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Review: Wildfire

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Review: WildfireWildfire (Hidden Legacy, #3) by Ilona Andrews
Series: Hidden Legacy #3
Published by Avon on May 25, 2022
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 405
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: Another great entry in the Hidden Legacy series. The story gets deeper and richer with each book, and this book has some great action sequences. Nevada and Rogan’s story is just about done (with the exception of the transition novella), and it is clear things are shifting towards Catalina.

THE STORY: Things are changing for Nevada Baylor. As she is applying for her family to be recognized as an official House, she is becoming more known among those in the magic world. She now has more enemies and also some men who are interested in a strategic marriage. None of these make her current lover, Rogan, happy. Nevada isn’t happy either because her new client is Rogan’s ex-fiancée, whose husband has disappeared. Nevada and Rogan also continue their investigation into the large conspiracy attempting to upend the magical hierarchy.

OPINION: This is such a great series. Every book so far has managed to exceed my expectations. There is so much action, adventure, and heart in these books. I loved how the story managed to balance the romance, the suspense/action, and the humor.

We get to learn much more about the secrets of the Baylor family as those characters take on a larger role in this book. This book completes the trilogy about Nevada and Rogan’s romance and “mostly” resolves the overarching storyline. There are some loose ends, but the story is overall satisfying. It can be seen as the end of “Season 1” of the series.

One of the biggest developments in this book is that we get to know Nevada’s ruthless grandmother, Victoria Tremaine, who has been trying to abduct/take control of Nevada as Victoria is the last Prime in the House of Tremaine. There is such complexity to this character who could have been an evil caricature.

As Nevada and Rogan are together and in love, there are some complexities that are set as possible obstacles and dangers, but I really loved that I never questioned the depth of Nevada and Rogan’s relationship. The two really work things out in such an adult way. They talk about their challenges and never really doubt one another.

There is so much I love about this book. The humor is great. The book feels like it could be immediately put on film as there are great set pieces of action and humorous events.

WORTH MENTIONING: Some mysteries of the Baylor family’s magic talents are revealed.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WILDFIRE is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series. This book should be read in order because of the overarching storyline.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Burn for Me

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Review: Burn for MeBurn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews
Series: Hidden Legacy #1
Published by Avon on October 28, 2020
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 406
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: I loved this book! It felt fresh and exciting. The world-building was extensive, and yet nothing stopped while the world was revealed. This was such an exciting, fast-moving book that I finished it quickly and immediately picked up the next book in the series.

THE STORY: Nevada Baylor unwillingly takes on a case — to bring alive a powerful magic user. Nevada is then kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan, a very, very powerful Prime magic user who is on his own mission to find Nevada’s quarry. Nevada and Rogan end up reluctantly joining forces. The two are involved in a very dangerous situation — not only in finding the rogue magic user but also handling the attraction between them.

OPINION: This book is a wild ride. The story is action-packed and feels like it could be a movie. The world created in this book is detailed and vibrant. The world has a historical feel as the power in the world revolves around houses that have different powerful magical traits. There are rules and types of courtesies between these houses, and also, the rules don’t apply in the same way to the magical as it does to the non-magical.

I loved the characters. Nevada is a woman of tremendous power who is just learning who she is. I was totally on board for her journey where her magic which has been hidden, is not only exposed, but also she learns that her power is far beyond what she knew about herself. She also has a quirky family filled with distinctive characters. (Her sister ends up being a heroine in later books in this series).

Mad Rogan is powerful and damaged and an incredible hero. His story begins with him being completely without conscience or boundaries, and yet he has depths that Nevada begins to recognize — even as she runs from him. He has a journey of his own which makes both characters a joy to follow in their character development.

The focus of this book is the story, and the romance is certainly present, but this is not solely focused on the romance. It is a paranormal adventure with a serious romantic plot, but it doesn’t have a typical romance arc that is done here. I really care more about the romance in all these books, and I loved how Rogan and Nevada interact, but readers should not expect romance to be the main story here.

WORTH MENTIONING: The couple’s story here is not complete. There is a resolution in the immediate plot, but there are overarching storylines, including the relationship between Nevada and Rogan, that continue over the series. FYI there is no sex in this book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BURN FOR ME is the first book in the Hidden Legacy series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Get a Life, Chloe Brown

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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: The Counterfeit Scoundrel

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Review: The Counterfeit ScoundrelThe Counterfeit Scoundrel (The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction, #1) by Lorraine Heath
Series: The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction #1
Published by Avon on February 21, 2023
Genres: Historical
Pages: 377
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Because Daisy is a private investigator, there is a mystery here to solve. Ultimately, there are some unexpected twists in the story that I enjoyed. The plot here somewhat outweighs the romance, but I thought the relationship between Daisy and Bishop was fun.

