was described in one of those books, and have discovered a love of bourbon!) but I much preferred this one to her weird CR/erotic romance Perfect Strangers.
By the way, is this matchmaking schtick actually a Thing in the US? Pretty sure it's not in Oz. I know there are heaps of online services that help people find partners, but an actual match-making business with a "match-maker" owner? Where you go in and meet the match-maker and discuss your needs? Fiddler on the Roof clearly resonated with American audiences!
It is so wonderful to have JAL back in such good form! After inhaling the first book in the series, I was excited for this one, and I was not disappoiIt is so wonderful to have JAL back in such good form! After inhaling the first book in the series, I was excited for this one, and I was not disappointed.
Our heroine, Angelique, whom we met in book 1 as the mistress of that book's heroine's husband, is a complex and multi-faceted woman. Life has not treated her well at all, and for a lone woman in London in those days, there were very few options. The surprising friendship that arises between her and her protector's wife after he dies is the subject of the previous book in this series. Now she is the co-proprietress of a boarding house, content with her independence and single status. She is very aware that her reputation could ruin their business, so keeps to herself and maintains a respectable front. She is strong, hiding her vulnerability and burying any dreams she might once have had under the mantle of cool detachment.
Our hero, Lucien, Lord Bolt, is a lord with his own demons and a plan for revenge. When he and Angelique meet, we embark on a long and often tortuous road to their well-deserved HEA. Lucien is a difficult character to like, initially, and there were times I truly wanted to slap him, but he was fundamentally an honourable person.
Characterisation is excellent, with an amusing and disparate cast of secondary characters, and a very moving last few pages. Two broken people finding a future together is a common theme in romance novels, but this was explored beautifully here. Thoroughly recommend!...more
3.5 stars. This was much better than I had expected. A sweet, romantic story about a very likeable heroine and a good guy, who took a while to wake up 3.5 stars. This was much better than I had expected. A sweet, romantic story about a very likeable heroine and a good guy, who took a while to wake up and realise he was in love with our sweet girl (but doesn't it always take them too long??) Nicely written and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon....more
This book meandered a bit too much for my liking, with a lot of hot/cold on the part of the hero (for goodness sake, Jax- don't be such a coward!) andThis book meandered a bit too much for my liking, with a lot of hot/cold on the part of the hero (for goodness sake, Jax- don't be such a coward!) and a lot of prevaricating and indecisiveness on the part of the heroine. Neither of the MCs really captured my attention enough for me to care about their HEA, I'm afraid. ...more
I really like this author. She very generously releases via Kindle Unlimited, and while I like some of her books better than others, they are always wI really like this author. She very generously releases via Kindle Unlimited, and while I like some of her books better than others, they are always worth reading.
Asher as a definite type of hero and they are pretty alpha. Yet still interesting and layered. In the Killers series, we had very alpha men, very single-minded and protective of their woman. Yet despite their rough way of speaking and their bossy attitude, they were not afraid to commit emotionally, and to say so. That is the joy of those men- yes, there is a lot of sex, and copious bad language, but these guys are totally down for saying how they feel, and they NEVER disrespect their partners. So, when I read about alpha men who treat their women like children, I’m out, folks. Sadly, many authors cross that line and lose me.
There was one book, Athica Lane from the Carpino series, where the hero was borderline for me. He was so embittered, he became unkind and unattractive, and it took a long time for him to come halfway to redeeming himself. He ventured into full blown arse-hole territory first, and I did not like him, especially as the heroine was smart and sweet. Broken Halo began with a similar vibe- a very embittered hero who hated his former love with a passion. I was seriously worried: please, not another Cam. I worried unnecessarily.
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Trig is a hot shot attorney whose family was definitely from the wrong side of the tracks (dad had a meth lab, and not along the lines of Breaking Bad, either). When just 23, he embarked on a passionate affair with Ellie, the 17-year-old daughter of the Montgomerys, a monied, Texan clan. Things go to hell in a handcart, she dumps him and the two are separated for 10 years. Ellie marries someone else, just trying to get on with her life, and her husband is a Bad Man (I won’t say more- his story is in the previous book) who ends up dying violently. She is left with little Griffin, her not quite one-year-old. When Ellie gets into legal trouble (custody issues) with the ex-in-laws, Trig is appointed as her attorney, because his law firm is now working for the Montgomery company (I could say more here about them being the largest privately-owned oil company in the US, and that the attempts by this author to paint them GREEN had me laughing, because the only thing green about an oil company is in the words GREENhouse gases, but I won’t. At least she acknowledges the elephant in the room, which is more than Trump and his cabal do).
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The sparks fly, and Ellie is fantastic at giving as good as she gets. It ends up a rather complicated plot, because we also have Trig’s dad released (early) from jail on parole and returning to town, seeking vengeance on Trig and the Montgomery clan.
I have to say, I love a man who doesn’t give up despite constant rejection by a woman. The moment Trig found out what had actually happened 10 years ago and why Ellie did what she did, he was on a mission: he was going to apologise for his eff-up as often as she needed him to, and work as hard as he could for Ellie to forgive him and give the relationship a second chance. The bastard frog turns into a prince. Kinda.
