Synopsis

Guardrail is part of a motorcycle club. When a guy steals from the club, he is responsible for tracking him down.

Allie is the sister of the man they are looking to find.

Guardrail should not want to get into a relationship with Allie since he is looking for her brother, but there is something about her that makes him want stake a claim.

Opinion

I read this book because it was part of a compilation that I bought on Amazon. I am not into the whole motorcycle club scene because they usually are involved in illegal activities (e.g. Sons of Anarchy). The few books I have read in the past, it was from the viewpoint of an undercover officer infiltrating the “club” to put a stop to whatever drug/sex trafficking they were doing.

This motorcycle club was doing all the things that were against the law; but to hear them rationalize it, they were maintaining order in the community. “Maintaining order” is best described as eliminating threats in a manner in which others will think twice before circumventing the established chain of command.

This was the first book that I have read where the main focus was on a MC member starting a relationship with his “old lady”. I’m not a staunch feminist, but really? And he only will give her information on a need-to-know basis. Why so many secrets?

It was hard for me to get involved in the romance because I kept wondering if Allie wanted to break up him later, would she have to go into protective custody? She is essentially becoming part of a gang. One does not just leave the gang. Forget the explosive chemistry. Her life could be at stake. Maybe all motorcycle clubs are not into nefarious dealings, but in this story there is a whole lot of shady going on. And when the law enforcement eventually shuts it all down, the “old ladies” are getting arrested too.

This review has been derailed by my overactive imagination.

Should you buy? If you like stories about motorcycle club heroes, you might like this. If you rather your hero be law abiding, then this is not for you.

Book details from Amazon
File Size: 689 KB
Print Length: 100 pages
Publication Date: June 25, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Available on Amazon

Short romance novella #reviews

Sep10

I read a few novellas and none had enough substance to warrant a full blog length post.

Overtime Love

Synopsis

Drew thought he would own the semi-pro football team where he is general manager. The owner died and left it to his granddaughter Tasha.

Tasha does not know much about owning a football team and is cognizant of the fact that the current general manager thought he would own the team. She knows that they have to work with each other if the team is going be a success. At the same time, she is trying to figure out why her grandfather put her in this situation.

Opinion

The story line is not very original but it was entertaining.

Drew and Tasha have preconceived notions about each other. However, these prove to be false once they get more acquainted with each other. Since they acknowledge the intense attraction, they decide to mix business with pleasure with the caveat that they are leaving their hearts out of it.

He said, “He could make love to her for the rest of his life, but he remembers their agreement – no ties, no commitment.”

She said, “She wanted this incredible man in her life but knew she had to keep the desire unspoken.”

It is obvious to the reader that they have deep emotions for each other but it is a matter of who will crack first and profess undying love and devotion.

How long will it take to communicate?

Thankfully, it did not take long since this is a novella.

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Ex-mas Reunion

Synopsis

Kendra and Damien are stranded in a snow storm at the airport. Needing to get home, they decided to drive a car together since all the flights are cancelled.

Opinion

There was not much to this story. The reason they broke up was poor communication. They needed a long drive to provide them with uninterrupted time to talk out their emotions.

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Holiday Affair

Synopsis

Ava and Colby are Atlanta attorneys that engage in a one-night stand. Then they find out that they are the opposing counsel on a major case. Colby’s client is suing Ava’s client for employment discrimination.

Opinion

The story line was okay. In comparison to the love scenes in the other two stories, this story was extremely graphic. I was not prepared .

It was at that point where I started to doubt that this was supposed to be a romance. I wanted to tell Ava to stop jumping bones with Colby. In the midst of all the uncontrollable “lovemaking”, they decide to commit to each other.

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Should you buy? If the book is in compilation, then yes if the price is not more than $2. If the books are sold separately, then Overtime Love might be the only one that I really recommend.

Defining Destiny can lead to love triangles #definingdestiny

Aug30

Defining Destiny (Destiny, Book 1): New Adult Romance

Synopsis

This story is set in a reality where everyone has one true soul mate. With that person, everything they do together is better.

Lucy’s soulmate is Caden. When they sing, it is a magical connection that moves people on an emotional level. However, Caden is also selfish and conniving which is why Lucy leaves him.

Seth lost his soulmate in a car accident. He is an artist and she was his inspiration. He is attracted to Lucy but is uncertain where it will lead.

Opinion

The story is told from the POV of Lucy and Seth. In this reality, soulmate just means there is a strong connection between two people but it does not confirm monogamy.

Caden was a complete douche. For example, he lied and manipulated many times to keep Lucy close. I was annoyed with Lucy for being as nice as she was to him.

While I thought this was supposed to be a story about Lucy and Seth, I felt like I was reading more about Lucy and Caden. As a result, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters.

Since Caden was self-seeking and egotistical, it was easy to root for Seth. But then he was emo so much of the time, that I wondered if Lucy would just be better off without either one. Then I would think, “Should I get emotionally vested in a Lucy-Seth match if there is a chance she could toss that to go back to jerk #1 Caden?” In a way it was kind of like a love triangle but not really.

I finished the story and all I can say is that there was a satisfying but missing something end.

Should you buy? If you want a book that is infuriating and set in an alternate reality where everything you know as logical may or may not be true, then read Defining Destiny. If you do not want to have to think that hard, then pass.

