Category: Series

A Court of Thorns and Roses Review

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1

Genre: Fantasy

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

I have to preface this review by stating that I took a very long time to pick up my copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). A friend had gifted me a copy so that I would have it for a buddy read, but I totally put it off. I honestly didn’t think that this series would be one that I would enjoy. I’ve slowly been reading more fantasy romance this year, but I definitely thought this was more suspense and not necessarily romance so I didn’t pick up my copy. But I was totally proven wrong! This was romance, it was suspense, it was a little bit of everything and I’m so glad I took a chance and picked up my copy. So if you’re even slightly thinking about reading ACOTAR – don’t hesitate! I hope you’ll love it as much as I did!!

Feyre has had a hard life. She’s the only one in her family willing to venture out in to the forest and provide food for her family so that they can survive. Her two sisters and father live with her, but times have been tough. They definitely aren’t living as extravagantly as they once used to.

Beyond the forrest are Fairies and magic that Feyre tries to stay away from. These creatures on the other side are evil monsters or so legends say. When Feyre shoots and kills a wolf who is magical – a beast comes from the shadows to take Feyre as retribution to the other side of the wall.

Feyre immediately hates the beast who is also known as Tamlin. But the more she gets to know him, the deeper she begins to fall for him and this magical place known as Spring Court.

I can’t really go into more detail without giving away the rest of the plot, but I was immediately enthralled with this world. I loved all of the details and places that Maas takes us through A Court of Thorns and Roses. I could totally see this being turned into a movie. It was part Hunger Games, part Game of Thrones and just it’s own beautiful world.

A Court of Thorns and Roses was the perfect blend of intrigue, fantasy, romance and suspense all intertwined with one another. I’ve already bought the next book in the series and can’t wait to read it!

Getaway Girl and Runaway Girl Reviews

~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

Getaway Girl & Runaway Girl by Tessa Bailey

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Series: Girl #1 & Girl #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

I’ve been in a reading slump these last few months. I haven’t had too many books where I pick them up and can’t stop reading them – even if the book ended up being a 5⭐️ book for me. I was doing a bookstagram stack challenge and had pulled out Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey and decided to pick it up. Why I didn’t pick up this book sooner I don’t know!!!! I started it one evening and read 75% in one sitting and the rest of the book the next day. And then of course I had to read the next book in the series and binged that one just as fast! If you’re looking for a smoking hot series with the sweetest alpha/cinnamon rolls and strong fierce heroines then pick up this series!

GETAWAY GIRL

Addison is back in Charleston. She left a few years ago and hasn’t been back. Her cousin is getting married though and Addison is bold enough to drop by the wedding – just to see the reaction from her estranged relatives.

Elijah is set to be the future mayor of Charleston. His father occupied the seat and now he is a natural shoo in. He’s planned the perfect wedding with his perfect fiancee. Only his fiancee stands him up at the alter. When he gets a chance to getaway from his failed nuptials Addison is in the car waiting to go.

What starts off as two people who hardly know each other turns in to so much more. I loved the easiness that Elijah and Addison have one another. They give each other shit, but also look out for one another. That kind of easy chemistry was evident from the moment these two met each other.

In typical Tessa Bailey fashion – she brought the heat and had the pages sizzling! The intimacy between Elijah and Addison was so real. I felt every push and pull of their relationship. They weren’t always perfect and didn’t always see eye to eye, but the love between them was so evident. Bailey sure does know how to write the sweetest heroes who are part alpha and part cinnamon roll and Elijah was all of those thing. I loved the sweet nicknames Elijah had for Addison and Addison’s obsession with Elijah’s butt was hilarious.

RUNAWAY GIRL

On the day of her wedding – literally minutes before she’s due to walk down the aisle – Naomi Clemons calls of her wedding. Her future husband – the mayor of Charleston – is the perfect man and on paper Naomi and Elijah are the perfect couple. But he doesn’t even know what kind of wine she likes to drink and they’re lacking that spark that Naomi craves. Naomi doesn’t want to go through the motions for the rest of her life and so she gets in her car and runs away.

Jason Bristow is on leave from the Special Forces. Circumstances have it that his sister Birdie who is a senior in high school is now in his care. Birdie and Jason have become distant over the years and they’re both grieving in their own ways over the loss of their sibling. An ad for a pageant coach leads Naomi to their door and immediately sparks fly between Jason and Naomi.

Grumpy meets sunshine is maybe one of my favorite tropes and Tessa Bailey does such a wonderful job with Jason and Naomi! I love how grumpy Jason is but equally how fierce and brave Naomi is. Naomi needs to prove to herself that she’s not just a former beauty queen and that she can stand on her own two feet without her parents money or help. Jason isn’t quite sure what to do with this gorgeous lady who is so far out of his league, but he decides to take a chance on her if she can help his sister with her quest to compete in a beauty pageant.

