Review: Fall Into Him by Evelyn Harper (Fall Into Him #1)

Publisher - Self Published
Publication Date - 25th August 2013
Ebook - 84 pages
Genre - New Adult Romance

Source - Free download from Amazon

Rating - 2 out of 5: It was okay.

Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - When Jennifer looks in the mirror, she can barely recognize herself. An abusive relationship transformed a woman with a promising future into a broken soul. For the past three years she has tried desperately to forget her pain, but her wounds still haunt her. She has learned to never give her heart away.

Now, as Jennifer struggles to piece her life back together, she meets one man who could change everything.

Philip Haas is a self-made man who always gets what he wants. He's the epitome of wealth, power, and sex. Despite his incredible wealth and seductive personality, his life has not been as easy as it appears.

When they share a night of passion, more questions than answers arise. Does Philip truly care for her, or is he just using her body?

Just when it seems like the answers are in sight, Philip's past resurfaces to threaten their relationship. Will he overcome his past for Jennifer or will it tear them apart?

My Thoughts - I admit, I downloaded this book because of the absolutely beautiful cover. The fact that it was also free at the time was a huge bonus, although I believe that offer has now ended on Amazon. But I am actually very glad that I didn't have to pay for it as it turned out to be rather disappointing.

Jennifer seems nice enough, but she lacks a lot of spine. I realise that some of this will be due to her previous abusive relationship, but I still found her quite frustrating as a character. The way she rolls over and does everything Philip asks is honestly quite frightening. He is literally a stranger to her, yet she does exactly as he asks with no questions. Also, the abusive ex boyfriend makes an appearance, shows her with his actions that he clearly hasn't changed one little bit, but during a conversation with her pleads that he is a changed man and she is instantly fantasising about a happy ever after with him. I think she just lacks common sense and any kind of instinct for self-preservation.

As for Philip, at first i found him confident, sexy, alluring. I could certainly understand how Jennifer could end up falling for his charms for a one-night stand. But unfortunately  he can be very cold and distant and my initial attraction to him as a character soon disappeared. This novella is all from Jennifer's point of view so the reader doesn't really get to learn anything about Philip, as he never actually reveals anything about himself to Jennifer. Don't get me wrong, i find a little bit of mystery as intriguing as the next girl, but there's a big difference between a little bit of mystery and knowing absolutely nothing about the other person. It meant that I didn't really get to like him and he felt very one-dimensional.

The plot works well and kept my interest, but there was one major downfall... the very abrupt ending. There was no kind of conclusion, no sense of an ending. It just stopped. I realise that this is the first in a trilogy but it should still be treated as a novella in it's own right with a beginning, a middle and an end. I have read two self-published novellas in a row now after not having read any self-published work for a few years and I had the same problem with the previous one. Is this a new trend in the self-publishing world? If so, I'm not sure it's one that I like at all.

Summary - A rather disappointing start to a series with characters that I had a hard time connecting with and an ending that seriously spoiled my enjoyment of the plot. In all honesty I'm not sure I will be reading any more of this series.

Other books in this series:
1. Fall Into Him
2. Fall Into Her
3. Fall Into Forever

Review: French Kiss by Sarra Manning (Diary of a Crush #1)

Publisher - Atom
Publication Date - 30th May 2013
Paperback - 240 pages
Genre - Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 3 out of 5: I liked it

Reviewed by - Amy

Book Info - New town, new college, new people, Edie's feeling overwhelmed. What if nobody wants to be her friend? But then something happens that turns her life upside down: Edie spots Dylan. Messy-haired, pouty, frustratingly elusive Dylan...

Fast forward to the college trip to Paris and things are really heating up. In between the shopping, the clubbing, the kissing and the making up, something happens between Edie and Dylan that changes both their lives for ever.

But do boys like Dylan ever play for keeps?

My Thoughts - I didn’t particularly enjoy Diary Of A Crush, it was definitely not the best romance. It was acceptable but the main characters don’t seem to even know each other that well yet seem to find themselves attracted to each other (when they aren’t in complete and utter moods). Dylan was mainly a jerk, well... he was most of the time! He’d have a moment when he’d take Edie’s coat or defend her but most of the time he really wasn’t boyfriend material.

I didn’t like how at one point Edie refers to her ‘kick-ass facilities’. She wasn’t particularly kick-ass... She wasn’t lame but she was endearing and it’s really hard to imagine her actually be venomous, she’s got a bit off an evil-glare but if I’m honest that seems to come pretty naturally at puberty... She was definitely a hilarious character, as she said: ‘fluffy little baby bunny rabbits are more intimidating than me’. That was just so funny... in fact, it might describe the whole book. (see summary) Just read the first page, I mean it’s got that little fact file that’s all like ‘name, age, lives, height, weight, hair, eyes, favourites...’ I totally rolled my eyes- I remember when I used to read books that were in diary format & had that! The protagonists weren’t 16 though... But Edie’s sweet sixteen & (seldom) kissed... Once again though we find a girl who just doesn’t seem to be deserving of being part a love triangle- there was not a lot that made her stand out. She’s just moody, a catastrophe of embarrassment and seriously inconsiderate. The thing I like is she didn’t change for other people... I appreciated the beautiful quote: “I was ‘up myself’ and ‘weird’. Better than being a bunch of cookie-cutter deadheads”... It’s pretty self-explanatory really, isn’t it?

