I’m not going to rate this because I skimmed a lot of the first part and listened to the last ½ on Everand (formerly Scribd), and there’re plenty of rI’m not going to rate this because I skimmed a lot of the first part and listened to the last ½ on Everand (formerly Scribd), and there’re plenty of reviews out there. (I received the son’s book as a freebie and needed the backstory)
The biggest issue with the book is the non-plausible event/thinking that the entire conflict of the book rests upon. It makes absolutely no sense… and is inconsistent.
(view spoiler)[ The book opens with Kallie overhearing her childhood love Jacob whispering to his best friend Savannah at prom about her being pregnant. Jacob acts guilty and doesn’t deny it when she straight out asks him if he cheated, so Kallie runs off and leaves town heartbroken. For reasons that defy all logic since Jacob supposedly loves Kallie with all his heart and this isn’t 1862, he decides to shrug his shoulders and pretend to the town that he cheated on Kallie and Savannah’s son is his and continues to raise the kid (Ethan) as his own for the next 8 years until Kallie returns.
Now that is just dumb. Why oh why if he loved her wouldn’t he reassure his lady love that he was planning on proposing to that he didn’t cheat? Why oh why would he allow the town to think he desecrated their love? Why oh why would he pretend that the kid was his? Was it really better to pretend that they cheated on Kallie rather than having Savannah just getting knocked up by some random ONS? The important part was helping her raise the kid which he still could’ve done without claiming to be his dad.
Also, Jacob says he did it because he had already lost Kallie, so he decided to step up because his friend needed him, but later when Kallie and Savannah are talking it is implied that Savannah knew he wouldn’t walk away from her and her child if needed him. So, did Jacob plan on pretending to be the dad all along, and did he just think Kallie would go along with it if she knew the truth?
Regardless, the biggest FAIL of the entire book is that they never fleshed out the fact that Jacob in fact chose Savannah over Kallie. She throws it in his face when angry, but they never discuss it, and any way you slice it… JACOB CHOOSE SAVANNAH OVER KALLIE. If he truly cared, he would've put her first because she should've outranked his bestie. He certainly wouldn’t put her in a situation that she would have to live in a town that would think he cheated on her forever. He can use the excuse that he can’t regret Ethan, but that has nothing to do with the choice he made. And that's extremely lazy.
Bottom Line- This had potential had the author taken a minute and given us a more thought-out scenario that made sense. Maybe she should’ve left assuming he was the father, but Jacob should have never pretended to be the dad, IMO that took things too far. It was all too illogical for me. He loved her so so so much but let her go with no effort. He could’ve gotten her back had he went and told her parents the truth, but he didn’t think she was worth it. (another thing not explored) His mom’s hatred when he was the one that ruined the relationship, and her parents lack of hatred left me scratching my head. And I thought Savannah was TERRIBLY selfish. She got a daddy, and I bet the bar as hush money and what did Kallie get? And it looks like she gets a HEA in book 3…pfft. Not to mention, if they were such best friends that he blew up his life for her, why does he borderline hate her? Why do they have no relationship? Why aren’t they even friends? Seems like a huge sacrifice for someone he barely tolerates.
I’m not sure how to rate this. Certain aspects worked but others didn’t. I think for now I'm going to go with a 2.5 round up because it did keep me reI’m not sure how to rate this. Certain aspects worked but others didn’t. I think for now I'm going to go with a 2.5 round up because it did keep me reading even if I hated Grayson at the beginning. She did make me believe his feelings for Clementine by the end and that took a herculean effort, so props for that. But I'd only recommend this if you're in the mood for trashy soap, not a fleshed-out romance or redemption arc.
The blurb pretty much sets up the entire outline, but I’m going tag the rest in case you want zero deets. (view spoiler)[
Clementine has been married to Grayson for two years when she catches him screwing with his coworker and learns their marriage has been a farse. He’s an FBI agent that has been undercover trying to gather info on her father. Then we FFW to five years later with Grayson volunteering to be her protection and is SHOCKED because now his shy/sweet little wife is va-va-voom HOT.
Ok. I’m not even going to touch the writing style or editing because this is KU trashy smut, so your expectation shouldn’t be super high.