I loved the slow burn relationship between Jason and Naomi. Jason knows exactly when to back off and let Naomi make her own decisions. He never rushes her and is as patient with her as he can be. But being away with the Special Forces has built up a need in him to protect those close to him and Naomi is now in that inner circle. Their relationship was sweet, fun and so so sexy!

After reading Getaway Girl, I absolutely had to read more about Naomi and I’m so glad that I picked up Runaway Girl. Although this book can potentially be read a standalone I would recommend reading Getaway Girl first and then picking up Runaway Girl. I absolutely love this series so much and am so glad I read it!

Paradise Cove ARC Review

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Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Series: Matchmaker Bay #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: July 28, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

Jake is content in Moonflower Bay. He is surrounded by a wonderful community – and if they meddle sometimes he’s gotten used to it by now. A lot of the townsfolk don’t really consider him a big talker and he’s used to being solo. If you’ve read Mermaid Inn then you know that Jake’s past involves a lot of heartache, but is a bit of a mystery.

Doctor Nora Walsh needs a fresh start and Moonflower Bay seems like the perfect place. She has just ended a long term relationship and likes the vibe she gets from the quaint and charming small town. Nora and Jake’s paths soon cross and they develop a sweet friendship.

If you love a friends to lovers, slow burn then this is the perfect book for you! I loved how Nora and Jake’s friendship was always center to their relationship. They opened up to one another in ways that they hadn’t been able to do with other people in their life. They talked openly about grief, past relationships and life in general. And although grief was a big part of this book, so was healing. I felt so much for both Jake and Nora and their respective struggles with grief and how to overcome it. The way Jake and Nora always seemed to be there for one another was so sweet and I loved their relationship even more for that. But don’t let the sweet cover fool you! Once Nora and Jake move past the friendship stage they definitely know how to burn up the pages.

Moonflower Bay is so charming with it’s meddling old folks. I absolutely love the relationships that are formed in this small town community. The people here may come off as intrusive, but they sure do really care about one another.

If you’re looking for a sexy friends to lovers/slow burn romance then grab yourself a copy of Paradise Cove! I couldn’t put this book down once I started reading it and can’t wait to return to Moonflower Bay.

Bringing Down the Duke Review

~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Series: A League of Extraordinary Women #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

Annabelle Archer is tired, so very tired of taking care of her cousin’s household and his children. When she is given the opportunity to study at Oxford, she wishes nothing more than to have some independence. To study at Oxford Annabelle has accepted a scholarship, but she must support the woman’s suffrage movement and so she agrees.

Her first order is to recruit powerful men to champion on their behalf. This is how she quite literally runs into Sebastian the Duke of Montgomery. The Duke has quite the reputation. He is known to be cold, ruthless and the advisor to the Queen. When Annabelle – a commoner, bluestocking, and suffragist – shows up at his house he’s not quite sure what to make of her.

This is where Annabelle and Sebastian get to know one another. Stripped of their power – they are simply a man and a woman who are attracted to one another. But could they ever be together? Society has put limitations on how they must interact with each other – a nobleman could not and would not ever marry a commoner. And there is that other pressing matter that Annabelle is a suffragist and the Duke – well he surely cannot support that movement and be advisor to the Queen.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Sebastian and Annabelle. Right from the beginning you could tell that these two were so drawn to one another. For me, what I enjoyed the most about the relationship between Annabelle and Sebastian was how real it felt to me. There was no easy solution to their affair and feelings were going to be hurt. Annabelle is fighting for a cause and she doesn’t lose sight of it. Sebastian is conflicted – he wants to spend time with Annabelle and love her like she deserves, but what would society think if he were to do that? Already a divorcee – this would be another scandal that he would could not live down.

The friendship between the suffragists was so great! I loved when Hattie, Catriona, Lucie and Annabelle would be on the page together. These ladies were so much fun together and were truly each others friend. It didn’t matter to them that Annabelle was not a noble woman – they still wanted to get to know her and befriend her.

It is so important – today more than ever – to understand that women like Annabelle and other suffragists fought so hard for the rights of women. We matter, our voice matters. Years and years of oppression and still we are not considered equals in many situations. Bringing Down the Duke was such a wonderful and refreshing historical romance. I cannot wait to read more from Evie Dunmore.

4.5/5 stars.

Tools of Engagement ARC Review

~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Series: Hot & Hammered #3

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: September 22, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

Bethany Castle is always in her element. She is calm, collected and cool. After all, she is the interior decorator for her family’s business and that’s exactly what she does best. Put everyone else at ease and make them feel welcome. But what about her, who is going to be there for her when she doesn’t have the energy to always be “perfect”?

