Category Archives: Reviews

Reviews of romance books with a fair look at positives and negatives of each book.

Review: Whiteout

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Review: WhiteoutWhiteout (Survival Instincts, #1) by Adriana Anders
Series: Survival Instincts #1
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on January 28, 2020
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 514
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I really enjoyed this book which I didn’t expect. A romantic suspense, it has action, but there is such emotion between the characters, that I almost forgot about the drama that was going on because these characters really clicked for me.

THE STORY: Angel Smith has finished her latest job as a chef at a research station in Antarctica and is ready to leave and start something new for herself. On her final day, however, the station is attacked. Angel and glaciologist Ford Cooper make it out alive but are stranded in the middle of the ice continent. With limited time and food, the two must find safety before the people who killed their co-workers find them and finish the job.

OPINION: Sometimes I like romantic suspense, and sometimes it leaves me cold. I enjoy the romance part much more than the suspense part, and sometimes the books are very light on romance and relationship development. But this book gets that balance just about perfect for me.

The characters are well-developed and interact with one another in interesting ways. Angel is a woman full of life, and Ford is a man who has closed himself off. (Sunshine and the grumpy scientist is a great trope) But the book explores the complicated edges of those archetypes as they are stranded together.

The book read fast, and honestly, I didn’t care that we didn’t get full answers about the suspense plot. For me, the important part of the book is how Angel and Ford peel away the things that are between them and keep them apart. They are so perfect for one another that I almost forgot that there were some villains that had to be dealt with.

WORTH MENTIONING: As part of a series, the “big” story isn’t finished here, so some people might be disappointed that everything about the overarching plot is not fully explained or completed. Not a cliffhanger per see (although the next book is suggested), and this couple’s story is complete.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHITEOUT is the first book in the Survival Instincts series. There is a prequel novella, but I didn’t read it and didn’t feel that I needed to do so.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: More Than Desire You

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Review: More Than Desire YouMore Than Desire You (Reed Family Reckoning, #8) by Shayla Black
Series: Reed Family Reckoning #8
on November 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 322
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this book, but my interest in this series is beginning to wane a bit. I’m hoping that we will move on soon to a new group of people. I didn’t feel that the story between these two was as deep as others in the series.

THE STORY: Xavian Costa has decided to get revenge on his best friend who slept with the woman Xavian planned to marry and then made a movie that painted Xavian as the villain. The form of Xavian’s revenge is his ex-best friend’s sister, Corinne, who has come to Xavian for help manipulating her brother to get her inheritance. Xavian proposes that the two of them fake an engagement — but Xavian also plans on using Corinne for his own pleasure. When Xavian just begins realizing that something between the two of them might be real, his plans completely unravel.

OPINION: This book is really hot, but I wanted a bit more of the relationship development. Corinne wasn’t as interesting a character to match Xavian. I would have liked him to have a real contrast. There was something about the relationship that never seemed to be grounded in the couple. I would have liked to have more conflict between them. At the same time, the book fits well in the series. Xavian wasn’t as much of a jerk as I had expected because he falls pretty fast for Corinne…perhaps that is what feels a little off. Xavian is so quickly falling for Corinne that the stakes of the story never feel that high.

WORTH MENTIONING: The epilogue of this book introduces readers to one of the new main characters in the next book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MORE THAN DESIRE YOU is the eighth book in the More Than Words/Reed Family Reckoning Series. The romance here is self-contained and can be read as a standalone, although there are relationships between the characters (apart from the main characters) that have developed over the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: The Captain of All Pleasures

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Review: The Captain of All PleasuresThe Captain of All Pleasures (Sutherland Brothers, #1) by Kresley Cole
Series: Sutherland Brothers #1
Published by Pocket Books on March 27, 2007
Genres: Historical
Pages: 370
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: This is clearly an early Kresley Cole book. There is so much promise, but not as well constructed as later Cole books. At the same time, I really loved what feels like an homage to classic romance books. Pirates! Racing around the world! A hero with secrets! A heroine who is wilful and independent! So much of the tone and feel of this book I loved, but it doesn’t feel as polished as later books.

THE STORY: Nicole Lassiter has two separate lives. She lives freely helping her American sea captain father sail around the world, but her grandmother wants her to be a lady and make a good marriage. Her father’s nemesis is Captain Derek Sutherland. Someone is sabotaging boats in a race from England to Australia.  When Derek ends up rescuing Nicole, he doesn’t know who the mysterious woman is, but there is a great attraction between the two. Across the world, the two compete and fall in love. But both have secrets that threaten any possible happy ending.