I probably wouldn’t be her friend, she feeds off Drama and has a muddled personality... It’s hard not to pity her though and get some giggles from her...

Summary - It’s a bit fluffy, rather cute, not intimidating... If you’re looking for an easy read this might be it!

Other books in the series:
1. French Kiss
2. Kiss and Make Up
3. Sealed With a Kiss

Review: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones #2)

Publisher - Picador
Publication Date - 15th June 2000
Paperback - 432 pages
Genre - Contemporary Romance/Chick-Lit

Source - Library

Rating - 3 out of 5: I liked it

Reviewed by - Amy

Book Info -The Wilderness Years are over! But not for long. At the end of Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget hiccuped off into the sunset with man-of-her-dreams Mark Darcy. Now, in The Edge of Reason, she discovers what it is like when you have the man of your dreams actually in your flat and he hasn't done the washing-up, not just the whole of this week, but ever.

Lurching through a morass of self-help-book theories and mad advice from Jude and Shazzer, struggling with a boyfriend-stealing ex-friend with thighs like a baby giraffe, an 8ft hole in the living-room wall, a mother obsessed with boiled-egg peelers, and a builder obsessed with large reservoir fish, Bridget embarks on a spiritual epiphany, which takes her from the cappuccino queues of Notting Hill to the palm- and magic-mushroom-kissed shores of ...

Bridget is back. V.g.

My Thoughts - "Self-help books scheduled for dustbin: 47"

Unlikely events included to help plot stretch out over book: 47 (probably)

OK, that seemed harsh but part of this book that can't be ignored is Bridge's ability to be in situations that are humorous because they are unprecedented! She surely wasn’t, to me, as loveable before- it would've been better if I felt I didn't need to read this to get character development.

There must be another reason I downloaded this to my kindle and read it with haste… I needed that funny, very British book. The culture may seem stereotypical but it's pulled off (not that she drinks tea everyday, but her breath would stink- cigarettes), that makes me love her more. She may be older than me, but she's the age of some of my cousins so it is like she could be my cousin! This book was perfection for a Brit-fic addict like me, well... It's only THREE STAR but not for lack of British attitude (either on holidays or thinking that good circumstances will come).

Simple, commendable easy reading (yes teens, you may be divided by over a decade, and calorie consumption frankly, but ambitions are for everyone). You'll love the wedding speech; I swear Bridget's commentary there was the only thing to make me LOL!

Bridget honestly showed at some points independence- and not just the singleton kind. I think this is why she started to be more interesting! It was good that a 30-year old was able to find her own feet, well... at points she thought it was her who must've sorted out X, Y or Z dilemma... Wait, she’s 30? Yes, I did know but at some points I forgot. I was thinking, “Aww- she counts her calories & has about triple what so&so considers a lot...” That’s why it’s easy reading, it’s supposed to be comic & Bridget is far from a serious character.

You all know this, don’t you? Good. Then pick up Bridget Jones: Edge Of Reason. She goes through trials & tribulations... Do you think she’ll become a stronger, better woman because of it?

Summary - In the synopsis it says “Bridget Jones is back. V.g.”

In conclusion, it is. There isn’t much more to say about this book... You want a book with deep meaning? This isn’t for you. It’s slightly deeper than the first in my opinion, there are conflicts & “other women” (by which we don’t mean Bridge’s girlfriends, sincerely wish we did) but overall the book is just about a woman making her way in the world (and realizing that rapists probably wouldn’t think she’s worth it but certain Thai people may). Asking why does Bridget have to travel to have a massive self-discovering or epiphany is like asking about what typical brits are like on holiday... Isn’t it obvious?

You need to read this, ha!

Other books in the series:
1. Bridget Jones's Diary
2. The Edge of Reason
3. Mad About the Boy (October 2013)

Review: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

 

This is the first review by new Once Upon a Series blogger, Maddie. So please give her a nice warm welcome.

 

Publisher - Headline
Publication Date - 4th April 2013
Hardback - 404 pages
Genre - YA Contemporary Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it

Reviewed by - Maddie

 

Book Info - Through a series of funny and poignant messages, Graham and Ellie make a true connection, sharing intimate details about their lives, hopes and fears. But they don't tell each other everything; Graham doesn't know the major secret hidden in Ellie's family tree, and Ellie is innocently unaware that Graham is actually a world-famous teen actor living in Los Angeles.

When the location for the shoot of Graham's new film falls through, he sees an opportunity to take their relationship from online to in-person, managing to get the production relocated to picturesque Henley, Maine, where Ellie lives. But can a star as famous as Graham have a real relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie's mom want her to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

My Thoughts - With the state of teenage romance (vampires, werewolves, ghosts, aliens and fairy tales are all nearly ruined for me by the genre called 'dark romance') I tend to stay away from love stories but I am so glad I read This Is What Happy Looks Like, even if it wasn't quite perfect.