Wes Daniels, isn’t used to sticking around in one place for a long time. He’s used to jumping from one place or another; hence his career at being a bull rider. Life throws Wes a curve ball and he soon finds himself in Port Jefferson taking care of his five year old niece for the unforeseeable future.

I really enjoyed Fix Her Up (book #1 in the series), but Love Her or Lose Her (book #2 in the series) wasn’t one I connected with as much. Tools of Engagement might be my favorite of the series. I love a sweet (and dirty) talking, sexy cowboy and Wes was all of those things. The banter between Wes and Bethany was so perfect and the sexual tension was always simmering between these two. But more than that, I loved how Wes seemed to completely get Bethany. He pushed her when she needed it and backed off when she needed her space. He was affectionate and attentive and always so damn sweet.

His sweetness and desire to protect both this niece and Bethany was definitely what made me fall for Wes. The interactions between Wes and his niece were some of my favorites. They were so sweet together and I ended up falling for both of them. A lot of times the single parent trope doesn’t hold that much appeal to me, but these two were so perfect in this book!

I loved the interactions between Bethany and the Just Us League. I enjoyed revisiting with Georgie, Rosie and the rest of the gang. Watching Bethany transform and let go of her insecurities was perhaps my favorite part of this book. As Tessa states in her acknowledgements – we don’t always have to be that perfect person that’s thrown across our social media. It’s okay to just be who we are.

Tools of Engagement releases September 22, 2020 – add this to your TBR list!

Romeantically Challenged ARC Review

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Romeantically Challenged by Marina Adair

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Series: When in Rome #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction

Heat Rating: 🔥

Release Date: July 28, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

I had gotten to read an excerpt of Romeantically Challenged and really enjoyed the first few chapters, so I couldn’t wait to read the rest. Annie was feisty, funny and I couldn’t wait to read more about her journey.

Annie had been engaged, but her fiance left her for another woman. On top of everything else, he’s using their wedding venue to plan his wedding to his new fiance. Annie is determined to get away from that life and moves to Rome. Not Rome, Italy but rather Rome, Rhode Island.

This is where she meets Emmitt. Emmitt and Annie hilariously meet when Annie finds out that the house she’s renting belongs to Emmitt and he’s back in town. Emmitt has been overseas as a photojournalist, but a recent injury has forced him to come back home.

I thought Marina Adair’s writing style was really great, but I wasn’t feeling the emotional connection between Annie and Emmitt. It almost felt like there were too many story lines happening with Emmitt reconnecting with his teenage daughter, his injury and then Annie reconnecting with her Vietnamese heritage. Emmitt and Annie’s love story felt almost more of an afterthought and it didn’t feel as well developed as I would have liked.

What makes a binge-worthy series?

~ Tej ~ 6 Comments

What makes a series binge-worthy for you? Is it the style the author writes? The characters that you love being connected to? Or is it a combination of both?

My favorite books to read are series. I love connecting with the characters and seeing how they evolve throughout the series. I don’t always love every book in a series equally and I think that’s okay. Sometimes book #1 takes a bit more word building and introductions to secondary characters. Other times it’s the first book that we fall in love with and don’t necessarily like the other secondary character’s stories.

Here I’m listing a few of my favorite binge-worthy series. Some are older and others are fairly new. Some I’ve only read a few books in the series but can’t wait to read the rest. What are your favorite binge-worthy series?

Helena Hunting Pucked

This series is so much fun – definitely had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The series is super steamy, but also has a lot of heart. I feel like the deeper you get into the series, the more you end up caring for these wonderful characters!

Nora Roberts Chesapeake Bay Saga

One of my favorite series by Nora Roberts that’s a bit old school (published in the late 90’s). I love when a family centered series is done well and Nora Roberts had me caring for all of the characters in this series. And feisty heroines who are independent – yes please!

Sarina Bowen Brooklyn/Brooklyn Bruisers

I started off with reading the Brooklyn Brusiers and then went on to read the Brooklyn series. These are some of my favorite Sarina Bowen books! Brooklynaire is up there as one of my favorite books.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips Chicago Stars

This series is quite simply amazing. It may seem a bit outdated now as these books came out in the mid 1990’s (yes, I had to go look that up!), but the banter is amazing and I LOVE the chemistry between all of the characters.

Lauren Layne Sex, Love and Stiletto/Oxford

This is the series of books that got me hooked on Lauren Layne books! I love a series centered around friendship and the friendship between the 4 women was so much fun!

Julie James FBI/US Attorney

Julie James writes amazing suspenseful romances filled with plenty of heat. This series was amazing and I have re-read these books too many times to count!

Lisa Kleypas The Ravenels

This series has it all – intrigue, suspense and wonderful romance. I love a great historical romance series and Lisa Kleypas knows how to write great series!