Both MCs were well-drawn. The author’s characters have become quite complex and nuanced over the course of her books, especially the men, who are much more than just their physical hotness and masterful, sexy manner. Although I am shallow enough to appreciate that aspect, too!
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A major theme that comes through in her latest books is the importance of family and the value of relationships between parents and siblings. Such a nice change from the all too common CR scenario of successful alpha male taking over the life of the orphaned/abandoned/fostered out/friendless/even homeless heroine (you choose- sometimes they are more than one of these things!) Ellie has a family and it is very much present in her life, supporting her at all times.
Be warned, there is a LOT of bad language in these books, and Ellie has a potty mouth, no question. But it made me laugh, too. The texts they send each other are often screamingly funny.
There is only one little niggle I have with this author- her approach to food is problematic for me. That 30-something men (sometimes even over 40) can maintain an athlete’s fitness, Greek God’s body and be healthy on the diet they choose is, frankly, impossible. Pizza, chips, mountains of desserts, everything fried within an inch of its life and the complete absence of coloured vegetables does not a physical supreme being make. I wish she would tone down the junk food- you can be an alpha and have a sensible diet, folks. Even if your home is MacDonalds-land. You’ll live longer and so will our planet.
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As a footnote- The author’s warnings about the 18 plus rating she would give to her books are hilarious and refreshing. I love them!
Cannot wait for the next book in this series. Don’t make us wait too long, Brynne! [image]...more
This was ultimately a decent story, despite the overarching story arc of brutal and illegal mob activities in Las Vegas. I thought the concept that thThis was ultimately a decent story, despite the overarching story arc of brutal and illegal mob activities in Las Vegas. I thought the concept that the hero, Kai, was working to extricate himself from the mob connections his grandfather had developed was a little far-fetched, but it suited my invariably hard-line stance against all things Mafia (I generally do not read so-called Mafia “romance”) and helped me to accept him as a basically decent person, even when I found his use of violence as a means to an end rather repulsive. I always find it hard to understand how a man could be a murderer, yet, at the same time, love his kids and family. Talk about compartmentalising your life! He treated Myla really well, however, in his alpha domineering way, and their relationship was surprisingly sweet. ...more
This was everything an HR should be: subtle, charming, moving, sensual and witty.
When Lady Delilah Derring is widowed, she discovers that she is not This was everything an HR should be: subtle, charming, moving, sensual and witty.
When Lady Delilah Derring is widowed, she discovers that she is not the only one who has been left penniless and alone, as she discovers her husband’s estate was ruined. His mistress is also in a similar position, and the two women have the misfortune (or so she believes it to be, initially) to meet at the solicitor’s office where he has unctuously just informed her of her impecunious state. Her shock at there even being a mistress is tempered by a feeling of kinship, and when the women run into each other at an inn next to the only piece of property Delilah has been left with- a run-down former brothel on the docks- they begin an unlikely partnership. How refreshing to see them work together, instead of fighting over a man who was never worth it in the first place!
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Firstly, I had to leave my prejudices at the door. I don’t normally enjoy books about mistresses, as the power imbalance always makes me cross. In this case, both women are intelligent, sensitive people who have been battered by life and are determined to bounce back. Most of all, they plan to do it without a man. Having learned the hard way that a woman should not depend on a man, because he will invariably fail them, they turn the building into a boarding house and work hard to make the business a success. At the same time, the handsome but hardened Captain Hardy is hunting the smuggling gang that caused the death of a whole family, when they burnt down the family’s house. This, all because the father refused to allow them to use his property for their smuggling activities.
I have to say, the slow burn and sexual tension in this story was masterful. The contrast between this and a lot of CR, which is often all about the ONS and the determination to “hand in the V-card” (What the hell are these authors thinking- even the expression “V-card” is repugnant) is stark. And welcome.
Delilah and her friend Angelique’s relationship had an intriguing dynamic, with the cynical and disillusioned Angelique a foil for the more tender-hearted, kinder Delilah. Make no mistake, Delilah was not weak or bland. In many ways, she was fierce and passionate, even tough when required to be. Both she and Hardy longed for a place to call Home, for a family. Hardy refused to think of it initially, clashing as it did with what had always been his purpose in life. Delilah could not afford to think of it, now that she was no longer a lady but rather, the proprietress of a boarding house on the docks. She was determined to finally be true to herself and not beholden to any man for her happiness. After all, look how well that turned out last time.
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The two main characters are wonderfully complex. It was marvellous to read about a man who had finer feelings and a depth to his thinking that went beyond where to stick his penis. There were moments of great humour (I actually laughed out loud several times during reading, and that has not happened in a while) and the minor characters were lovingly drawn. I wiped away a quiet tear and struggled through the emotions tingling in my chest. And I smiled for the pair and their HEA.
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I have read most of JAL’s work, and have enjoyed much of it, but this book was a stand-out for me. How these two damaged, lonely, people find their Home in each other was truly moving. I warmly recommend it for lovers of high-quality HR. You won’t be disappointed.
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