This book begins with an adorable email exchange between Ellie and the mysterious GDL824@yahoo.com. I say mysterious.... but you can guess in three seconds who he's meant to be. Well I could, but my friends instantly assumed he must be a creepy internet stalker. Ah the modern age. 

These emails were quick and sparky and kept the novel moving at a fast pace. I was a little sad sometimes when the writing went back to a normal format because the emails were so entertaining. I'm not a very soppy person but the emails where they talk about 'What happy looks like' (I love this title!) were so... cute? I'm really not one those people to call a book 'cute' but it's the right way to describe this book.

The subtler sides of Ellie's character were revealed in these emails. Compared to the normal chapters where she was just a nice, normal girl the emails let me finally start caring for her by showing me how funny and clever she could be. 

It was even harder for me to care or understand Ellie's best friend Quinn. She deserts Ellie for most of the novel because Ellie kept a secret from her. A secret. One secret! Well, it was actually two kind of massive secrets, but still! It was really selfish and strange, especially as Quinn was supposed to be such a friendly person and her leaving Ellie to deal with her own problems made no sense.

And then there is Graham. I don't care if he was a little too perfect to be a normal teenage boy, I thought he was great. He was a high school pupil who did good and loved his family. Even when he kept on telling us how hard it was to be a famous teen heartthrob, I could forgive him.

If this was all the book consisted of I would have enjoyed it but I would have not been impressed. Sorry, I'm fussy. If it wasn't for Ellie's relationship with her mother, her back story and how Jennifer E. Smith dealt with the Graham's new found fame.

Summary - This book talks about celebrity love, hidden pasts, what happy looks like and other ridiculously cheesy things yet, unlike normal romance stories, I love it. I was reading with fast pace page turning and a wide a grin on my face. Even though it is slightly ruined by such a cheesy ending I still would like to give this book four stars. Definitely a great summer read.

Review: Planning for Love by Christi Barth (Aisle Bound #1)

Publisher - Carina Press
Publication Date - 1st August 2012
Genre - Contemporary Romance

Source - Purchased

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it

Book Info - Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes and anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott request the pleasure of your company for their disaster of a courtship.

Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she's not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she's asked to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love, it doesn't matter that the show's videographer happens to be a recent—and heartbreaking—one-night stand.

Bennett Westcott admits he didn't handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile—and great body—through a camera lens every day? He can't be faulted for suggesting they have some no-strings fun.

The more time they spend together, the more Ben realizes Ivy isn't the wedding-crazed bridezilla he'd imagined. But if he doesn't trust himself to make a relationship last, how can he convince Ivy to give him another chance?

My Thoughts - I admit now that I absolutely love stories about wedding planners. Mainly because I loved planning my own wedding and thought for a while about how much I'd love to be a wedding planner myself. Well, that was until I realised just how stressful it must be to have the responsibility of another couple's big day on your shoulders and I decided against it. As soon as I started seeing reviews of Planning for Love on other blogs I knew I wanted to read it and I was very excited to start it. And for the most part, Planning for Love totally lived up to my expectations.

It is a very sweet contemporary romance that will have you falling head over heels in love with the main characters, Ivy and Ben. They are a couple who, on paper, just should not work. A woman who is obsessed with romance and who always seems to be wearing her rose-tinted glasses, with a man so pessimistic he will make you want to tear your hair out at times. But when they get together the chemistry sizzles, sparks fly and it feels so right. My only complaint about the main characters would be that Ivy comes across as slightly manipulative when she hatches a plan to get Ben to fall in love with her, although not to such an extent that it made me dislike her.

The book comes with a great cast of supporting characters and I am very much looking forward to reading the other books in the series to read about their happy ever afters. I am especially looking forward to reading Daphne's story, Ivy's best friend and roommate, as she was probably my favourite character in this book.

The storyline was an enjoyable one and, although it was fairly predictable at some points, the author did bring out a pretty good twist in the tale near the end that I wasn't expecting. After this, Ben does act in a way that makes him pretty difficult to like (although I won't say anymore than that to avoid spoilers) but this does give him an opportunity to grovel as though his life depends on it. And that's something I always enjoy reading :)

Summary - A cute and fun read that will leave you wanting more. I really enjoyed Planning For Love and I'm looking forward to reading more from the series as they are released.

Review: Slow Ride by Lorelei James (Rough Riders #9.5)

Publisher - Samhain Publishing
Publication Date - 9th November 2010
Genre - Erotic Romance

Source - Free download from Amazon

Rating - 2 out of 5: It was ok

Book Info - Keely McKay Donohue is enduring the longest wedding reception of her life: her own. The only saving grace is that Jack Donohue is finally hers. Usually her hunky man gives her everything she wants, so why is her groom denying her the one thing she wants right now?

Jack thought his secretive wait-for-the-honeymoon plan was romantic, until he realizes he’s only put Keely in a fighting mood. If he wants to get back on his temperamental bride’s good side, he’d better find a way to sweep his cowgirl off her boots…fast.