Details from Goodreads

ebook, 266 pages
Published by Bayou Moon Publishing, LLC (first published February 20th 2014)
series Defining Destiny #1

Black Hills by Nora Roberts #review #romance

Aug15

Black Hills

Synopsis

Cooper (Coop) and Lillian (Lil) meet as children when Coop goes to visit his grandparents for the summer in South Dakota. They keep in touch over the years and eventually fall in love with one another. They are both in their early 20’s at this point.

Coop is nowhere near having his life together. On the other hand, Lil has her career path laid out. Feeling as if he does not deserve her, he breaks up with her.

Years later, he is back in South Dakota to help out his grandparents and decides that now he is worthy of being with Lil. Meanwhile, there is a psychopath serial killer that is obsessed with Lil.

Opinion

Since this is a Nora Roberts romance, I really wanted to like this book. I do not think you can fully understand my desire to want to like this book. I was so excited to find it in a used book store and was looking forward to curling up and reading this, having warm fuzzy feelings, and re-reading again and again. Since most of my books these days are on my kindle, I was going to treasure holding a book in my hand and adding this one to my bookshelf collection.

The good –

(1) I like the demonstrations of love between Lil’s parents and Coop’s grandparents. It is evident that these two couples have been in love for decades.

(2) Lil’s mother pragmatic approach to Lil’s hang ups is probably what helped her to get over herself and give Coop a second chance.

The bad –

(1) The story seemed to drag on and on. I do not mind 400 pages if the book is interesting enough to keep my interest

There was so much detail about wildlife preserve and the big cats (cougars, jaguars, etc) held there that I began to feel overwhelmed with the details. Maybe that would have been more interesting to me if I already knew more about it. If it was not for the fact that I wanted to find out how the showdown between Lil and psychopath went, I probably would have stopped reading.

(2) Coop’s attitude of “I’m going to stay here until you want to make love to me” would have grated my nerves more if I was not already perturbed with Lil. He was clueless when he thought that they amicably broke up. But for him to think years later that they would pick up where they left off was laughable.

(3) Despite the fact that there was a psychopath on the loose, it seems that the authorities did little to notify the public of the danger he posed. Why were there not posters of his face everywhere? The news outlets should have been warning people. Why did people not lock their doors? He should not have been able walk in public or talk to anyone without an alarm being sounded.

The ugly –

(1) Lil’s you-broke-my-heart attitude was exasperating. OKAY! We get it. He broke you heart 10 years ago.

Stop sleeping with him. It sends mixed messages. Did you forgive him or not? It seemed irrational that she would “trust him with her life” but at the same time be worried that he would leave her.

(2) Both are so wrapped up in their own feelings that they do not recognize how their actions affected the other. Granted, I think that Coop eventually understood how his misguided attempt to ensure Lil’s happiness backfired. But I do not think that Lil really fully appreciated the intent of Coop’s actions. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, he was partially right. He would have been an anchor on her boat to success, weighing her down and probably preventing her from achieving much of what she accomplished. The fact that she could not admit even a little that his thought process had some merit is what disappointed me most about Lil’s character. It is as if she discounted all that he was dealing with at the time because it caused her discomfort.

In the end, I was confused. I never experienced these types of negative emotions with a Nora Roberts’ book.

Should you buy? I cannot really recommend Black Hills, but if you are a die hard Nora Roberts fan, you might want to read just to say you have read all her books. Then again, if you like whiny heroines, you will like this book.

Book Details from Goodreads
Hardcover, 472 pages
Published July 7th 2009 by Putnam (first published 2009)
Setting Black Hills, South Dakota, 2009 (United States)
Available on Amazon

Girl on the Train #thriller #suspense

Jul25

The Girl on the Train

Synopsis

Set in one of the towns outside of London, Rachel has lost her job but she still takes the train into the city every day as if she were still working. As she passes one particular house, she makes up a story about the couple who lives there and their idyllic life together. In her mind, this couple is happily married in stark contrast to her own failed marriage.

When Rachel sees something that she thinks is relevant to the disappearance of the wife of the couple she has been watching from the train, she tries to help in the only way she knows how.

Opinion

This is a thriller to the max. Some of the themes dealt with in this book: alcoholism, marital infidelity, domestic violence, and voyeurism. The story is told from 3 points of view: Rachel, Megan, and Anna.

None are particularly likable. Nor can they be trusted because they have warped views of reality.

In Rachel’s case, she is an alcoholic.

“It is as if people can see damage written all over me, can see it on my face.”

Megan and Anna are so self-absorbed and self-serving. They both liked being the center of attention.

“I miss being a mistress…I never felt guilty” – Anna

While I can say that I did not like Rachel, I did feel sorry for her. I think that Rachel inserts herself in the mystery of Megan’s disappearance because she wants to do something positive as if to prove her worth.

“Women are still only valued for 2 things – their looks and their role as mothers.”

Unfortunately, she is no Nancy Drew. When stressed, she drinks to dull the pain and ends up feeling worse than before. Oh Rachel! Let’s stay sober and focus!

This was a funny quote from the book –

“How much better life must have been for jealous drunks before email and texts and mobile phones.”

When I thought I figured out who did it, I had to read the last chapter to be sure I had it right. I need to do that for my sanity.

I did have some questions at the end that I thought were not fully explained.

I wish I knew why Anna was the way she was. Also, I would have liked to understand why Rachel was so obsessively in love with Tom.

Overall, I enjoyed Girl on the Train. Other reviewers said this book was similar to Gone Girl. If it has not been for my book club’s choice for the month, I would not have read it. If you liked Gone Girl, but HATED the ending like me, then this book is for you. The writing is similar. It is similar how the characters are portrayed and the emotions they evoke. The ending is way better. You will feel less angry.