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.

FINAL DECISION: I liked the interactions between the characters, but the plot just didn’t work for me. Too much insta-love, and I needed more of this story to give it a higher rating.

THE STORY: Sebastian Shaw takes business very seriously and is determined to take care of a deal for his boss — even if it requires him impersonating a friend to find out what is going on with the O’Neill business. When he discovers a business in turmoil, he also finds Sloan, the youngest daughter, who is earnest and trying to keep things together. As Sebastian begins to fall for Sloan, things become complicated.

OPINION: There were parts of this book that I really loved. When Sloan and Bas are on the page together, their chemistry crackles with intensity. I even really liked that she is furious at him and twists him into knots at every turn. What I didn’t like was how the plot was integrated into the story. The couple spends way too much time apart. The crisis moment is too abrupt, and the resolution is even more “magic fix.” I wanted to like this one because the characters were great and had such great potential, but the plot was too jerky, and the happy ending was not earned in any way.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book contains deception and lying, which really turned me off for the first part of this book, but then the book takes a turn.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MORE THAN HATE YOU is the seventh book in the Reed Family Reckoning/More Than Words series. This book can be read as a standalone, although characters from the series appear here.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed the book, although the couple seems to be perfect for one another so quickly that I didn’t feel the tension in the book. On the plus side, the characters are really good people, mostly act in reasonable ways towards one another, and the book is hot.

THE STORY: Trace Weston has migrated from a fancy-free bachelor to a single dad. He’s been living a quiet life since getting custody of his son when his sister-in-law asks him to show her best friend, who is just out of a long-term relationship, what sex with someone who knows what he is going is like. Masey Garrett isn’t his usual type, but she immediately captures Trace’s attention, and he quickly wants more than a one-night stand.

OPINION: This was an interesting story because there really wasn’t much conflict or even a storyline. The book is intensely focused on the romance between Trace and Masey, and that’s about it. I kept expecting some plot turn, but there isn’t a typical story plot to follow. Yes, there are a couple of twists in the romance, but no real external conflict. Because of that, I didn’t really like the situation, which ended up resolving the story. I thought that this couple deserved a more positive push to their happy ending. It was a bit of a letdown.

Both Trace and Masey are really nice people (unlike some of the others in this series). There are no intense secrets or lies between the couple. So I enjoyed that aspect of the story. There was something really pleasant about reading about two people having a sweet romance between them. And there is a cute kid as well!

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the series will be pleased to get an update about several of the couples — including a wedding.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MORE THAN DARE YOU is the sixth book in the Reed Family Reckoning/More Than Words series. This book is less connected to the series than other books, so it is not necessary to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.