Review - This is only going to be a quick review as Slow Ride is a very short read. I saw that this was available as a free download from Amazon and as I had heard a lot of good things about Lorelei James I decided to give it a try. It was an enjoyable read but as it was number 9.5 in the series there are a lot of people mentioned who I assume I would have heard of if I'd read the previous books in the series. They didn't really have much bearing on the story so it's not as if you need to have read the others first, but it does disturb the flow of reading whenever yet another name is mentioned as you end up wondering who that person is rather than concentrating on the story.

Slow Ride starts at Keely and Jack's wedding reception, where Keely is trying her best to get him to, ahem, consumate the marriage then and there. But Jack has a plan to wait until the honeymoon as he wants to start off their married life in a romantic way rather than with a quickie at the reception venue. Unfortunately for both of them, the honeymoon destination is a day's worth of travel away. What ensues is Keely taking every opportunity that she can to seduce Jack. The author manages to build up the sexual tension really well between the two of them and it was a perfect escalation to that moment where Jack takes Keely for the first time as husband and wife.

But the main problem I had with Slow Ride was that it stops before that happens. Just as Jack and Keely are about to finally get it on, after all that teasing and seducing, building up all that tension, the story just stops and the reader is left hanging. It just felt like a little bit of a let down.

Summary - A quick and sexy read that does a great job of building up the sexual tension for the big moment. However, it would have been much better if the reader got to read about that moment rather than being left hanging.

Review: Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot

Publisher - Sapphire Star Publishing
Publication Date - 3rd May 2012
Genre - Contemporary Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 3 out of 5: I liked it

Book Info - Is going back Robyn’s only way forward?

American-born Robyn Matthers is going home. With her dad in hospital, his roadhouse in ruins and the ice hockey team slipping down the league, she needs to take charge. But does she have the strength to do it?

Cole Ryan is a hockey player on a personal mission. He’s tall, dark, hot and Robyn’s noticed! But can she trust her feelings - or his? And what will Cole do when he finds out the truth about her?

With an ill father, a trailer trash step-mom and ex-boyfriend Brad desperate for another chance, does Robyn have time to contemplate a relationship? Can she start again? Does she really want to? And can two people really fall in love in three days?

My Thoughts - After seeing a lot of hype about this book on Twitter around its publication date I was very much looking forward to reading Taking Charge, although it did take me a little while to finally get around to picking it up.  And, overall, it was an enjoyable read.

I really liked Robyn.  She has come back to America after nine years of living in England to take charge of her father's businesses whilst he is unwell.  And take charge she does.  Robyn knows exactly what she wants to do and heaven help anybody who tries to stand in her way.  I just loved this side of her personality, although at times she can come across as a bit too bossy.  But everybody still loves her anyway.  She is an incredibly likeable and relateable heroine who is so well fleshed out that she almost seems like a best friend to the reader.  Her little quirks are what really bring her to life - the fact that she loves to sing all the time but can't carry a tune to save her life, the way she seems to survive on eating nothing other than chips and dip, her obsessive love for monster trucks.  I could go on but it would probably be best if you read the book yourself to find out the rest.

In comparison to Robyn, Cole seems almost two-dimensional.  A large majority of the book is spent focused on Robyn and so by the end of it, although I found out Cole's back story, I still didn't really feel as though I knew him.  Most chapters were written mostly from Robyn's point of view, with only a short paragraph or two at the end from poor old Cole.  And quite a few of his moments of 'air-time' were dedicated to Robyn - what she was doing at that time, how she made him feel - and I would have liked to get to know Cole a lot better.  There was definitely an imbalance between the hero and heroine in respect to telling their stories.

I enjoyed the storyline and found there were a few good twists along the way that came as a surprise.  There is a very emotional storyline that revolves around the fact that Robyn was raped as a teenager and that the boy who got convicted of the crime had always defended his innocence.  I felt that it was handled in a very sensitive way and it really pulled me into the book.  However, I think it was made far too obvious from very early on who was behind the attack and this did spoil it for me slightly.

There is a cast of great supporting characters - friends, family, the ice hockey team - and I really enjoyed getting to know all of them.  I would love to visit Portage, Michigan again to find out the story of some of these secondary characters.  However, as far as I know, this is a stand-alone novel.

Summary - An enjoyable contemporary romance with characters you can't help but fall in love with.

Review: Adorkable by Sarra Manning

Publisher - Atom
Publication Date - 24th May 2012
Paperback - 400 pages
Genre - Young Adult/Contemporary Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 2 out of 5: It was ok.

Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - Welcome to the dorkside. It's going to be a bumpy ride...

Jeane Smith's a blogger, a dreamer, a dare-to-dreamer, a jumble sale queen, CEO of her own lifestyle brand and has half a million followers on Twitter.

Michael Lee's a star of school stage and playing field. A golden boy in a Jack Wills hoodie.

They have nothing in common but a pair of cheating exes. So why can't they stop snogging?

