Review: Hallowed Ground

Review: Hallowed GroundHallowed Ground (Kate Burkholder #14.5) by Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder #14.5
Published by Minotaur Books on April 25, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 75
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Low-stakes short story/vignette with Kate and John investigating grave robbers. I judge this differently than a full novel, and I really enjoyed this small slice of Kate’s life. I always want more romance with Kate and John, and this one has some nice moments.

THE STORY: Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called when a human bone is brought home by a family dog. Kate and John have to figure out the origin of the bone and what is going on in a small graveyard.

OPINION: I enjoyed this story because I simply love Kate and John working together. While Kate is certainly capable on her own and it doesn’t often make sense for the two of them to be in one another’s pockets during the serious crimes that Kate investigates in the novels. This story was short and closed definitively at the end. I like that it is part of Kate’s job that isn’t angst-filled and violent. Instead, it ended up being a little spooky and then resolved some community tensions. Fun little read.

WORTH MENTIONING: This story, like others in the series between the larger novels, is really just a slice-of-life promotion for the next book (as it includes a preview of the novel). That being said, I do enjoy these stories.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HALLOWED GROUND is book 14.5 of the Kate Burkholder series. I think this should be read by those who have read at least one book in the series to get the characters and situation.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-stars

Review: The Seaside Library

Review: The Seaside LibraryThe Seaside Library by Brenda Novak
Published by MIRA on April 11, 2023
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 398
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: The book has an interesting premise, but the characters are somewhat unlikeable, the central mystery is too easily solved, and the romance is unconvincing. However, the setting is well-crafted, and the exploration of the characters’ past is intriguing. Overall, it may be worth a read for those interested in complicated friendships, and keeping in mind this is more mystery than anything else.

THE STORY: As teenagers, Mariners Island played a significant role in the lives of Ivy, Ariana, and Cam, who shared a deep friendship. The island’s stunning beaches and iconic lighthouse were a source of joy for them. Ivy’s family owned an ancient property on the island that created a strong attachment for her as an adult. However, the memories of the town were too painful for Ariana, including unrequited feelings for Cam and a tragic event that left a scar on the community. When a young girl disappeared, Cam was accused of murder, but Ariana and Ivy believed in his innocence and promised to defend him, even if it meant lying. Twenty years later, Ariana returns to Mariners, and the trio uncovers the truth about their pasts, futures, and their enduring bond. However, someone is determined to prove Cam’s guilt, and even Ariana and Ivy begin to question whether he is truly innocent.

OPINION: This novel presents an interesting premise, but unfortunately falls short in several areas. One of the most significant drawbacks of the story is the characterization. The characters are not particularly likable, which can make it challenging to become invested in their storylines. In particular, Ariana, Cam, and Ivy are flawed individuals with deep-seated issues that can make it difficult to sympathize with them. In particular, Cam’s marriage feels more like a plot device and invented obstacle to the romance rather than a real issue to work through.

Additionally, the resolution of the central mystery of the book becomes apparent far too early on, which robs the story of much of its suspense. While there are some red herrings and twists along the way, it is not enough to make up for the lack of mystery. The ending feels anticlimactic, and it is hard to be invested in a resolution that is all but inevitable.

The romance between Ariana and Cam is another element that leaves something to be desired. It is difficult to understand why the two characters are drawn to each other, and their chemistry is not particularly compelling. The romantic storyline feels tacked on and does not add much to the overall narrative.

Despite these criticisms, the book does have some redeeming qualities. The setting of Mariners Island is well-crafted, and the descriptions of the town and surrounding area are vivid and engaging. The exploration of the three friends’ past and the traumatic events that shaped them is also intriguing and provides some depth to the characters.

WORTH MENTIONING: I think this book is not well represented by its cover, title, or description. There is nothing significant about the “Seaside Library” justifying the title, and this is more mystery than a summer beach read.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE SEASIDE LIBRARY is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: The Love Hypothesis

Review: The Love HypothesisThe Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Published by Berkley on September 14, 2021
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 383
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: This book is fun and light, like cotton candy. Even the “serious” storyline is really fluff because it lacks complexity. I liked the book, but I probably won’t remember it in a year. That being said, the book is perfect for someone looking for a fun rom-com.