OPINION: This book is uneven and was good but not fantastic for me, but the book was interesting, and for fans of Kresley Cole, you can see the bones of what she will perfect in later books. I loved that she takes the bones of old historical romance and breaks them, and makes it more modern and complicated. This is a book I would read again, not because it was amazing, but because it has such a great underpinning of life.

Kresley Cole is taking stories from romances that I read in the 80s and 90s and refashioning them into something new but at the same time not losing those classic moments that were great. This is a romance on the high seas with lots of action and drama. There are plenty of secrets and twists.

The weakness of this book is that the final secret that each main character holds felt like the revelation came too late in the story, and thus the end was a bit rushed. But I really liked both of these characters. Nicole is strong and independent, and determined. Derek is a jerk and is completely broken when he falls for Nicole.

There are scenes from the past, but also previews of books in Kresley’s future. The book feels a little clumsy in its execution, but there is no doubt that it was written by a master in the making and was worth my day.

WORTH MENTIONING: The end of this book suggests at the next book in the series, but it is not a cliffhanger.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE CAPTAIN OF ALL PLEASURES is the first book in the Sutherland Brothers series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Killers of a Certain Age

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Review: Killers of a Certain AgeKillers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Published by Berkley on September 6, 2022
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 365
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: I really wanted to like this book, but it felt muddy, and the pacing was much slower than I wanted. Instead, I got bored just about the time things should have been getting exciting. Ultimately the book was okay but not up to a great premise.

THE STORY: After working for a secret network of assassins for forty years, four women are sent on a vacation to celebrate their retirement. During the trip, they are targeted for assassination themselves. Now Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have to work together to discover who wants them dead and to uncover the plot against them.

OPINION: The premise of this book is amazing, and the beginning had much promise. The problem is that there are just too many characters, too many stories, and not enough depth to any character. Instead, they always remain just out of reach, which made me lose interest about halfway through the book.

I’m glad I pressed through because the ending of the book was better, although I had figured out the twist. Because the book was unique, I think some people will really enjoy the story, but it wasn’t the book for me.

WORTH MENTIONING: The women here are in their sixties, and this is not a romance.

CONNECTED BOOKS: KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Archangel’s Resurrection

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Review: Archangel’s ResurrectionArchangel's Resurrection (Guild Hunter, #15) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #15
Published by Berkley on October 25, 2022
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 396
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: Structured differently than other books in this series, ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION is a second chance at love story, but also the story of love that lasts through the ages.

THE STORY: A romance that is many thousands of years in the making…Before they were archangels, Alexander and Zanaya fell in love. However, the sharp edges of their relationship caused by the unwillingness of either to bend send them on a cycle of love and separation. When both sleep, only the Cascade and the threat of the Archangel of Death cause them to rise. When Zanaya is attacked and almost killed during the battle, it is uncertain whether she will again arise and, when she does, what changes have been made in her. Does she now pose a threat? Can two Archangels who have loved and hurt one another, find a way to turn away from their past and change their future?

OPINION: Completely different from other books in the series. This is the story of two people who have loved one another forever and just haven’t been able to “seal the deal” between them. The entire story was warm and loving and gave a different view of the entire series.

I loved this book because it felt perfect for these two characters. The problem they have is prioritizing their relationship. It has taken them thousands of years to realize that, and I appreciated that seeing the relationship of other couples from the series shows them the way.

Alexander has been a little pompous in the series, but here we get to see him as a young angel and how he fell in love and became who he is in the timeline of the series. Zanaya is hot-headed, a warrior, and so perfect for Alexander. I really enjoyed how these two extremely powerful archangels navigated their relationship.

Readers of the series know that archangels are naturally repelled by one another. Their power does not allow them to remain together in one place for long. Here, the complexity and subtleness of the couple’s problems integrate with the natural problems that arise from the idea of two archangels being in love.

In many ways, this book feels like a second (or second hundred) chance at love story or a book with older main characters. Yet, there was so much respect and love in this story that it also feels fresh and new for the series. The conflict here is about the hero and heroine committing to one another finally after realizing that life is fragile — even for archangels who live tens of thousands of years.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book fills in a lot of information from throughout the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION is the fifteenth book in the Guild Hunters series. This series is better read in order, although this book is one that can be read on its own. Although a new reader will miss some of the depth in the appearances of characters from the series, plenty of context is given here to understand everything a reader needs to know.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: You Had Me at Hola

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Review: You Had Me at HolaYou Had Me at Hola (Primas of Power, #1) by Alexis Daria
Series: Primas of Power #1
Published by Avon on August 4, 2020
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 387
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: Sweet but average romance. Didn’t live up to the hype, but certainly an okay read. I enjoyed the telenovela setting, which felt fun and flirty, but the hero was a mess.