My Thoughts - I was really looking forward to reading this book - I mean, as a blogger myself, what could be more interesting to read about than a teen blogging sensation? But, I ended up having some really mixed feelings about this one. It's not that I hated the book, but I didn't like it much either. If I had to describe my feelings about Ardorkable I would probably use the word 'neutral'.

This story is told from alternating points of view of the two main characters - Jeane and Micheal. I enjoyed the way the story was laid out and it helped to show just what polar opposites these two characters are. The reader often gets each character's thoughts on the same event and at times it was laugh-out-loud funny that they perceived the event in such different ways. These characters really are chalk and cheese. What I did find slightly strange is how when Michael and Jeane are thinking about each other, they use the other character's full name all the time. Not once does Jeane think of Michael as, well, Michael. It is always Michael Lee. I don't know why but this just bugged me a bit whilst reading this book.

Unfortunately, for a large portion of the book, I found Jeane to be pretty unlikeable. She is proud of the fact that she is a dork, this being the reason that she started her blog called Adorkable. But she is so judgemental of everybody around her and thinks that she is so much better than everybody else at her school. She is very prickly towards others and isn't afraid to speak her mind, even if she knows that it will hurt somebody's feelings. But, as Michael, and therefore the reader, get closer to Jeane, it is obvious that this prickly and judgemental demeanour is a protective barrier. At the heart of the matter, Jeane is a lonely girl who just wants to be loved and she becomes a much more mellow and likeable character as she lets Michael into her life.

Michael is an ok character. As with the book as a whole, my feelings towards Michael are pretty neutral. He trys very hard to keep everybody happy but he comes across to the reader as quite bland. The one thing that I did really like about him was the way that he is able to stand up to Jeane, despite the fact that she is a force to be reckoned with. He doesn't change a single thing about the way he dresses or acts, even though he knows that these things go against everything that Jeane stands for.

The storyline in itself wasn't particularly interesting and, for large portions of the book, nothing much really happens other than Jeane and Michael sneaking around behind their friends backs and kissing. Oh, and bickering, a lot! Although I will admit to loving the bickering between the two of them - this in particular was a lot of fun to read. But, and this is a big but, as the story nears its end, Jeane and Michael grow as characters and do a lot of soul searching and I loved the way the story ended. The author even managed to squeeze a tear or two out of me at the end!

Summary - A book that has a lot of potential but it doesn't fully deliver. There are some fun moments that had me laughing out loud but overall it was a pretty average book.

Other reviews of this book:
Fluttering Butterflies / Jess Hearts Books / Missy's Reads and Reviews

This book counts towards the following challenges:
Book #36  for 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Review: Young Love Murder by April Brookshire

Publisher - Self-published by author
Publication Date - 24th August 2011
Genre - Young Adult/Comtemporary Romance

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it.

Reviewed by - Ally (Codename: Book Reviewer)

Book Info - First love's a killer, but so is seventeen-year-old Annabelle Blanc. The teenager was raised to be an assassin and taught to never fall in love. She lives for the job until she meets Gabriel Sanchez, the son of her latest target. 

Wealthy, spoiled and self-indulgent, Gabriel Sanchez is a teenage playboy. Setting his sights on the beautiful Annabelle, he's drawn to the mysterious new girl who's playing hard to get. Gabriel also finds himself drawn into a world of deception, violence and murder.

Off-centered for the first time in her life, Annabelle struggles to fight her doomed attraction for the handsome Gabriel.

In this gritty, mature YA novel, you'll follow Annabelle and Gabriel in an intense, funny, angry, crazy, rocky and passionate romance. As two worlds collide and they're repeatedly thrown together and pulled apart by fate, will Annabelle and Gabriel overcome betrayals, revenge and heartbreak to find a lasting love?

My Thoughts - So you guys don’t know this, but one day I'm going to be recruited by the CIA, I’m going to become a part of MI5 and be on the FBI’s most awesome list, you uh huh, that’ll be me. But shhh! I’m not supposed to tell anyone. Psst “Did you get your letter in the Mail?"

Anabelle: Hero? Maybe so. Killer? Definitely

Gabriel: “I’m still a player, but I’ll just be playing with one girl from now on"

She’s playing with her heart and He’s playing with his father’s life. When 17 year old Anna gets to play teenager for her next mission, she never knew she’d fall for a teenager. With Simon depending on her and her older brother there to tease her every move this assassin has a lot of people she WANTS to kill and so few she can.

The book follows Anna and Gabriel’s young love and you guessed it murder. Fighting and shooting betraying the one you love most and well everyone else’s drama, this book will take you on a rollercoaster.

At times psychotic others cute and fluffy and sometimes just funny, this little gem will kill you, ok Anna and eventually Gabriel will kill you. Definitely for the older crowd this steamy romance was really good. Alternating between Gabe’s and Anna’s POV we get to hear their snarky comments and Lol monologues.

Anna I found at times whiney, ok once and it was totally understandable but still! She’s meant to be a lean mean killing machine not whining over a boy (another reason I wouldn’t be a great assassin). I loved her older brother he was funny and the sneak peek at the end of the book of his next book well can I say I’m down for that.