THE STORY: Olive Smith is a STEM field Ph.D. candidate at Stanford. When Olive realizes that her best friend, Anh, is perfect for the guy that Olive is casually dating, Olive decides to help their romance along. Olive knows that Anh won’t make a move even after a breakup because of Anh’s loyalty to Olive. So Olive tells Anh that she has already moved on and is dating someone else. When Anh shows up at the lab when Olive is supposed to be on a date, Olive grabs the first guy she finds and asks him to kiss her. The man agrees, and Olive soon finds out that she has been kissing, Adam Adam Carlsen, a young brilliant professor, and a total jerk. Surprisingly, he also agrees to keep up the fake relationship facade telling Olive that he could benefit as well. There is an expiration date for the ruse, but Olive can’t help but find that the fake relationship feels more real every one of those days.

OPINION: I thought this was a sweet romantic comedy. Hazelwood’s writing style is witty, charming, and engaging, and her characters are lovable, relatable, and full of personality. Rather than presenting a traditional alpha male lead who bulldozes his way into Olive’s life, Adam is respectful, supportive, and willing to listen. Overall, this book is delightful and left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It’s the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day, and it is a fun and lighthearted read that made me laugh and smile. The secondary characters and their romances made me smile as well. This book also has some grumpy/sunshine vibes as Olive teases Adam out of his being too serious and makes him see himself more clearly which I really loved. I also really liked that Adam is so supportive of Olive’s work.

The negative to me is twofold. First, I really didn’t like the happy-for-now ending. I’m not sure that these two won’t break up in a year. This is true especially because we don’t really learn anything about these characters having a deep relationship. Instead, everything is funny and light. Even the serious items we learn are not really the stuff that sustains relationships. Second, the entire story was pretty shallow, and everything could be predicted from the start. There is a harassment story that was clear a mile away including how it would obviously be resolved. So while I enjoyed this book, it lacks the depth that would make me come back to re-read.

WORTH MENTIONING: The pumpkin spice drink wars made me laugh out loud.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS is a standalone book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Get a Life, Chloe Brown

Review: Get a Life, Chloe BrownGet a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert
Series: The Brown Sisters #1
Published by Avon on November 5, 2019
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 387
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: I loved this book. I was prepared to find it as dull as many of the cartoon-covered books that pass for romance these days but are really just women’s fiction. This book was amazing. Chloe and Red spend almost the entire book talking to one another, getting to know each other, and working through their various problems. The book is sweet and sexy and funny and so mature and adult. I have not read Talia Hibbert before and I was clearly missing something.

THE STORY: Chloe Brown takes decides to “get a life” by taking on a number of initiatives, including moving out of her family’s mansion, enjoying a drunken night out, riding a motorcycle, going camping, having meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex, traveling the world with nothing but hand luggage, and… doing something bad. Chloe takes on her goal of doing something bad by spying on her building’s superintendent Red Morgan, who paints at night half-undressed. Red, at first, thinks that Chloe is stuck up, but as he gets to know her, Red is attracted to this woman who is brave in ways that he didn’t expect. When Chloe asks him to help her complete her “get a life” list, Red cannot resist her.

OPINION: This book is simply charming, and yet it is not fluffy but rather has a substantial adult storyline. This is the story of two people who have been hurt by others having to learn to communicate with one another. While there are some rom-com funny moments, the book feels really real. In how Chloe and Red fight and hurt one another at times, it at times felt too real but so incredibly lovely in how things work out.

Both Chloe and Red are such good people. Such a book could be dull, but this book goes so deep into the relationship between these two that I as a reader was totally invested in how these two would find a happy ending together.

Chloe has fibromyalgia, lives with constant pain, and has learned to be in control as she goes through the world. Unrestrained action can lead Chloe to When Red meets her, he takes her control for being “stuck up” and thinking she is better than others. Red, himself, has been hurt by such a woman, and so he has his own guard up to protect himself. Chloe has been abandoned by others because of her disease, and so she worries about opening herself up to anyone — friend or lover.

I loved that these two have wounds that the other person both reopens and also heals. The book is about relationships and community. There is a light gloss of Chloe’s “get a life” list that she is trying to complete, but the story and her list are really about trying to create relationships, love, and community with others.

This book surprised me, and I read it so quickly because I wanted to know how these two wonderful people would work out the problems in their lives. By the end, everything is not perfect in the world, and yet a rock-solid relationship between Chloe and Red is obvious.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a plot light book. It is really about Chloe and Red’s relationship — and a cat.