I picked this up because I enjoyed the first book ( Before We Fall) where we met both Miles and Emma. I’m going to make the review part quick because I picked this up because I enjoyed the first book ( Before We Fall) where we met both Miles and Emma. I’m going to make the review part quick because this author is VERY formulaic, and you either like her style or don’t. This series has deviated a smidge in that it doesn’t feel as BOOM-y as her Until books, and each book has a subplot murder mystery that takes up a small hunk of the book. It’s ok but slows the flow down some.
The timeline overlaps a little with BWF in the beginning, and we go over her and Eli’s breakup again from Emma's POV. The attraction is there, but these two take their time getting together, and for a large chunk they dance around each other. There’s another murder mystery that ties into the last book.
My only grump is that I felt like Emma lost her badassery in this book and Hazel turned into a bitch, both tweaks were used to build conflict drama, and it felt a smidge lazy. I wasn’t into the murder mystery at all, and felt like it needed something else to spruce it up other than Emma’s cold feet.
Bottom Line- Both mc’s were likable, but I didn’t like it as much as the last book. It could be read as a standalone, but you’ll get more out of it if you read book 1.
Jac’s Notes… Connections… Tucker Before We Fall (w/Miranda), Clay Until Willow (w/ Willow), Miles Before This Ends (w/ Emma), and Dayton are brothers. Walker Until Hanna (Miranda’s brother) is married to Hanna. (Willow’s cousin)
Random… In Until Willow - Miles was dating Ivy -Tucker learned of Naomi’s affair -Dayton hinted into shy Grace
In Before We Fall -Walker mentions dating a flight attendant from TN - Tucker hints that Miles has a thing for Leah (Willows Dr BFF) dbl checked no flirting/interactions between the 2 in Willow’s book, maybe ARR thought about making her the h at once point. ...more
Another one from my TBR I purchased years ago… I’m beginning to see why I passed on these. This one is just silly and so illogical that I couldn’t getAnother one from my TBR I purchased years ago… I’m beginning to see why I passed on these. This one is just silly and so illogical that I couldn’t get onboard.
Cole Fletcher is an FBI agent that falls into insta-lust with Savanah while he’s infiltrating a suicide cult.
It’s all just too much that takes everything to a level of silliness… maybe had I read it 10 years ago I would’ve enjoyed it more, but I’m way too old for this crap now. (view spoiler)[
The insta was too-unbelievable. He’s supposed to be saving people from killing themselves and is so captivated that he can’t think about his mission and is zoom bam struck by LUST.
Savannah is too-perfect. She’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, her green eyes are amazing. She’s so kind and mature and virginal but a sex goddess in bed.
The set up is too-beyond belief. Savannah, who has been held in a cult for SEVEN years IMMEDIATELY trusts Cole. Like crawling in his lap begging to come home with him. And Cole, a professional agent, agrees and sets her up in his guest room.
The sexual tension went on for too-long. They were nicely playing house for the majority of the book. There’s an OW situation that occurs mid-book, but it generates ZERO drama. (I’ll put the deets below) I know some readers HATE on-page OW action, I don’t mind as long as it generates a reaction. I want the h to be heartbroken/bothered and HATE it when it intrigues or turns them on.
Things were tied up too-quickly. The “blind date situation” was a blip then dismissed. Then after being teased/warned about her obsessed “stalker/bad-guy” and his ex-gf “unforgivable secret” for CHAPTERS, both were dispatched within a few pages each. It was dumb. The ex is such a big deal in the background, so dependent, he feels such responsibility, but he scrapes her off immediately when it becomes an issue for the h. Are the same “risk factors” not still applicable? What changed? After YEARS he just brushes it away?
Bottom Line- The plot was unbelievable yet still boring. Literally nothing happens for much of the book except Savannah cooking, cleaning, talking, and playing with her puppy. They finally start having sex and a few things go on towards the end, but I was mostly checked out by then.
Safety- Before they’re romantically involved (46%), Cole brings his blind date home and has sex with her. Savannah walks in on them and watches; he sees her and doesn’t finish but his partner does. Savannah doesn’t care, she’s more intrigued and the two immediately start fooling around…. Which was a smidge gross… at least wash your hands.
