Category Archives: Reviews

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

Review: Black Tie Billionaire

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Review: Black Tie BillionaireBlack Tie Billionaire (Blackout Billionaires #2) by Naima Simone
Series: Blackout Billionaire #2
Published by Harlequin Desire on August 8, 2019
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 224
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: The story was just okay. It read okay as a quick read, but I would not go back to the book again.

THE STORY: During a blackout, Shay Neal ends up having a one-night stand with Gideon Knight. Shay is at the party under a pseudonym, but Gideon is furious when her identity is revealed to him. Shay is the sister of Gideon’s enemy. Determined to get his revenge, Gideon blackmails Shay into a fake relationship. Gideon’s intended revenge, however, is complicated by his very real attraction to Shay.

OPINION: This is a book without any subtleties. At times, it almost read as a parody of series romances. Everything was drawn really broad. The characters also didn’t have much depth at all. I wish the author had cut down on the drama and written from some depth of the characters. It can be done even in a shortened form.

The story was okay. I read through it really quickly, and I liked the relationship between Shay and Gideon. I wouldn’t pick this up again, and I might even forget that I read it in a month. There are really good series books and even novellas, but this isn’t one of them.

WORTH MENTIONING: Shay’s brother is just a terrible person.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BLACK TIE BILLIONAIRE is the second book in the Blackout Billionaires series. The books, however, are really standalone books with a common event (the blackout).

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match

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Review: Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her MatchAngelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne
Published by Avon on September 6, 2022
Genres: Historical, Paranormal
Pages: 389
Goodreads

FINAL DECISION: This book was clearly a risk. The entirety of it is unlike what I expect from a romance novel. Parts were intriguing and seemed to be on the cutting edge, but ultimately this book is more reading experience from the left brain rather than emotional romance so it’s not one I would be returning to read again.

THE STORY: Angelika Frankenstein wants a love match. She’s been looking for the man of her dreams, but it hasn’t worked. Men find her odd. Too clever and pretty, Angelika works with her brother on his experiments to bring men back to life. This time, she creates a project of her own. And she is successful. The perfect man who she immediately loves awakens, but things are not all well. Her creation has no memory but is determined to discover who he is. At the same time, another man comes into her life, making her question whether her perfect creation is what she needs or whether there is something lacking in inventing the ideal man.

OPINION: This book takes risks. Unfortunately, the risks don’t really work out in this case. I loved the setup for this book. The idea of a woman creating her own suitor and then things being complicated with the “perfect” man was very intriguing. But the story stalls and the triangle being constructed just didn’t work on an emotional level. I never really liked Will, and I immediately figured out the “surprise” almost immediately. I really didn’t get any of the relationships here, and the resolution took too long and wasn’t particularly satisfying at the end.

There were potions of this book that I really loved, but the whole didn’t hold together as well as I would want. Passages were great, the possibilities were great. I suppose I was disappointed because I thought that the first few chapters of this book were amazing in the concept and then nothing seemed to come of that great premise.

WORTH MENTIONING: I liked the exploration of religion here which was nuanced and complicated.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ANGELIKA FRANKENSTEIN MAKES HER MATCH is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

Review: The Billionaire’s Bargain

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Review: The Billionaire’s BargainThe Billionaire's Bargain (Blackout Billionaires #1) by Naima Simone
Series: Blackout Billionaires #1
Published by Harlequin Desire on May 16, 2019
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: The story is well written with clear characters and conflict, but I didn’t feel that either the characters or the story were remarkable. I’ve read much better category romances. This one was a good read but not memorable.

THE STORY: Darius King finds comfort from a woman during a blackout. When the lights come back on, however, he discovers that the woman is Isobel Hughes Wells — the woman who betrayed her husband, his best friend. Darius discovers that the child is actually his best friend’s son, contrary to the rumor that she had another man’s child. So Darius decides that Isobel must marry him so that he can raise the boy as his friend would have wanted. The only problem — Darius is attracted to Isobel, and she doesn’t appear the wicked woman he thought she was.

OPINION: The story was enjoyable to read. I’m not sorry that I read it. However, it was just okay as a memorable book. I read it a week ago, and I’m already having trouble remembering what I liked about it.

I did like the setup of the story and felt the conflict that the hero felt, being torn between his own developing feelings for Isobel and his loyalty to his “family” who hate Isobel. I understood his ambivalence considering his past, so I didn’t dislike him. But I really did not like the family, which is pretty terrible. Isobel shows great strength in this story as a character.

Some of the negatives. I really didn’t like how the paternity issue was resolved. It didn’t feel like the betrayal was adequately resolved. I wanted more of the relationship between Dante and Isobel. It felt too superficial for the issues involved.