So time for my gripes…

This book was long, not long in a boring way but long in the why are you not 2 books kind of long, there were two different plots and the story shows a series of years, where they finally mature, or get more psychotic you be the judge. Although, while I’m saying this in my head when I was reading I was shouting “Hell yes two for the price of one!” I’m actually glad it was only one book; instead of dragging it on into a story no-one likes or wants to read with giant margins and a novella they call a book (house of night series anyone?)

Gripe 2- the characters were kind of flat, not in a bad way (how can it not be in a bad way you ask?). Well it’s clear a lot of research was put into the book for the killing methods and the overall book, they weren’t flat in the conventional sense but flat in the this book is awesome “why aren’t you awesome-ER?” Kind of way!

Summary -  A good book (or two) that was funny, killer and action packed. And it was about Assassins soo … I’m a little biased (another reason I wouldn’t be a good assassin).

Other reviews of this book:
Book Filled Blog / Book Whisperer / Nightly Reading

Review: Carter's Treasure by Amy Gregory (Racing to Love #1)

Publisher - Sapphire Star Publishing
Publication Date - 6th June 2012
Genre -  Contemporary Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it


Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - From the outside, Molly West had everything, beauty, brains, and a career she’d retired from not once, but twice. Being in the limelight and in a sport that was male driven, she was often surrounded men. She ignored first the boys, and as she got older, the men. Unfortunately, they were all the same, all after one thing, and she had absolutely no use for them. Her cold shoulder and patented not a chance in hell look were usually enough to get her point across. Occasionally, she had to resort to her sass—and her brother.

Molly had no plans in changing what was a perfectly good system. That is until she walked into the pits. When she stood toe-to-toe with the sex in jeans, she knew right then and there that the man her adoptive mother always told her was out there, was now standing right in front of her.

 

Carter Sterling had traveled the racing circuit since he was a boy. He’d heard all the old standbys, She’s out there somewhere, love comes along when you least expect it. Good things come to those that… Yeah, he’d heard them all. The last place he expected to meet the love of his life was on a pro track. All she did was smile, and he knew, looking into her sapphire blue eyes, Molly West was his. Forever.

 

If it was only that easy. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he had a gripping feeling in him. An overwhelming need to protect her. A girl he’d just met. Carter had learned a long time ago that gut feelings are almost never wrong.

 

Molly now held his heart in her hands, but it was going to take a lot more than just love to protect her from the past she thought she’d buried a long time ago.

My Thoughts - I have been looking for more contemporary romance authors to try so when Sapphire Star Publishing asked me to review Carter's Treasure for them I jumped at the chance. And I'm very glad that I did! It is such a sweet romance with characters that you can't help but fall in love with.

Molly has been into Motocross ever since she could walk and she is very successful in her career. She is the only girl in a very male oriented world but she wouldn't have it any other way. She is friendly but keeps the men around her at arms length - she's not even slightly interested in starting a relationship. It is obvious from the start that Molly has suffered some sort of pain in the past and that this is the source of her issues with men. I loved the way the author gave teasing hints about what had happened to Molly but didn't reveal it all until later in the book. The mystery surrounding her past gave the story a lot of momentum - I had to keep reading until I found out what had happened to her!

I absolutely loved Molly as a character. She is strong and funny, but is prone to panic attacks when she feels threatened by any man, adding a vulnerability to her that is adorable. And I loved watching her grow in confidence once she met Carter - how she learnt to trust him and to open up her heart to him. There are some very sweet and tender moments between them that had me sighing with contentment.

Carter is a great hero - he is strong, loyal, sexy and would do anything to keep his Molly safe. He falls head-over-heels for Molly as soon as he meets her and I loved the way he trusted his gut about his feelings instead of swinging backwards and forwards over it. This is one man who is not afraid to commit himself to a woman! My only complaint about him would be that not much is learnt about his past before he met Molly. There are some vague references to events from his past but I felt as though I didn't get to know him as well as I got to know Molly. It was almost as if his life didn't really start until Molly walked in - although I guess this could have been the point that the author was trying to get across. Although this didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book when reading it, it was just something that came to me when I was thinking about the book after I had finished it.

There is also a great cast of supporting characters - Carter's friend's Eli and Jesse (who are also getting their own stories in this series), Carter's brother Mike, Molly's brother Brody, and Molly's parents. They all had their own distinct personalities and I enjoyed getting to know them all. The only character I found it difficult to bond with was Brody. He is very protective of Molly because of everything she has been through in the past but at times I felt as though he took it way too far. But he does begin to lighten up a bit at the end and he became a lot more likeable then.

As well as a romance story, there is also a bit of suspense thrown in for good measure when Molly starts receiving threatening letters. It is obvious that whoever is sending these letters is following Molly and the race is on to find out who is sending the letters before she gets hurt. I really enjoyed this part of the storyline as the pace really picks up and it became impossible to put the book down.