THE STORY: One of the Chessmen, Bishop, aka David Blackwood, is a notorious womanizer, having been named in various divorces as committing adultery with wives. Daisy Townsend is a private investigator who has taken a position in Bishop’s house to confirm whether or not he is having an affair with her client’s wife. Bishop can’t stop thinking about his new maid when he sees her. The two seem to be playing a game, outsmarting and flirting simultaneously. When Bishop becomes a suspect in a murder, Daisy has to help find the real murderer.

OPINION: This book is more mystery heavy than I expected from a Lorraine Heath book. (I think I could read a mystery series with Daisy and Bishop and be happy!) I thought the mystery was intriguing, and the twist in the story was unexpected but worked well in the context of this story.

I also really liked the interactions between Daisy and Bishop. There is clearly a real intellectual connection between the two, along with hot chemistry. The scenes where the two are together are the best in the book. The negative in this book is that the two need to be together more in the book. Instead, there is much setup of the plot that the romance suffers somewhat. There is a bit of instant-love in this book because the two don’t have enough time together.

But the moments the two are together are wonderful as they challenge one another as to what is happening in the plot and their individual hang-ups about relationships and marriage. This book ends up being about making the decision to trust despite the evidence that things can go very wrong.

Ultimately, this is a solid book that I liked because of the connection between Daisy and Bishop. It wasn’t as angst-filled as other Heath romances, and I missed that aspect, but it was enjoyable.

WORTH MENTIONING: I loved the Easter eggs of characters that appear from prior Lorraine Heath books.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE COUNTERFEIT SCOUNDREL is the first book in The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction series. However, the first Chessman is King, the hero of THE DUCHESS HUNT. It is unnecessary to read that book first, but I recommend it because it introduces the group of men about which this series is about.

STAR RATING: I give this book four stars.

four-stars

Review: Her Night with the Duke

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Review: Her Night with the DukeHer Night with the Duke (Clandestine Affairs, #1) by Diana Quincy
Series: Clandestine Affairs #1
Published by Avon on September 29, 2020
Genres: Historical
Pages: 382
Goodreads

FINAL DECISION: Almost really good. There are parts that I loved, but ultimately, I didn’t get enough of the emotional connection between the hero and heroine. Instead, the story felt somewhat clinical as it was hitting the story beats.

THE STORY: Lady Leela Chambers is at a country inn on a rainy night when she runs into a gentleman who helps her out after she saves herself from some men who accosted her. Leela and the stranger spend one night together. The next day, Leela is shocked to find out that he is the duke who is planning on marrying her stepdaughter.  Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington, is shocked to discover Leela’s connection to his future betrothed, but he can’t stop thinking about Leela, and the two struggle with the attraction between them.

OPINION: Enjoyable and yet lacked a great hero to make this a great book. Instead, the heroine walks all over the hero and he feels weak pretty much the whole book. I prefer books where the couples compromise together as a real relationship requires not one where the woman never evolves. At the same time, the book is on the edge of developing a great emotional conflict because the hero is engaged to the heroine’s stepdaughter and the two feel like they cannot be together. At times I loved this book, but overall a good one-time read.

I wanted to like this book more, but ultimately the main characters didn’t feel like equals. Eliot never feels like a complete character. It is close, but I have read so many great heroes that I needed him to be stronger or more revealed to the reader or loved more by Leela. Instead, the book is focused on Leela and her wants and needs and Eliot has to be manipulated to fulfill everything that she wants.

At the same time, I loved so much of this book. I loved the emotional devastation of Leela telling Eliot that he must marry her stepdaughter and his willingness to do whatever Leela expects of him. I also thought the twin confrontations towards the end of the book were nicely mirrored with one another.

This book was worth reading, but I was intrigued and yet disappointed.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book was intriguing enough that I bought the other books in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HER NIGHT WITH THE DUKE is the first book in the Clandestine Affairs series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

Review: The Reluctant Countess

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Review: The Reluctant CountessThe Reluctant Countess (Would-Be Wallflowers, #2) by Eloisa James
Series: Would-Be Wallflowers #2
Published by Avon on November 29, 2022
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this book because Yasmin is so resilient, and I loved how she stands up for herself despite the approbation of society and even Giles at times. I loved how Giles’s love for Yasmin transforms him and how he struggles with his societal expectations. This book manages to be sweet and hot at the same time.

THE STORY: Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, is undone by Lady Yasmin Régnier. Yasmin is everything he could want in a wife, except that her dress and her behavior, and her history are not what he sees as proper. That makes her ineligible for consideration as his countess, but he can’t stop wanting to spend time with her. Yasmin has a past and is determined to be strong in the face of the disapproval of British society and Giles. Giles is too stuffy and judgemental, yet Yasmin finds that Giles constantly exceeds her expectations.

OPINION: This book is so much more serious than the initial setup appeared to portend. Yasmin and Giles have to learn to speak to one another about their fears and dreams. There was so much I loved about this book, but I really couldn’t stand Gile’s sister, who just drove me crazy for the entire book. I understand that she is hurting as well, but being hurt doesn’t give one the privilege of hurting others.

Despite this, however, I really did love the characters as they worked out their relationship with one another. There was something incredibly romantic about how Giles is completely undone by Yasmin and realizes that he has to change to have what he wants. He begins so judgmental but realizes that he is wrong. So rarely does a hero contemplate his own actions and realize that he was wrong without having an extremely dramatic situation. I ended up loving Giles because he is willing to change to be worthy of Yasmin. Those changes are about mindset and attitude and about his judgments rather than something external to himself. While the reader understands why Giles is the way he is, it is understanding rather than justification.

I really loved Yasmin, who has taken the roughest part of life and made something sparkling and joyful for herself. That is why Giles falls for her and why I like her as well. So much in life could have struck her down and destroyed her, and yet she remains positive about so much.

I think I really have a thing for the grumpy hero and the ray of sunshine. This book has some of that and yet upends all expectations of that trope. Giles is not as grumpy and reserved as he appears, and Yasmin has depth and real pain in her life.

WORTH MENTIONING: I can’t wait to read Silvester’s book. He is adorable in this one.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS is the second book in the Would-Be Wallflowers series. The romance here is self-contained, and there is no overarching storyline, so that this book can be read as a standalone. There are appearances, however, by characters from the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Wilde Child

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Review: Wilde ChildWilde Child (The Wildes of Lindow Castle, #7) by Eloisa James
Series: The Wildes of Lindow Castle #7
Published by Avon on March 30, 2021
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: The Wildes of Lindow has been an amazing series. This book fits right in. The romance is complex, with the relationship building so beautifully between the characters. Both Joan and Thaddeus feel real. There is a lot of adult talking between them, which I love more than unnecessary drama. There is plenty of drama here, but it is not made up of dramatics but deep conflicts that must be worked through.

THE STORY: Lady Joan is scandalous just for existing. Her golden hair reveals that her mother was unfaithful to the Duke of Lindow. Joan is not willing to be quiet and hope people forget about her. Instead, she is always running into scandals of her own. This time Joan is going to act as Hamlet in breeches. Her model for the aristocratic Hamlet is Vicount Greywick, Thaddeus. Greywick spends much of his time saving Joan from herself. Although he has no intention of falling under her spell, he can’t stop spending time with her and is determined to protect her. The two enter into a bargain, Thaddeus will facilitate one real performance by Joan as Hamlet, and she will agree to finally marry. While Thaddeus doesn’t plan on being the groom, he also is attracted to Joan despite his best intentions.

OPINION: This book subverted my expectations. Every time that I thought that I knew in what direction the story would go, it swerved and became deeper and more complex. The story could have been about a free spirit (Joan) and a rigid stick-in-the-mud (Thaddeus), but it wasn’t. The characters have mixed motives and grow and change through this book.

Joan initially seems flighty to me, but her maturity and reasonableness are demonstrated as the story progresses. At the same time, she remains herself. Both the reader and Thaddeus begin to see things in Joan that were unclear as the book began. The same is true for Thaddeus, who is exposed as the book continues.

What I love best about this book is that it never forgets that it is a romance between two people. It’s not the story of Joan finding herself or being independent. Rather it is about how two people fall in love. I’ve greatly tired of recent books which seem only interested in the heroine’s story, and the hero is merely a toy to be manipulated or played off against the heroine. What I find most satisfying in this case is how Joan and Thaddeus grow, change, and become a couple.

This book is funny, romantic, and quite enjoyable (and even has a small secondary romance). I will miss the Wildes greatly.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has a nice wrap-up of the series at the end.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WILDE CHILD is the sixth book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series. The romance here is self-contained, so it can be read as a standalone. The entire family appears in this book, however, so it is better to read in order to get the entire dynamic.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-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: 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: 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