There’s an ex-situation. He still visits her weekly and sort of sneaks behind h’s back. They haven’t been together/physical/romantic in years but could be considered emotional cheating, but it’s all done off-page. (hide spoiler)]...more
DNF @ 18% I usually don’t DNF so early, but I just don’t think this author is a good fit for me. This is only my third book, but I’m sensing a theme… aDNF @ 18% I usually don’t DNF so early, but I just don’t think this author is a good fit for me. This is only my third book, but I’m sensing a theme… and it’s immature h’s that suck at adulting… which isn’t my jam. Case in point, the entire plot is built on a ONS and how the H handled it which CRUSHED the h.
Here are the deets… (this all happens within the first chapter)
Lyric has had the hots for the town Sheriff (Holton) since she moved to town. She’s feeling low and decides to go to the local watering hole to drown her sorrows when she sees Holton. He’s putting off a “don’t bother me vibe” but she decides to shoot her shot and sits next to him. After some time, they’re having a nice conversation, and she suggests they take things back to her house. Sexcapades ensue and somewhere during the night Lyric decides they are couple goals and is devastated/pissed when he kindly tells her that’s not the case.
My issue… I like an empowered woman. I HATE it when the h is sitting around for YEARS not getting any because she’s waiting around for an H. I want her out living her life, so I was pleased that Lyric made her move even initiating the ONS, but she ruined it by acting like a 14-year-old the next morning. She approached him… she sat by him… she started talking to him… she suggested the hookup… what in that screamed that they were starting a relationship?? That’s just silly… and clingy/crazy and way too immature for a ONS.
So. I was already struggling when her girl posse all got together to torch another friends ex’s priceless baseball cards and were all chanting Burn it and cackling so loud the neighbors called in a noise complaint… and I’m out.
I stumbled across this because I was curious if Vira (the OW in Sean- book 6 of the For the Love of a Good Woman series) wouQuick skim read-no review.
I stumbled across this because I was curious if Vira (the OW in Sean- book 6 of the For the Love of a Good Woman series) would be the h. Fortunately, she's not… but unfortunately, she’s the OW here and we get another on-page Vira sex scene with the H… but the sex sort of sucks because this H is torn, so that was better. At least this h was giving it to him better, so it wasn't one sided and didn’t feel like Vira was running circles around her... also Vira was around way less.
Moving on… For those that didn’t read Sean, Vira was part of his and Lillian’s love triangle. You can read that review HERE… anyway, towards the end she runs to Sean and the Reed security dudes for help and meets Sinner/Mark who is sent out to escort/set her up in California. Evidentially, he spent some time (months maybe) living and screwing her before coming home and meeting this h (Cara) who happens to be Sean’s sister… to make things super messy.
Bottom Line- I skimmed huge chunks. The h has trauma and panic attacks/ptsd she’s working through then the H is tortured as has things he needs to work through.
Safety(view spoiler)[- H and h breakup (I think she initiated it-- “Yeah, I fucking realize that and she still threw me away. She told me I was only good for fucking. Now you tell me if you would stick around for more of that shit? I lost my fucking job defending her!” I roared.)… he returns to California and stays with Vira. They have sex, but he can’t finish. It’s all on page. (hide spoiler)]
“So, are Sean and Lillian still together?” “Yeah, they got married not too long after you left.” I looked at her and she did her best to put on a cheery smile. “Well, I kind of figured that’s the way it would turn out. I still can’t believe Sean went for prim and proper Lillian. I mean, if she only knew the things he did in bed to me.”
“So, you were going to send me away and then have Vira come play naughty nurse?” “Ask your brother, I’m pretty good at playing naughty nurse,” Vira sniped. “That’s disgusting. I don’t need to think about what your skank ass did with my brother or what you hope to do with Mark.”
The fact that Sean had held onto her for as long as he had was a miracle. That woman was a sexual beast and she took no prisoners, but she wasn’t the one I wanted.(hide spoiler)]...more
This has been on my TBR forever, and I actually realized mid-book that I’ve already read it (even had highlighted notes), but never wrote a review. LoThis has been on my TBR forever, and I actually realized mid-book that I’ve already read it (even had highlighted notes), but never wrote a review. Love triangles aren’t really my thing. I LOVE OW drama (dead ex, wannabe ow, etc.) and don’t mind the competition… I just don’t want my H to be hard core wavering for most of the book, and I want my h to be the #1 girl/clear winner.