THE STORY: Jasmine Lin Rodriguez is starting the most important role of her career as the star of a bilingual romantic comedy. After a messy public breakup, Jasmine is determined to lay low until she meets her co-star, Ashton Suárez. After being dumped from his most recent telenovela, Ashton worries that he is past the prime of his career and hopes that this role will give him a chance to increase his visibility in Hollywood. Both Jasmine and Ashton have a lot of gain in this performance, so creating chemistry on screen is vital. But as the two work to improve their performance, they find out that everything between them is not acting.

OPINION: This story was enjoyable as a read, but quickly forgettable. It was a bit banal. I really didn’t get any emotional connection between these characters. Their relationship felt cold. They had sex and acted, and then there were performative lectures about how a relationship should be. But I really didn’t get much emotion or connection between these characters.

My real problem was with the hero. I really felt like he was a hot mess. And it seemed like the heroine needed to get him to act more responsibly. It seemed like he had things together by the epilogue, but I needed that before.

There were some fun and flirty moments. I enjoyed how parts of this book mirrored the telenovela/romantic comedy/soap opera format. The first part of the book is flirty and cute. Unfortunately, the story turned serious, and I didn’t like the obvious drama that pulled the couple apart. It was too contrived and didn’t work for me. Instead, the characters stayed disconnected.

There was a good book here, and it was almost good. Instead, it was just okay.

WORTH MENTIONING: I enjoyed how this book includes some episodes of the show which interacts in interesting ways with the “real” story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: YOU HAD ME AT HOLA is the first book in the Primas of Power series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: The Dark Calling

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Review: The Dark CallingThe Dark Calling (The Arcana Chronicles, #5) by Kresley Cole
Series: The Arcana Chronicles #5
Published by Valkyrie Press on February 13, 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy
Pages: 318
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: This book might be my favorite of the series so far. Mature and complex with the darkness of the story manifest. The penultimate book in the series sets the final conflict into motion. The relationship complexity of the triangle is well done here (and I’ve never liked triangles) and allowed me sympathy for all three characters, which I did not expect when starting this book.

THE STORY: The pace of the story picks up as THE DARK CALLING starts right where the previous book in the series, ARCANA RISING, ended (on a cliffhanger). Something sinister has arisen just as Evie is experiencing a life-changing event. Now alliances and relationships built throughout the series are threatened as more Arcana characters are eliminated from the game. (Considering the cliffhanger from the previous book, it is difficult to describe this book without spoilers).

OPINION: This is now my favorite book in the series because the characters have finally matured to the extent that I like them all. Even Evie, who has driven me crazy for most of the series. Even with the triangle, which really bothered me until this book worked for me.

In this book, the characters confront a new menace as secrets that have been kept since the beginning of the series are revealed. The book is nicely structured as well as many things are resolved and cleared out of the way, leaving the central conflict in the series left.

The time since the flash has impacted each of the characters in THE DARK CALLING, and they are more world-weary and have matured. Thus, their characters have become more complex and less teenage annoying. This book has some intriguing revelations as the story moves toward the conclusion in the next book.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is the penultimate book in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE DARK CALLING is the fifth book in the Arcana Chronicles. This series should be read in order because it is one story.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Lady Be Wilde

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Genres: Historical
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Delightful short novella about two people finding love after loss and disappointment in prior marriages. I loved the extension of the Wilde family universe, giving a happy ending to these secondary characters.

THE STORY: Lady Madeline Penshallow takes her son’s illegitimate child as her own and immediately is a widow. Lord Gilbert Godfrey Manfield is the cousin of the Duke of Lindow. The two meet at a Wilde family event, and there is an attraction, but Madeline is recovering from a horrible marriage, and Gil is recovering from losing two wives. Both are determined never to marry again, but when Madeline is threatened, Gil is determined to protect her.

OPINION: This is a very enjoyable short story/novella where two people who have been disappointed by life find something special together. The story is very sweet, and I love the relationship that develops between Gil, Madeline, and her daughter. The story has the same humor and passion that is evident in all the books in the series. It just made me smile.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a short novella that Eloisa James is expanding to a longer novella. My review may be revised after that book is published.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LADY BE WILDE  is book 0.55 of the Wildes of Lindow series. This novella directly from MY LAST DUCHESS and is indeed a sequel that resolves Madeline’s story in MY LAST DUCHESS. While it is not necessary to read MY LAST DUCHESS to enjoy this story, reading it will give a fuller picture of Madeline’s story.