CONNECTED BOOKS: GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN is the first book in the Brown Sisters series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Risk the Night

Review: Risk the NightRisk the Night: An Ice Novella (Anne Stuart Short Reads) by Anne Stuart
Series: Ice #6.5
Published by Impeccably Demure Press on February 12, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 67
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: Dark, with a heartless “hero” that is close to pretty much a sociopath, this short story is such distilled Anne Stuart that I loved it. Admittedly, however, this will only be for a particular audience.

THE STORY: Madison gets the interview of a lifetime with Constantine, a heartless assassin. She is undone by the seductive man who is extremely dangerous and seemingly soulless. Constantine is taken with the woman who is far too innocent for him and can’t help but seek her out again.

OPINION: A long analysis of this story might be almost longer than the story itself. The description tells the reader just about everything about this story. Madison is a woman who has an almost fiance when she meets Constantine. There is something dark and hot between them from the moments they spend in a dark room together talking. So much so that although they never see one another, they almost instantly recognize one another when meeting at a different time and place.

Like many of Stuart’s heroes, Constantine is not heroic but rather dark and deadly. There is nothing soft and caring about him except for what he feels for Madison, but readers and Madison never get that softness. For many readers, this story will be a hard pass because of the darkness of the antihero, but Stuart has a following for a reason: her heroes are incredibly hard and dark, but the heroine is someone that they are willing for whom they are willing to change the world.

WORTH MENTIONING: This short, dark novella has violence and sex intertwined, so readers should be aware.

CONNECTED BOOKS: RISK THE NIGHT is a short story that takes place in the Ice universe. It is a standalone that doesn’t rely on anything from the prior books in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book five stars.

five-stars

Review: Seducing His Student

Review: Seducing His StudentSeducing His Student by London Hale
Series: Temperance Falls #9
Published by Carina Press on September 18, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Goodreads
two-stars

FINAL DECISION: This taboo was a little bit bothersome to me even though Sam is only a few weeks away from graduation. Others might like it better.

THE STORY: Elliott Goodridge is seriously attracted to the barista at his local coffee shop. What he doesn’t know is that she is Samantha Monroe and a college student at the same school where he was just hired as dean. Any relationship between them is forbidden, but the two can’t help themselves. But their relationship threatens both of their futures.

OPINION: This one was a bit bothersome to me because the two alternatively are troubled by the problematic nature of their relationship and having sexual encounters. While the text is sure to indicate that there is nothing coercive or problematic between Elliott and Sam, I wish they had just waited until she was done with school. There just aren’t enough pages in this story to seriously deal with the issues which are problematic for me as a reader.

I’m sure other readers will not be bothered by this taboo trope at all. The author does a good job of mitigating all the issues that might be objectionable. I just felt that it was silly that they couldn’t wait a couple of weeks when they already had known one another for a time.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a short quickie erotic romance.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SEDUCING HIS STUDENT is the ninth book in the Temperance Falls series. The books take place in the same town but are only loosely connected so this book works as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.

two-stars

Review: Bedding the Billionaire

Review: Bedding the BillionaireBedding the Billionaire by London Hale
Series: Temperance Falls #8
Published by London Hale on November 12, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 92
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: This one I really liked. It is hot and steamy with some drama and angst because of the boss/subordinate situation (which some might have a problem with but never feels icky here). This is my favorite of the series.

THE STORY: Billionaire Colin Huntley spent a hot night with a woman forbidden to him, his VP Sloan McLaren. When Sloan leaves unexpectedly that night, Colin is determined to continue his relationship with Sloan — even though her being his subordinate is problematic. Sloan can’t forget her night with Colin but is determined to be taken seriously as a businesswoman and not the plaything of her boss.

OPINION: This one is well constructed. It is hot and short and the relationship between Colin and Sloan is just great. There is respect between them and their existing relationship makes the shortness of the story work fine here. The conflict feels less artificial than in some of the other stories in this series. Although Colin is the boss, there is a real sense of equality between these two — both in bed and out. The story is very sexy (in fact most pages here are sex scenes) but there is something really respectful and mature about this relationship.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a short story of about 55 pages. The story is also called BEDDING MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BEDDING THE BILLIONAIRE is the eighth book in the Temperance Falls series. The books take place in the same town but are only loosely connected so this book works as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this one 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Cuff Me

Review: Cuff MeCuff Me (Temperance Falls: Selling Sin #2) by London Hale
Series: Temperance Falls #5
Published by London Hale on July 11, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 175
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: For a story that could be angsty, this actually ended up being sweet because the relationship between Lola and Connor is so nice. Okay story, but not as compelling as it could have been.

THE STORY: Lola Perez and Connor Nash have been neighbors and friends for two years. Lola has a secret that she is keeping from Connor. She is a sex worker and worries about losing Connor’s friendship and also what Connor might do because he is a cop. When Connor saves Lola from an aggressive client, the passion between Lola and Connor finally begins to be revealed.

OPINION: This story started out well with the conflict between Lola’s job and her friendship with Connor. I think the middle when they get together is the least satisfying part of the book because there really isn’t any tension or drama to keep the story moving and the sex scenes are just okay. Then the ending of the book was also good.

I did like that the book doesn’t take the obvious tact of Lola’s profession causing problems with Connor’s work or him being judgmental. But in trying to be positive, I think the author went too sweet and normal for this one. There needed to be some plot to drive the story forward.

This one was okay but nothing special. The title “cuff me” suggested some fun that wasn’t in this one.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a short story of about 70 pages.

CONNECTED BOOKS: CUFF ME is the fifth book in the Temperance Falls series. The books take place in the same town but are only loosely connected so this book works as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Tapping that Asset

Review: Tapping that AssetTapping That Asset (Brewery Duet #2) by London Hale
Series: Temperance Falls #11
Published by Kinship Press on October 27, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 132
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: This is an enjoyable story of two people who have a one-night stand, end up being at cross purposes but are hot for one another, and then fall in love. This was an enjoyable read.

THE STORY: AJ Phelps hooks up with a beautiful woman for a one-night stand. The next day, AJ is approached by Kennedy Rochester whose brother intends on shutting AJ’s brewery down. Both AJ and Kennedy are surprised to see one another after the night they spent together and find themselves at odds — even while they are intensely attracted to one another.

OPINION: This is an enjoyable, instant attraction story. AJ and Kennedy are immediately hot together. Nothing stops even though they are cross purposes, except there are complications for them.

I liked this one because AJ and Kennedy are great together from the beginning. They are both bright and dedicated to their work. Quickly they realize that they have something special together. The conflict worked in this case.

The story is short and not very complicated, but I enjoyed how the problem worked out in this case.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a short story of about 70 pages.

CONNECTED BOOKS: TAPPING HER ASSET is the eleventh book in the Temperance Falls series. The books take place in the same town but are only loosely connected so this book works as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Reunion

Review: ReunionReunion (Brewery Duet #1) by London Hale
Series: Temperance Falls #10
Published by London Hale on August 24, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 129
Goodreads
two-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I liked the couple here, but hated, hated, the ex and how Hannah acted around him. It diminished my liking for the story because of how terrible the scenes with Hannah and her ex were.

THE STORY: Luke has wanted Hannah for twelve years, but she has been in a relationship with his stepbrother. As long as Hannah was happy, Luke wasn’t going to mess up things between them. When Hannah, Luke, and his stepbrother are all staying together at a friend’s house for a high school reunion, things become complicated. Hannah ended her relationship with her ex before making the trip, but staying together in one place makes him believe she will come back to him because she has so many times before. When Luke realizes that he has an opportunity with Hannah, he is determined to take the chance. That story choice diminished my enjoyment of this story.

OPINION: I liked the couple here. The unrequited longing these two have for one another was great. When they get together they are sweet and hot combined. The story was fine. What I really didn’t like was the ex storyline. He is just terrible and Hannah acted like a doormat with him. The problem is that the two of them were together for a really long time. I just didn’t see what she could see in the ex. If she had changed and gotten a spine before she and Luke got together, I would be happier. I just thought that she needed some backbone before getting into a new relationship. Her willingness to take what is emotional abuse at the hands of the ex needed more than just getting into a new relationship.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a short story of about 80 pages.

CONNECTED BOOKS: REUNION is the tenth book in the Temperance Falls series. The books take place in the same town but are only loosely connected so this book works as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2.5 stars.

two-half-stars