Like… maybe the OW got a head start, but I want her out of the race completely before the final laps. The blurb gives most of the plot away, but I’m tagging the rest, so stop if you want zero deets. (view spoiler)[
I read a lot of books with OW drama, and it typically doesn’t bother me, UNLESS it isn’t balanced… which was the problem here. This book had IMHO 2 MAJOR issues…
1️⃣ The h was annoying AF and inferior to the OW. Vira is described as smoking hot beautiful and a sexual goddess. Lillian was portrayed as an uptight/often rude schoolteacher that constantly corrected people’s grammar.
Vira- Vira’s heavy breathing filled the room, reminding me once again how wild she was in bed. Her long, black hair lay spread over the bed and her olive toned skin glimmered with a fine sheen of sweat. I couldn’t get enough of this woman. Ever since I met her, I needed her.
Lillian- “Um.. well I haven’t actually ever.. um, had sex.” I replied hesitantly… “How old are you?” Maggie asked. “Twenty- eight.”
“Son of a haaamsteeer!” “Holy cannoli!” She screamed. “Holy rabbit ears!
Harper had asked me to wear a sexy but casual dress. Since I didn’t do sexy, I wore a summer dress that was a sunny yellow with a boat neck. I wore my mother’s pearls because they went with the dress and drop earrings. My hair was pulled back in a chignon.
“Not only did you say supposably, but you also misused less incorrectly.” “Less is used when you’re talking about things that aren’t quantifiable. Since you could easily count the number of men in the room, you should have used fewer. Also, you said here training, but you should have said training here, but it’s a common mistake.”
“I was going to say, it’s just that happy belated birthday isn’t grammatically correct,” Lillian said. Her dainty fingers pinched together in front of her as she bobbed her head side to side. “Why not?” I asked. “Well, my birthday isn’t belated, the greeting is. So, really it should be a belated happy birthday to you,” she said with a satisfied smile.
Cuz if that doesn’t make you want to punch her in the face… or smash her stupid belated happy birthday cake in her stupid annoying face… then you are a better person than me.
2️⃣ The relationship is unbalanced. Like I said HERE , the plot/relationship balance is imperative to pulling off a romance with an OW competitor. The issue was that we spent over the first half of the book with Sean panting and professing his love for Vira while we’re shown repeatedly how compatible they are in bed. Then after 54% he suddenly decides he wants Lillian, the girl he has nothing in common with, AFTER Vira rejects him again. It didn’t feel natural at all… let alone believable. This hardcore detective with the huge sex drive for kink is going to choose an uptight, self-righteous almost 30-yr-old virgin that has never seen a dick or masturbated and wants to wait until marriage and is talking about grammar and repenting sins.
Bottom Line- UGH. I hated everyone. Vira was a twat, Lillian was so annoying, and Sean was weak… and felt like a stage-five Vira clinger for ½ the book. Sadly, I thought they were more compatible.
Random- I did some research because I thought it was teasing for Vira to get her own book with Mark/Sinner. I tracked his book down. Sinner His h is Sean’s sister and Vira is the OW in that book as well. Although I was happy that she didn’t get a HEA (I hold a mean grudge) I HATED that now both dudes have had sex with her. (hide spoiler)]...more
I haven’t read ARR for a while, but I was in the mood for something easy because my RL was my kicking my ass a bit. Her books are easy reads with alphI haven’t read ARR for a while, but I was in the mood for something easy because my RL was my kicking my ass a bit. Her books are easy reads with alphas that are devoted to their girls. They’re typically safe, almost always have some form of OW drama, are on the fluffier side with strong Kristen Ashley vibes.
The book opens with Miranda discovering her husband (Bowie) is having an affair. Soon after (but before confronting him) she runs into the OW (Naomie) at a police ball when she recognizes her from the sexting pics and her husband Tucker. Soon the two (Miranda & Tucker) find they have a connection, and the rest is their journey to HEA.
This author does a lot of insta-love, and their relationship moves fast, especially for two people going through divorces. It’s not super believable, but there’re a few things that make it easier to overlook. Neither marriage is described as a great one, neither mc is devastated by the betrayal of their spouse, and neither mc has been intimate with their spouse in some time… so there’s not the messiness of that… and made it more convincing of going from strangers to soulmates in weeks.
And if Naomie and Bowie’s plan is to tear us apart, all they are actually doing is adding mortar and stone to the solid foundation we are building our relationship on.
It sort of reminded me of Kristen Ashley’s Complicated with the fast-moving relationship between a hairdresser and cop with a side murder mystery, but I also saw another reviewer compare it to KA’s Ride Steady… either way the KA force is strong with this author.
Bottom Line- This fits her formula and ARR fans should be pleased. It’s an easy read with some drama provided by their exes, but nothing heavy. I found the murder mystery part a bit distracting, but it didn’t take up a ton of page time. The H is the brother of Willow’s (Until Her/Him) husband. He has other brothers, so I’m wondering if this might be a new spinoff. She might’ve been setting up a future romance between his single father brother and her BFF. There’s a short epilogue 6 months then 15 years later. ...more
2.5 Stars This has been in my TBR for many years. I’m sure I picked it up because of the crazy ex… and she’s absolutely nuts… but this is NA… and it sh2.5 Stars This has been in my TBR for many years. I’m sure I picked it up because of the crazy ex… and she’s absolutely nuts… but this is NA… and it shows.
The H (Bennett) meets the h (Lennox) when he has to go to the ER. For some reason, she hates him and acts completely unprofessional. The two run into each other when his 8-year-old daughter throws a french fry at a restaurant and gets ketchup on her pants. ...more
2.5 Sister double-dipping Stars I read this a couple weeks back, so this review isn’t the freshest. I really thought it would be a lot juicier based on2.5 Sister double-dipping Stars I read this a couple weeks back, so this review isn’t the freshest. I really thought it would be a lot juicier based on the setup/blurb, but it really wasn’t.
This is a sister-lovin scenario. Duke met Val (Valorie) in HS and fell in love. Her twin sister Mal (Mallory) was a goth/outcast that left town as soon as they graduated. The book opens with Val dying in a car accident and Mal returning home the following year for a job.
There were things I liked and didn’t… but none of it was very emotional which is the only reason I’d read the sister-seconds dynamic.
For starters, Val and Mal weren’t close… and she wasn’t interested in Duke… and she HATES her terrible family, so there was no pining, unrequited love, or family drama with these two hooking up. Hell, they don’t even live in the same town they grew up in and for some strange reason his friends didn’t know his gf of 11 years, so no one is even frowning over them having a relationship.
Duke is a bit of a jerk in the beginning, but he isn’t completely terrible. If you enjoy an asshole… you’ll probably be unimpressed. He doesn't villainize the twin but isn't really hung up on her either.
There’re also bits that don’t make sense… like how long it took her to finish law school and the fact that his cop partner bestie and other friends have clearly never met his long-term gf because they don’t recognize her identical twin. ...more
Didn't like where this was going... peeked at reviews mid-read and decided to pull the plug. I have a bad feeling about getting attached to these cDNF
Didn't like where this was going... peeked at reviews mid-read and decided to pull the plug. I have a bad feeling about getting attached to these characters. I also felt like I was being led/manipulated into certain "truths" that were often conflicting.
**I did scan the ending and am curious if he pops up again in a later book, but I'm too lazy to investigate. ...more
3.5 ⭐’s This showed up on a H still hung up on ex list, and I guess he is for like 7 pages… but this doesn’t generate unrequited love vibes if that’s w3.5 ⭐’s This showed up on a H still hung up on ex list, and I guess he is for like 7 pages… but this doesn’t generate unrequited love vibes if that’s what you’re looking for. Despite the book going in a different direction… I enjoyed this one… and liked it much better than At Peace. Merry might not be as kickass as Joe, but he was a better/more open partner, and Cher is WAY smarter than Violet which made all the difference for me.
It reminded me a lot of Complicated. (view spoiler)[ Cop that starts hung up on his spoiled, bitchy ex-wife that switches gears almost immediately after hooking up with the h. Even the big “you humiliated me by sleeping with the town bimbo” confrontation with the ex was almost identical including the shoving. (hide spoiler)]
At first, I wasn’t digging Cher. I felt like the “I’m a cool mom” shtick was overplayed… and a bit annoying, but she eventually mellowed out and morphed from being his friend to his mother.
Bottom Line- KA books remind me of pregnancy… They start out great/exciting. I’m hooked and remember why I keep coming back… but then the wordy fluff filler sets in, and I get bored and swear this is the last time I’m reading one… but the endings are usually great, so you end on a high note and forget all the irritating shit you just plowed through… until the next book. I’m torn… I loved parts but was super impatient for large chunks. I’m rounding up but could be a smidge biased because it gave me major Complicated vibes… and I sort of imprinted on that book years ago. (reread it a couple of times a year- it just stuck) I was disappointed with the epilogue… it was an hour long (was listening to the audiobook) so she had plenty of page-time, but I didn’t feel like she gave us much info. We sat around for some family events, but I wanted more… especially from this couple. ...more
2.5-3ish drama-lite Stars I went into this with mixed feelings. The setup has all the ingredients to be angsty AF…BUT… I didn’t want to get my hopes up2.5-3ish drama-lite Stars I went into this with mixed feelings. The setup has all the ingredients to be angsty AF…BUT… I didn’t want to get my hopes up because this is my third book in this series, and the author has a tendency to extinguish any angsty flames and hop on down the fluffy bunny trail.
Noah and Alena have been around since the first book. He is a cop that had his heart broken a few years earlier when his fiancée left him for greener pastures in the big city. She is Amber’s cousin that gave up a life of luxury in Chicago for the simpler life in the sticks.
The book opens with these two FINALLY making a move towards each other only to have their first date derailed by his ex, Stacey, coming to town with a secret. YUM! Unfortunately, it just didn’t shake out into a delicious smorgasbord of angsty goodness.
Bottom Line- Much the same as the first two, except I felt like Noah “messed up” more … but… it didn’t matter because (like the other h’s) nothing really bothers her, and any potential conflicts are quickly dispatched. Pfft. This would be great for readers that hate drama, but for someone like me looking for feels… it’s SO FRUSTRATING when the author throws up NUMEROUS potential conflict/argument material only for it to be resolved immediately… at least let her drive off in a huff and avoid him for 12 hours. Nope, every time she immediately lets him off the hook. It looks like the series continues with Ryan’s daughter and the abused stray they picked up (Trinity) but I’m calling it. There’s an epilogue 4 years later where we get POV/updates from each of the three couples. ...more
DNF @ 50% I’ve read a few books from this author, and I know they are often quirky/lighter reads, but this was just too silly/immature for me. I read iDNF @ 50% I’ve read a few books from this author, and I know they are often quirky/lighter reads, but this was just too silly/immature for me. I read it because I heard the H has a crazy-ex (my catnip) and she is crazy…. but I prefer more grown up crazy.
“A-cup Ashley and I go way back,” she says in a snide tone.
When I answer the phone at the precinct and Rita is on the other end, she’s extremely inappropriate. Today, she told me my voice sounds fat. Yesterday, she said my ass is too big to wear jeans. Last Wednesday, she spent ten seconds mooing.
On top of that they’re all being harassed by this yahoo and act like there’s nothing they can do when he’s the CHIEF OF POLICE!!
“I take her calls, because I don’t know what the fuck else to do. If you paid any attention, you’d notice that when I talk to her, I hang up in under thirty seconds— and normally, it’s more like five to ten seconds. She’s a fucking nut, a liar, and a goddamn nightmare, full stop.
Bottom Line- Not a good fit for me. It felt juvenile and had a slower pace with loads of secondary character filler. ...more
I finally got around to reading this, and I have mixed feelings. I adored certain parts (Rule becoming a father) and didn’t love so2.5 Woe is Me Stars
I finally got around to reading this, and I have mixed feelings. I adored certain parts (Rule becoming a father) and didn’t love some parts. (the missing epilogue and the mc’s)
Ok, so going in I was a smidge apprehensive. I’m not a huge Royal fan, for starters she’s BFF with Saint who I loathe, and anyone that can be besties with that nutcase makes me hesitant. Also, she has that aggressive almost manly vibe thing going on, and in Pretendland I like my girls to be tough but not the aggressor. Unless I’m in the mood for that, and I wasn’t. This…
“She chose not to listen and I’m sick of turning her down.”
“I heard you finally let Royal catch you, but now that you’re on the hook…”
… sounds like she’s wearing him down… not super swoony.
Now, I’ve liked Asa. He’s Ayd’s super-sexy wayward brother that’s been turning his life around the last several books. What I didn’t like was his CONSTANT self-loathing. I’m not good enough. I’m not a good person. I was a terrible brother on and on he goes. Then we sit through almost all of the secondary characters giving him a pep talk. Everyone makes mistakes. Give yourself a break. on and on that goes. Add in Royal’s guilt over getting her partner injured, and that shit got old.
The rest of the plot is a lot of interactions with the previous mc's (sometimes just being a fly on the wall) filler which I needed. There's a "conflict" thrown at the end that I thought was pretty predictable. If I'm being honest, this felt more like a bridge-book for her Saints of Denver series than a conclusion of the series.
Bottom Line- Not the worst in the series, but a close second. TG for the secondary characters or this would’ve been a total bust. I LOVED Rule and Shaw becoming parents, and I LOVED Rome with all his fatherly advice. (he’s so much better than his wife at this) We don’t really get an epilogue which was a HUGE disappointment after investing six books, but we do get a couple paragraphs that has the majority of them getting married or having kids. I believe she did it this way since she’s doing a spinoff, but I’m not interested in that and would’ve liked seeing everyone several years down the road.
Rule took the naked baby and settled him in the crook of his arm with a sigh. “I suck at this.” Rome crossed his arms over his chest and leveled his brother a hard look. “No, you don’t. You need to cut yourself some slack. There is no guidebook on how to raise a kid right. It’s mostly trial and error.” The infant gurgled up at his dad and I could swear it was Ry trying to tell his dad everything was all right. Rule lifted one of his tattooed hands and used it to softly rub over the baby’s cap of dark hair.
“I feel like I don’t get a second chance if I screw shit up.” He sounded so torn up about it that it really spoke to how much this life and this little person meant to him.
“When we love someone there’s an endless amount of times we forgive them when they screw up. Shaw did it with you and with me.
“You’re gonna screw up, Rule, and so is he. You’ll both just forgive each other, keep on loving one another, and move on.” The baby let out a yawn and blinked like he was agreeing with his uncle...more
This is a second-chance romance for Lila and Trevor. The book opens with Lila returning home for the first time in 6-years to settle her deceased fathThis is a second-chance romance for Lila and Trevor. The book opens with Lila returning home for the first time in 6-years to settle her deceased father’s estate. They were in an intense on again/off again relationship, but were headed for more stable ground. (argued/broke up a lot but really loved each other) I found this on a H married someone else list, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Safety- this is a “we were on a break” situation, H had a ONS during a two-month breakup that resulted in a pregnancy. The couple are already divorced and the ex is not in the book.
Bottom Line- The biggest issue with this book is there just isn’t enough page time to really explore the topic. (or wasn’t planned out effectively) It takes a bit to get going, is bogged down with flashbacks, then the relationship/reconnect is rushed… skipping over needed development. There’re plot holes and missing details/discussions that were needed to make this realistic. For example, SPOILER (view spoiler)[ the H was planning on going the Tom Brady/Gisele route, but the h took off, so he just married the OW…but why? If he had already made his decision/told OW parents, then why wouldn’t he chase down the h, send a letter, make a phone call. Having him being devastated, but then shrugging and marrying the OW didn’t make sense. (hide spoiler)] Not bad, just not very good. I like this (H marry OW) scenario (for potential angst) but prefer when the OW was evil and they were miserable. This is the lukewarm marriage with the breakup catalyst causing the divorce which kills my destined love vibes. I was left with questions and a HFN ending. ...more
This is a duplicate entry for the last book in the Rook and Ronin series. You can see my review HERE.This is a duplicate entry for the last book in the Rook and Ronin series. You can see my review HERE....more
This closes out the Rook and Ronin series, and sort of ties together the two “parts” of the series. (the original 3 couples to the Company storyline. This closes out the Rook and Ronin series, and sort of ties together the two “parts” of the series. (the original 3 couples to the Company storyline. I’ve enjoyed this series; it’s pretty unique when you look at how she tied together two very different genre/type/feels. We have the original books that were very realistic relationship based (Rook & Ronin/Ford & Ashleigh) then Spencer & Veronica’s book transitioned us to the final Company/action books. **I’ll add a link with info on all the books at the end.**
Spoilers from previous books
First, I want to admit I went into this a smidge bias, because after reading almost 300 pages of Merc worrying about Sasha the previous book… I’m a smidge annoyed at her. This was made worse because during the first hunk of the book Sasha is having a pity-party with stuff like… SPOILER Text (view spoiler)[
〰And no amount of money—not new mothers and fathers, not new friends and schools, or college degrees, or even the simple satisfaction that comes from my grad school research—can make up for it. None of that can fix the fact that I lost. My father is dead. Mother dead. Grandparents dead. Home gone.
Honestly, this pissed me off. We’d just finished Sydney’s book who is also an orphan, but where Sasha had adopted parents, private schools, siblings, family, fancy clothes, vacations, and mansions… Sydney got tortured, starved, brainwashed, wore a shock collar, and raped by a psychopath… yet, Sasha’s the one we should pity.
〰That’s exactly how I feel right now. Alone.
This comes after she literally just said she had three men (Ford, James, Merc) who would kill for her, and how overprotective her family is.
〰You do not picture Sasha Cherlin with a gun, a mastermind plan to take down a network of people who make grown men tremble, and the skills to actually carry it out. Granted, her partners—all other Company-trained assassins—helped. But without this one girl they wouldn’t have gotten very far.
Really? James did all the heavy lifting. Sasha carried out James’s plan by showing up with some bad dudes. And, OMG with the Sasha ass-kissing, she’s like the new Rook.
〰 by her adopted fathers, Ford and Merc-
〰as I waited for Merc to come find me (after she killed the dudes that killed her g-parents)… 〰My love for him took root when he picked me up on the hills outside my family ranch and took me in.
〰And then I met James. And we went and found Harper.
Again, what is up with all the new narratives?? And I quote, from James’s book (The Company) “So I called him to tell him my grandparents were dead and since Ford put him in charge of me because he got my dad killed on Christmas Eve, it was his job to help me out. And you wanna know what he said to me?” He said, “Suck it up, crybaby. I’m busy. If you can’t manage on your own, there’s a school for Company orphans up in Montana. I’ll let them know you’re coming.” James saved her, James raised her until he gave her to Ford. Also, James and Harper had already met/were together when he got the text to get her. I have zero idea where this new storyline of Merc being like her dad that started last book came from… it's annoying. She even states here that James is who she called after she was kidnapped, (last book) and he flew in specialists to fortify her house, brought her guns and ammo, and provided her with Kevlar clothing.
I can admit, I wasn’t in the best mind-space to give Sasha an unbiased shot, and I’m pms/grumpy, so I’m just leaving it at a 3. I really liked some parts, I found other parts slow, but I do give props for holding my interest despite not really liking either mc. Sasha isn’t bad, just different than she’s been, but has grown up, so it’s reasonable her personality would change. Jax was a little flat for me, and I don’t know how he tied into the Three, Two, One 321 world. I didn’t feel their chemistry. It happens earlier in the book, but their BAM “all in” relationship reminded me a lot of Merc’s with Sydney… (Poof 0-100 out of nowhere) We didn’t get near enough of Nick, but the action parts/twist were good. Basically, not a great romance for me, but I was hooked on the Company/Nick parts.
Bottom Line-This was just ok for me. I’m glad it’s over, and am glad that Sasha got her HEA. I was really sad about certain parts of the finale, but I guess everyone can’t get a happy ending. There’s a great epilogue that gives us an update with each company mc, and a final epilogue (2-yrs later) with ALL the gang together.
Fair warning, I’m not in the mood for review writing, but have three of these bad boys to get through before I forget, so here goes… Merciless is FBI Fair warning, I’m not in the mood for review writing, but have three of these bad boys to get through before I forget, so here goes… Merciless is FBI agent, Jon Blackhawk and his assistant Joceline’s book. The majority of the plot is dedicated to settling the mystery introduced in his ½ bro’s (FBI agent Kilraven) book, Dangerous. (Tracking down the murderer of his wife and child) A few parts of the mystery were a bit interesting, but the majority is a snoozefest. I got through with pro-level skimming.
DP has a formula that works, but this one’s missing ingredients. ❌...more
Loading...
