Category Archives: BOOK REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEWS, Modern Day Heroes- Contemporary Romance

BOOK REVIEW- Collide by Gail McHugh

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Collide (Collide, #1)Collide by Gail McHugh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

DNF- Emily is the ultimate weakling. I genuinely can’t think of any redeeming qualities that can make her a likable character. She’s intentionally naive at the risk of herself and her health. The supporting cast was also an ugly group of people. Trevor claims to be friends both Dillon (cheating bastard boyfriend) and Emily… yet does nothing to protect Emily from Dillion’s behavior. Ummmm helllo… anyone heard of STDs? She has the right to know her sexual partner is active with several others so she can make informed decisions about safe sex. Gavin is the hunk everyone is supposed to cheer on but I found him just as annoying. Why would he allow the woman he loves to be misused for so long? With his vast resources certainly he could have hired a private investigator to give Emily the proof she needs to dump Dillion once and for all. The nail in this book’s proverbial coffin was Gavin allowing holdover Gina to sleep at his house. WTF? Call a doorman to assist you with removing her from your property the instant she showed up!!! Also- he’s fought so hard to finally get Emily yet doesn’t bother to send her a warning text that evil Gina has popped up? Un-freaking-believable.

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BOOK REVIEWS, Modern Day Heroes- Contemporary Romance

BOOK REVIEW- 180 Seconds by Jessica Park

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180 Seconds180 Seconds by Jessica Park

TRUTH- Jessica Park wrote my favorite book of all time! “Flat Out Love” is hilarious, quirky and endearing. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve badgered into reading it. When I saw that Jessica wrote another book I was overjoyed! Best.News.Ever.

Allison is a junior in college. She grew up as a victim of the foster care system. After being shuffled from house to house she now has problems relating to people, interacting and in general being “normal” (or what she considers what normal behavior should be). She was adopted at 16 by Simon who is fabulous, fashionable, compassionate and just so happens to be homosexual. (Honestly- he sounds like your idea parent. Allows her space while still making her feel loved and supported.) Please know that I truly, truly tried to immerse myself in this book and it’s characters. I just could not relate to Allison and in fact grew to dislike her. She has a committed adoptive father, loyal best friend and the tools to make something going of herself. She’s at college getting great grades, frequently receives care packages from her loving father and I have to admit I’m disappointed that she wasn’t taking a more proactive approach to healing. Allison frequently grouses that she wished things were different yet remains isolated instead of pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Lord knows I love strong female characters who overcome their troubled past. Allison had all the ingredients to do exactly that. Instead she fell flat as a character (pun aimed at Jessica Park’s previous book). As a reader I found myself less and less interested Allison’s character and what would happen in the story. DNF

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BOOK REVIEWS, FCUK Yeah- Rocker Romance

BOOK REVIEW- Incidental Happenstance by Kim DeSalvo

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Incidental HappenstanceIncidental Happenstance by Kim DeSalvo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Solid romance novel. A tad slow in spots (especially conversations between Tia and her best friend- seriously they repeat themselves over and over) but all in all a solid read. Intimate scenes were glossed over and romanticized (for lack of a better term). At times I actually imagined the PG ways they described the sex scenes were how my mother or grandmother would have described it. Still worth the read

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BOOK REVIEWS, Modern Day Heroes- Contemporary Romance

BOOK REVIEW- Fall to Pieces by Chloe Walsh

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Fall To Pieces (Broken, #2)Fall To Pieces by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Damn! I nominate Lee as the new “girl power” spokesman! This character endures brutality -both mental and physical over & over again and yet she continues to recover with an inner strength and compassion that I admire.

Kyle continues to taunt me with his sexy looks yet he demonsstrates weakness and self doubt that’s super unattractive. Come on Kyle! Nut up hombre!

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BOOK REVIEWS, Modern Day Heroes- Contemporary Romance

BOOK REVIEW- Break My Fall by Chloe Walsh

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Break My Fall (Broken #1)Break My Fall by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Confession- I accidentally read the “Treacherous” series before starting this one so I *may* or may not know how this one wraps up. That being said- if I DIDN’T know the ending I’d kick Kyle’s ass. Seriously, home slice drove me bonkers in this story with his weakness for the evil Rachel. Nothing IMO is more attractive than confidence and strength. Kyle could and should have flexed his sexy alpha prowess and do a better job at containing Rachel’s malice. Aside from that- I loved the book. I already purchased the second book in the series and will dive in as soon as I hit “done” on this review.

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BOOK REVIEWS, You MUST workout- Athlete Romances

BOOK REVIEW- The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan

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The Hot Shot (Game On, #4)The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A la la la-lala!!!!! I’m doing a happy dance! This is one of my favorite series and I could not wait to get another glimpse into these athletes (and their ladies) lives!

Finn Mannus is quite simply perfection! Book boyfriend fantasy material for a lifetime! W-O-W! Athletic, strong, handsome, compassionate, family-oriented, funny and thoughtful. Hells-to-the-bells… YES! The author did a great job of allowing the reader to follow along as he evolves from sex panther (yes, please!) to a more mature mindset towards relationships and even friendship.

Chess is a talented photographer gaining notoriety until *something* happens to her apartment/studio and she has to move in with Finn. Side note: if I had a chance to move in with someone like Finn you have immediate permission to burn everything I own to the ground. And don’t bother replacing any of my articles of clothing. I won’t need it 😉 Getting back on track… after Chess loses her apartment I would have liked to read more of her ongoing struggle to handle her photography business without a studio. That was a huge impact to her career and I would have been interested if the book included at least one scene where she accommodated a previously booked client in a new space/location.

Loved this book, love the author and can not wait for her next literary gem!

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Bang-Bang Motorcycle Gang, BOOK REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEW- Wanting it All by Kati Wilde

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Wanting It All (Hellfire Riders MC, #1)Wanting It All by Kati Wilde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anyone that follows my reviews knows that I have a certain fondness for MC book series. After reading the book description I was eager to dive into Saxon and Jenny’s story. Now that I’ve finished the series I’m a tad wishy-washy in my rating. On one hand the steamy scenes were super.foxing.hot. (Warning- there’s a semi ménage scene in the second book. How can there be a “semi” manage scene you ask? Trust me, it works but I wanted to mention that in case some readers were put off by that type of thing.) and now for the downside of the book. The descriptions and verbiage used for some of the scenes seemed corny. Like the author was using too clever of analogies to set the stage for the reader. I assume most of her reading audience is over 18. “…Saxon tasting me, his tongue sweeping up between the lips of my cunt in long, broad strokes, as if my pussy is melting ice cream and he refuses to waste a single creamy drop.” Ummmmm, that sentence made me cringe. There were a few other times the author gave into her flowery overly-verbose descriptions for their intimacy. Jenny was the daughter of a MC president. She would be used to the culture and perhaps describe the sex scenes without using frozen dairy products as reference.

Last thoughts- I would have enjoyed a bit more angst. For two people who “could never be together” it actually went pretty smoothly for them. Maybe a few misunderstandings, jealous exs, conniving females, etc would have spiced up the story for me. All-in-all a solid 4 star rating.

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BOOK REVIEWS, Mobster Lobsters - Mafia Romance, Modern Day Heroes- Contemporary Romance

BOOK REVIEW- Thorn by Chloe Walsh

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Thorn (Carter Kids #2)Thorn by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m hooked on these characters and am eagerly churning through the pages to see what happens next!

Noah is hands-down the star of this book. His strength has always been described as it pertains to his physical features but his mental fortitude and dedication to Teagan is what makes the series work so well. Noah has definitely earned a spot on my “all time best book boyfriend” list. Totally lust worthy!

Teagan on the other hand deserves a roundhouse kick to the face. Kidding…but not really. Reunited in Ireland Noah goes waaaaay above and beyond to reconnect and repair their relationship. Obviously there needs to be some adversity to make for an interesting story but Teagan’s behavior seemed to drag at the point. Noah pours his heart out and makes it CRYSTAL FREAKING CLEAR his intentions. His friend Lucky even tells her that Noah spoke of her constantly over the past 7 years. Just when you finally come to understand that Teagan comprehends this she backtracks after he invites her to return to America with him. “Is that why you came back for me?” I whispered, stepping out of his arms, my blood turning to ice in my veins. Why you want me to go back to the states with you- out of duty?” It was at this point in the book I slapped my forehead in exasperation. Come on Teagan!!!! Open your eyes and ears! Grasp the magnitude of Noah’s commitment and move the story along! Aye aye aye! *concludes rant*

Nevertheless- loved the story. Highly recommend!

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BOOK REVIEWS, Mobster Lobsters - Mafia Romance, Modern Day Heroes- Contemporary Romance

BOOK REVIEW- Treacherous by Chloe Walsh

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Treacherous (Twisted Youth #1)Treacherous by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book popped up on a “best from hate to love” book lists. The ratings were high and the description intrigued me. First few pages in I realized the main character’s were teenagers which I hadn’t realized from the on-set. (Perhaps I should have realized when the description referred to a “guardian” but I must have missed that tidbit.) Usually I enjoy books with older characters as it’s easier to relate to- not to mention the adversity adult character’s encounter is usually more interesting IMO. I honestly considered passing it up for a different book but in soooo glad I gave it a shot.

Noah Messina is a bit of an anomaly. He’s incredibly beautiful with the body of a Greek god and yet he’s been neglected and abused (both mentally and physically) since he was born. Currently living with his step father and oddly incestuous step sister Ellie his main tactics for survival have been fine tuned to being jaded and aloof from all others.

Teagan Connelly is a transplant from Ireland due to her Uncle Max’s medical career. She’s blonde, svelte and a fire cracker of epic proportions. Seriously this girl is slightly psycho. She goes from 0 to physically attacking people in .02 seconds. Small spoiler alert…..

She slaps people way too much. Honestly if you decide to continue with the serious you might consider making a game out of it. Take a shot every time she physically hurts someone. Fair warning… you’ll get tipsy!

Anyhoo, it’s a good book with interesting characters. With 3 hot triplet boys next door and Hope (triplet’s gorgeous older sister) there’s plenty of potential for a long series.

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