Summary - Carter's Treasure is a fantastic start to a new series - full of loveable characters, a sweet but oh-so-sexy romance and heart-stopping suspense. I am glad to have found this new author and I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Jesse's Soul, which is due for release in January 2013 (athough can I just say at this point that I REALLY don't want to have to wait that long :P)

Review: Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt (Brenna Blixen #1)

Publisher - Self-published by author
Publication Date - 6th September 2011
Genre - Young Adult/Comtemporary Romance

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it.

Reviewed by - Ally


Book Info - What happens when you fall in love with the perfect guy...twice... in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she’s back in the States, she’s determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn’t know why he can’t get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake’s sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be more darker and more complex than Brenna’s willing to handle.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies... and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school’s rising punk band, keeping up her grades in both academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice. But how can she when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other’s?

My Thoughts - This book is intense, a strong dynamic between three teens. One girl and two boys, Oh no not another love triangle! You cry, I said it too when I started reading it. But when I read it I was screaming yes! This book was crazy, I loved each and every character and when I found out there was a sequel, well oh boys is all I have to say. But anyway I’m jumping ahead of myself.

Double clutch, made me laugh, cry scream in frustration and cuss, I cussed a lot, a looooooooooooot. Brenna is beautiful (and she doesn’t know it, cliché I know) has two amazing guys who are crazy about her and just… (Would it be rude if I stopped reviewing here, this book is amazing)

Ok, this book had a lot of intense emotions; I think it really got down what it is like to be a teen, especially faced with a dilemma like this. She didn’t always make the right choice, hell some people might argue she got it wrong as soon as she came on the scene. But wow, this book is pure romance and real life relationships, there are no aliens or zombies just pure YA, for me this is too intense to be classified as chick lit (it made me cry a lot and NOT happy tears). I never thought a book like this could exist it was like a cross between Sarra Mannings French kiss and Megan Mcafferty’s sloppy first series (I loved both of them).

The story was addictive, no matter how many times I threw my kindle across my bed (not the floor because it’s too hard) I couldn’t put it down, it had me holding my breath and aching to know what happened next. Brenna is a real person, 3 what she eats, wears, hates, everything was told and although I didn’t agree with her, many, many ,many times, she is strong willed, sensible and caring - add in boy obsessed and I think I’ve just described every teenage girl on the planet (at some stage).

I cant deny this was a good book, I really want to because it made me so angry, I wanted to hate it and I did, I was so obsessed with what was happening that I got lost in the story and I think that is the mark of truly great writing, I didn’t hate the book (I loved that) I just didn’t like what happened. I felt a part of the story like it was happening to me and it took me almost a month after reading this monstrosity to realise how much I loved it.

Summary - An addictive read that makes you feel like a teenage again, breath in twice (you’ll need it) because double clutch is fast paced and crazy intense. Jake and Saxon are oh so delicious and Brenna is just theirs for the taking.

Other books in this series:
1. Double Clutch
2. Junk Miles

Other reviews of this book:
Books, Biscuits and Tea / Readaraptor / Tabitha's Book Blog

Review: Always the Designer, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker (Tanglewood #3)

Publisher - Abingdon Press
Publication Date - 1st April 2012
Genre -  Contemporary Romance

Source - Received from NetGalley for review

Rating - 2.5 out of 5: I liked it


Reviewed by - Ally

Book Info - It’s taken Audrey Regan years to establish herself as a wedding dress designer, and to date she’s been roped into creating dresses for nine of her girlfriends. Request #10 follows her vow to “Just say no!” and comes from her very best friend. She can hardly turn Carly down!

Audrey arrives in Atlanta early to perform all of her maid-of-honor duties along with final fittings for a one-of-a-kind dress. But Carly’s wedding is nothing short of an event, complete with Prince Charming, and the festivities make Audrey question whether there’s a prince of her own anywhere in her future.

Enter the groom’s brother and best man. Shaggy-haired, tattooed bad boy J.R. Hunt couldn’t be any more different from Prince Charming if he rode in on a Harley Davidson. Oh, wait. He actually did ride in on a Harley!

My Thoughts - Always the Designer, Never the Bride keeps the laughter going and the tears rolling, funny, romantic and damn well crazy. This book introduced a litany of characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. The third in the series, though I read as a standalone, this book brings to life every girls dream.

The book is set at the The Tanglewood Inn, a wedding destination hotel in historic Roswell, Georgia. The book brings to life Audrey Regan crazy and sad adventure in the world of Haute couture and romance - a wedding dress designer - who finds herself at the Tanglewood Inn, designing a dress for her best friend, Carly.

As Audrey tries NOT to fall for Carly's soon-to-be brother-in-law, J.R. Hunt – the rugged, fun loving, never stay in one place - is the most unlikely candidate for a prince charming. Carly’s Manoeuvres and fate's crazy antics inevitably bring them together.

Always the Designer is a light, "make you laugh" book. You'll find yourself cheering on for the loveable cast at the inn. Although this book was cute I found it dragged on in some parts and I think it needed more editing, the writing was good but It could have been much shorter, I found myself skipping over paragraphs waiting for something to catch my interest. I found the ending to be bit fantastical everything wrapping up a bit too nicely.

This book could have passed-if edited more- as a light hearted romance and would have saved me 2 extra hours of “reading”. This for me outweighed the good in the book, though u do have to say a certain scene with a door and a sister and husband asking loudly “are they kissing, they aren’t talking” will forever hold me in tears.

A solid book (for those who need some time wasting) that sparks my interest for the rest of the series( if I need something to do).

Summary - A cute love story that lead with the classic “he can’t be…no, I can’t be…We can’t be doing this” Definitely a series to read If you’re looking for warm fuzzy romance, and light hearted read.

Other books in this series:
1. Always the Baker, Never the Bride
2. Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride
3. Always the Designer, Never the Bride

Other reviews of this book:
I'd So Rather Be Reading / The Readers Den

Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas (Friday Harbor #2)

Publisher - Piatkus
Publication Date - 1st March 2012
Paperback - 336 pages
Genre - Contemporary Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 5 out of 5: It was amazing!

Book Info - Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in beautiful, inspiring Friday Harbor, Washington. Creatively fulfilled and engaged to be married, she is content with her life, until she is stunned by the worst kind of betrayal: her fiance Kevin announces he's leaving Lucy to be with her younger sister.

Facing the disapproval of Lucy's parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, one of the owners of the Rainshadow vineyard, to 'romance' Lucy and help her get over her anger. But then Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love and things become complicated, especially when Kevin starts to have second thoughts. And as Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses, her world is shattered, and she is forced to question everything.

My Thoughts - I've never read any contemporary romance before but when a review copy of Rainshadow Road arrived through my door I instantly fell in love with the beautiful front cover and knew that I was going to give it a try. I'm so glad I did - I just loved this book and am very much looking forward to reading more from Lisa Kleypas.

I really liked the main characters, Lucy and Sam. Lucy has been hurt by her fiance and is reluctant to get into another relationship in case she gets hurt again. She shows a great deal of strength when she feels attracted to Sam but doesn't act on it - she isn't the kind of woman who feels as though she needs a man on her arm. I enjoyed reading the back story of Lucy and her younger sister, Alice, and I felt it added a lot of emotional depth to the story. It really helped me to understand Lucy more and, although I still don't like Alice, it did help me to understand why she acts the way she has and I even ended up feeling sympathy for her.

And I just loved Sam! He is a man who enjoys a woman's company but he definitely has commitment issues. Again, his back story gives a lot of insight into this behaviour and I really felt for him and his brothers as I learnt what their life was like when growing up. But what made my heart melt the most about him was his relationship with his niece, Holly. She is an orphan and Sam and his older brother Mark have become her guardians. There are some very heart-warming moments between Sam and Holly that just made me melt inside and fall in love with Sam even more.

The romance was very sweet but also had a lot of heat behind it. They have both experienced a lot of pain in their past and don't want to hurt each other but they just can't fight the attraction they feel for each other. And when they do finally give in to temptation there are some very hot and steamy moments.

Summary - A sweet and charming love story that is full of well-written, three-dimensional characters that you can't help but fall in love with. Whilst reading Rainshadow Road I became completely immersed in the story and even managed to finish it in less than a day (and with two boys under the age of five to run around after that is quite an accomplishment!). I predict that I will be reading more from this amazing author very soon.

Other books in this series:
1. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
2. Rainshadow Road
3. Dream Lake (August 2012)

Other reviews of this book:
Book Binge / Dear Author / Smexy Books

This book counts towards the following challenges:
Book #18 for 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Help! I need more romance in my life!

Over the last couple of years I have become a great fan of paranormal romance, but I have avoided the rest of the genre. I'm not entirely sure why, but they have never really appealled to me.

That all changed recently though. Imagine the scene - I have just finished up reading all the books I need to read for my recent Paranormal Romance Month and I am looking for something a little bit different. I start to browse my review book shelf and find Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas and My Ruthless Prince by Gaelen Foley, both of which have been sent to me by the lovely people over at Piatkus Books. One is contemporary romance and one is historical romance, and neither of them are books that I would normally pick up. But I decided to give them a try. And I ended up absolutely loving both of them! Especially Rainshadow Road, which I gave five stars to. Reviews will be up some time next week.

Now, here is the problem and I'm hoping you might be able to help. I really want to read more historical and contemporary romance and I have no idea where to start (apart from backlist titles from Lisa Kleypas and Gaelen Foley). Do you read these genres at all? Who would you recommend I start with?

Also, I am thinking I would like to read some more romantic suspense whilst I am at it. I have read a couple as I quite often read mysteries, but I am thinking that this is something else that I would like to explore some more. I have read a couple of books from Bella Andre's Hot Shots series about sexy firemen which I quite enjoyed, and a book from J.D. Robb's In Death series, although that was a long time ago and I'm not entirely sure now which one it was I read - I do remember that I enjoyed it though! So, are there any romantic suspense fans out there? Who are your favourite romantic suspense authors?

I look forward to reading your recommendations! I've got no idea where to start looking on my own :)