Honestly, the most memorable part of this book is the blackout, which makes the rest of the book a bit of a letdown.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a category romance in the Harlequin Desire series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE BILLIONAIRE’S BARGAIN is the first book in the Blackout Billionaires series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Sweetwater & the Witch

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Sweetwater & the WitchSweetwater & the Witch (Ghost Hunters, #15) by Jayne Castle
Series: Ghost Hunters #15
Published by Berkley on September 20, 2022
Genres: Paranormal, Futuristic
Pages: 304
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Fun, filled with action and romance, I loved Ravenna and Ethan’s story. I especially like that this book draws from so many other books in the Harmony and Arcane series. Makes me want to read a whole bunch of them again.

THE STORY: Ravenna Chastain becomes a matchmaker when she is almost killed by a cult while doing an investigation. But matchmaking has its own troubles. Ravenna’s major problem is Ethan Sweetwater, who Ravenna can’t match even after nine failed dates. When Ravenna tries to get rid of Ethan, he threatens to cause problems unless she accompanies him to a business event. In exchange, he will accompany her to a family function where she needs a date. In the process, there are failed dates that appear obsessed with stalking Ravenna and goons who come to attack Ethan. As Ravenna and Ethan investigate, they also grow closer.

OPINION: I think the Harmony books are my favorite of Krentz/Castle/Quick these days. There is such humor in them, and combined with the action and the surprise of the various talents that the characters possess, I always look forward to reading them. Plus, there are the dust bunnies, who are just hilarious.

Ravenna is in danger, but she isn’t a damsel in distress. Instead, she is perfectly capable of taking care of her own problems. But I liked that she was willing to ask for help. She is competent and able to remake herself when something goes wrong. That is something that many of Castle’s heroines have in common on Harmony. They often have faced losses that require them to reconfigure their lives — to reinvent themselves. I’ve always admired that quality in her heroines.

Ethan is a bit less successful as a character, although I really liked his focus on Ravenna and his determination to do whatever he needs to do to prove there is something special between them. He is thoughtful and yet also manages to focus on solving problems — in this case the danger that seems to surround both him and Ravenna.

I thought that the mystery/suspense in the story was well constructed with plenty of twists and turns to keep the action moving. But I read these books for the connection between the characters; this one does not disappoint. Ethan and Ravenna have some witty banter between them. Dialogue is one of the author’s strengths. Often the book seems to call back to the clever banter of the 1940s movies — but with a paranormal twist.

Fans will not be disappointed because this book fits nicely in the series with some fun twists.

WORTH MENTIONING: I loved that this book intensely focused on the mythology of previous Harmony/Ghost Hunter books and even the Arcane books. However, I wonder if new readers are confused by the villain’s motivations.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SWEETWATER & THE WITCH is the fifteenth book in the Harmony/Ghost Hunters series. It is also connected with the Arcane series. The following books are noted at the end as being connected: GUILD BOSS (Castle), OBSIDIAN PREY (Castle), and ALL THE COLORS OF THE NIGHT (Krentz).

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley which I used to prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-half-stars

Review: Heartbreaker

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Review: HeartbreakerHeartbreaker (Hell's Belles, #2) by Sarah MacLean
Series: Hell's Belles #2
Published by Avon on August 23, 2022
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Much better than the first in the series. I enjoyed the relationship between Adelaide and Henry. Much of the book is a road trip between them (only one bed at the inn!), so their relationship shines.

THE STORY: Adelaide Frampton spends her time in ballrooms watching as she pretends to be a wallflower, but she is actually the Matchbreaker who helps women avoid the altar. Adelaide has another secret; she was not born to the aristocracy but rather is the daughter of a crime lord. In her latest quest to help a young woman, Adelaide encounters Henry, Duke of Clayborn, who has tried to live the role of a duke to perfection. But Henry, too, has secrets. When Adelaide and Henry find themselves on opposite sides of stopping a wedding, the two take a journey across England, both thwarting and tantalizing one another.

OPINION: The strength of this book is the relationship between Henry and Adelaide. They spend much of the book together, which is good because there really isn’t much else to the book. The book feels like it walks through various tropes without deep emotional engagement. While the book lacks any real drama or tension between the main characters, there is a deep connection between the two — and both are very decent people.

Perhaps that is why this book is good, but not great. Because there is nothing for the two characters to confront or overcome in themselves, the story is flat. The whole Hell’s Belles series feels like superhero comics rather than romance. It feels like the book is ticking off a checklist rather than deeply rooted in the characters. While I liked Henry and Adelaide a lot, this is not a book that I would be compelled to pick up again.

This book is much better than the first in the series, but it does lack the emotional depth and angst of MacLean’s earlier — much superior — books.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are small mentions of other characters from the MacLean world, including the Wests.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HEARTBREAKER is the second book in the Hell’s Belle’s series. The romance here is self-contained so this book can be read as a standalone. There are appearances by characters in the series, however.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: Meet You in the Middle

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Review: Meet You in the MiddleMeet You in the Middle by Devon Daniels
Published by Berkley Books on February 2, 2021
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 368
Goodreads
two-stars

FINAL DECISION: I was not engaged by this book. The story was too banal and uninteresting, with the characters not well defined or interesting. The first quarter of the book was the best. Once the characters became interested in one another, I was not interested in them.

THE STORY: Senate staffer Kate Adams is trying to gain support for a piece of liberal legislation when she encounters Ben Mackenzie, who works for a conservative senator. The two strike sparks off of one another immediately. As the two continue to spar with one another, they first develop an unlikely friendship and then their relationship becomes deeper and more complicated.

OPINION: I kept reading this book, figuring that there must be something there, but I was just bored by it. The story between these two was superficial and did not really engage with their conflicts. There actually is little politics in this one. It’s more used as a device to keep the two apart, and it doesn’t grapple with the differences between these characters. Don’t have much else to write about it. Not sexy, not funny, and definitely doesn’t live up to the blurb or even the first couple of chapters.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has only one sex scene late in the novel.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MEET YOU IN THE MIDDLE is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book two stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Edelweiss. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

two-stars

Review: For Real

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Review: For RealFor Real (Spires, #3) by Alexis Hall
Series: Spires #3
Published by Alexis Hall on July 5, 2018
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 442
Goodreads

FINAL DECISION: Deeply emotional, this book feels like being trapped in the minds of these two characters. How they fall in love and navigate their relationship kept me enthralled throughout, even though I’m generally less interested in erotic romance, where the relationship is developed through sex. This book is definitely an exception.

THE STORY: Laurence Dalziel is emotionally worn out. The man he loved left him six years ago, and he hasn’t found a relationship that can replace his need for BDSM submission and be emotionally fulfilling. At age 37 doesn’t have any optimism about the future when he meets Toby Finch, who is 19 years old and looking to mature into his need to be a dominant in the BDSM scene. Laurie and Toby connect almost immediately, although Laurie feels the weight of his age and Toby’s youth, freshness, vulnerability, and optimism. Laurie might reluctantly accept the sexual pull between them but refuses to allow it to mean anything more.

OPINION: This book reads like a literary story. Although definitely within the romance genre, it just feels different. I thought about the story of these two characters long after finishing this book.

I tend not to be a big fan of erotic romances. I’m not as interested in the extended sexual exploits that are essential to that sub-genre as I prefer my characters to interact in other ways. Thus, I was prepared not to like this book. Admittedly, I drifted at times during the erotic scenes, but I found that this book is deeply emotional in ways I didn’t expect. I would say that despite those scenes, I really loved this book.

Laurence and Toby both travel so much in this story. The book begins with the older, worn-out man who has lost much on his life’s journey. He no longer even hopes for something more. The younger man yearns to define himself and discover his future. But the book does not maintain these stereotypes. The reader learns that each of these characters is complex and has emotional needs that the other can help assuage.

The book defies the expected. Again and again, the story turns in directions that I didn’t expect. Deeply romantic and a book that centers the connection between these two characters.

WORTH MENTIONING: The only thing that made me uncomfortable about this book is that Toby is 19. I would have found even a 20-year-old less jarring, but perhaps the uncomfortable feeling is precisely what the author intended.

CONNECTED BOOKS: FOR REAL is the third book in the Spires series. It is not necessary to read those books before this one, however. The books are connected thematically but are not otherwise related.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

Review: Archangel’s Light

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Review: Archangel’s LightArchangel's Light (Guild Hunter, #14) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #14
Published by Berkley on October 26, 2021
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 396
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: The book has a lot of interesting information about both Aodhan and Illium, and the two of them certainly love one another, but I didn’t buy the romantic relationship between the two. The problem for me is that the two don’t have enough tension between them to drive a romance story and the “plot story” here wasn’t compelling either. No Guild Hunter book is bad, this one is okay but disappointing.

THE STORY: Since they were children, Illium and Aodhan have been inseparable. They have been the closest of friends. Recently, however, Aodhan has struggled against Illium’s protectiveness of him. At times it feels like their friendship has broken forever. The two haven’t spoken for some time when they are asked to serve in China helping the new archangel who has taken over the territory since the ending of the evil archangel who had long ruled the area. But all is not right and Illium and Aodhen must determine what is wrong — not only in China but also with their relationship.

OPINION: I really wanted to like this one because I am a big fan of the Guild Hunter series. But the romance here (what there was of it) just didn’t work for me. Singh told readers that Illium and Aodhen were not romantically involved for quite a while, but there was pressure from certain fans to get the two together. Singh caved, and whether because her heart wasn’t in it or because of her own limitations writing m/m stories, this relationship just didn’t work for me. There is no sex in this book, and Illium and Aodhen don’t seem emotionally engaged at all with one another. The book lacks emotional tension and the plot was pretty banal. I enjoyed reading about some of the missing pieces in the history of these two, but otherwise, this book is merely okay.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book is told in varying time periods (present and the past) to inform readers about events, emotions, and thoughts of what happened before.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT is the fourteenth book in the Guild Hunter series. This book should be read as part of the series. The complexity of the story really requires a reader to know a great deal of background.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: It All Comes Down to This

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Review: It All Comes Down to ThisIt All Comes Down to This by Therese Anne Fowler
Published by St. Martin's Press on June 7, 2022
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 352
Goodreads
two-stars

FINAL DECISION: The book is well constructed from a technical standpoint, but I think I am exhausted with these three women at a change of life women’s fiction books. Nothing about this book was exciting or extraordinary to me. Just banal from the first page to the last, with the exception that part of the story was just terrible in my estimation. If it was an attempt at a happy ending, it was entirely unbelievable and demonstrates selfishness rather than love and caring.

THE STORY: The death of their mother brings a surprise for three sisters when a provision of her will states that the family’s summer house in Maine is to be sold with each sister getting an equal share. Each sister is facing something significant in their lives. Beck, the oldest, is a journalist jolted by the news because she had a vague idea that she would use the summer house to write the novel she has been thinking of writing. She also is having trouble in her marriage. The middle sister, Claire, is a doctor who is divorced and has a thing for the wrong man. The youngest sister Sophie has a glamorous life that masks her financial woes. A stranger also comes into their lives at this same moment when things are falling apart for each sister.

OPINION: I found almost all of these characters uninteresting and unlikeable. In committing to a book like this, I like to find some people I enjoy reading about. Instead, there are a bunch of awful people who do really bad things, and somehow, the book wants to explain their bad behavior. I don’t really think that I would like to know these people and thus, I don’t really want to read about them.

Because the book can’t express the emotional depth of these characters (indeed, most of them are pretty shallow and selfish people who are quite satisfied to harm even their closest relatives), it instead tries to keep secrets from the reader from saying nevermind and putting down the book. Because to be honest, if the reader knew from the beginning how amoral and unlikeable these people are, they wouldn’t continue with the story. The story drags because it ultimately relies on a “keeping secrets from the reader” premise instead of exploring the depths of the characters.

Definitely not worth my time in reading.

WORTH MENTIONING: I read this book as part of a book club, so it wasn’t something I would have chosen myself. Judge my opinion accordingly.

CONNECTED BOOKS: IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.

two-stars

Review: The Hating Game

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Review: The Hating GameThe Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on May 16, 2019
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 369
Goodreads

FINAL DECISION: This book isn’t what I expected from the blurb. I expected a lot of backstabbing and undermining and anger and angst. But this book was such a beautiful romance. I loved both these characters and how their relationship developed. It is a slow-burn romance but not boring — just wonderful.

THE STORY: Lucy Hutton’s nemesis is Joshua Templeman. Lucy and Joshua are executive assistants to the co-CEOs of a publishing company. Now they are both competing for the same promotion. Neither is going to back down from the competition, but at that precise moment, Lucy begins to get to know Joshua better. Perhaps neither really hates the other as much as Lucy expected — or is Joshua playing the long game in winning the competition between them?

OPINION: This book was hot several years ago. I have to admit that I wasn’t attracted to the book then. I ended up reading it recently for a book club. Unlike many “hot” books, this one was amazing.

From the first page to the end, I loved the couple and the story, even though it has many elements that aren’t my favorite — such as it is told in the first person present (by Lucy), and we never get Joshua’s perspective other than what Lucy learns. But it worked for me because it ended up being precisely what the story needed to work.

Lucy is sweet but surprisingly determined and strong when it matters. Joshua … no, I can’t say any more because it will give the story away. I can say that Lucy’s perception of Joshua is that he is a stick-in-the-mud, cold person, and a big jerk. When she finds herself attracted to him, she can’t imagine why.

What I love about this book is that it takes all the tropes of the office romance from 20-30 years ago and writes in a new and unexpected way. I’ve read stories like this many times before, but this book never gave the easy, expected answer. It is modern and funny, but it is also sweet and romantic.

It wasn’t the typical angsty and angry enemies-to-lovers story that I was expecting, but it was definitely worth the reading.

WORTH MENTIONING: THE HATING GAME was made into a movie.

CONNECTED BOOK THE HATING GAME is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.