STAR RATING: I give this book four stars.

four-stars

Review: My Last Duchess

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Review: My Last DuchessMy Last Duchess (The Wildes of Lindow Castle, #6) by Eloisa James
Series: The Wildes of Lindow Castle #0.5
on October 27, 2020
Genres: Historical
Pages: 260
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: I loved this novella. The story of the Duke and Duchess of Lindow and how they met and fell in love was precisely the book I needed. Sweet and sexy and fit exactly within the Wildes of Lindow series.

THE STORY: Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, has been somewhat unlucky in love. His beloved first wife died, and then his second wife ran off with a golden-haired count and abandoned Hugo and their children. Having obtained a divorce, Hugo needs to find another wife for his children’s sake. He sees Ophelia, Lady Astley, a widow with a daughter, and immediately knows that she is the one for him. But Phee doesn’t want to remarry or take care of other children, so she rejects Hugo. But perhaps Phee isn’t ready to give up Hugo when he continues his search for a wife.

OPINION: This book works well, especially with the characters being established in the series. Hugo is enormously caring as a father, and this novella makes clear that his only concern in finding a wife is to have a woman who can help his children. On his own, he would be happy not to marry again. He isn’t even caring so much about having a woman who can be a mother, but rather his youngest daughters need someone who can help pave their way through society. Hugo’s practical reasons for marriage are quickly undone when he meets Ophelia. Like all the Wildes, Hugo is profoundly emotional and loving. The passion and devotion I loved with his children are clearly presented here.

Ophelia is strong and unwilling to fall for Hugo when they meet. She is satisfied with her life. She is independent and happy with her daughter. She had a good marriage and doesn’t feel the need to take on a brood of children or another man.

One thing I loved about his book is how the expectations for marriage by both Hugo and Ophelia are undone as the attraction, both physical and emotional, grows between them. Their relationship is sweet, funny, and so wonderful that I loved their story.

WORTH MENTIONING: I also loved that we get to see the Wildes heroes and heroines as children, and they are as amusing and naughty as they are as adults.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MY LAST DUCHESS is a prequel to the Wildes of Lindow Castle series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Blame it on the Billionaire

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Review: Blame it on the BillionaireBlame It on the Billionaire (Blackout Billionaires #3) by Naima Simone
Series: Blackout Billionaires #3
on January 9, 2020
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 224
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: This was my favorite of the series. I really liked these characters. The story was over the top, but it felt well within the expectations for series romances. I enjoyed this one and would reread it.

THE STORY: During a blackout, executive assistant Nadia Jordan takes the chance on a secret one-night stand with her crush, the owner of the company she works for, billionaire Grayson Chandler. Things explode, however, when Grayson is trying to avoid his matchmaking mother and sees Nadia and claims her as his fiancee. The two are soon involved in a fake relationship that seems awfully real.

OPINION: This book is short and sexy, and the trilogy’s best. The main characters are both nice people who quickly fall for one another. I thought the motivations for having the fake engagement worked in this one. I absolutely adored Nadia in this book. There is a beautiful scene where she tells Grayson that he is worthy of love which elevates my opinion of this book.

The book is filled with tropes: rich guy/girl from the wrong side of tracks, boss/secretary, fake engagement, Cinderella, and probably plenty more that I didn’t note. The story has energy because the layered tropes work in this book in a way that they didn’t for me in the prior two books in the series.

Admittedly, reading this book requires suspension of disbelief on many of the plot points, but that is not unreasonable for a category romance that takes place in fewer pages and thus is compressed. There is only one terrible character that makes an on-page appearance in this book, and luckily, she is quickly off the page. This book also managed to tone down the disapproving parents. These ones aren’t nearly as terrible as others in the series.

This book just felt right to me. What is a similar story feels more complex than the others in the series, with the rough edges filed off and characters that I really liked.

WORTH MENTIONING: All three books in this series are iterations of almost precisely the same story. This one is the best of the three. The family is less terrible, and the couple seems really decent.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BLAME IT ON THE BILLIONAIRE is the third book in the Blackout Billionaires series. The book can be read as a standalone because while the books all occur at the same place and time, there is no overlap of characters (except for a brief wrap-up in this book).

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars