Surprise billionaire in BBW romance

Make You Mine (A BBW Romance) (Fifty Shades of Romance (Curves)) – ♥♥♥

Synopsis:
Daryl works for a dating agency and it is her job to sign rich, single guys for mixers to meet single ladies. Tevin has an unassuming look about him but there are clues that he has money. Since he is good looking and rich, Daryl wants to sign him up with the agency. He agrees if she will agree to date him. That is not what she had in mind, but she does want to keep her job.

Opinion:
Daryl is a sweet girl that is in a catch-22 situation. She really likes Tevin and the more she gets to know him, the greater her feelings for him. But at the same time, she is thinking about her job. She needs him to sign up so that she can keep her job. Tevin outmaneuvered her into dating him. That was okay with me since he was a cutie.

If only all uber-rich guys could be as nice as him.

This is a cute novella. I like the fact that Daryl is a BBW who is not whiny about the fact that she is curvy. The love scenes are tame, not graphic. I previously read several books that were not so great, so I was not anticipating that I would like the book that much. Plus the title said “Fifty Shades of Romance” so I lower my expectations even more.

You ask “Why did I read it?”

I am addicted to reading, I guess. I wanted to occupy some time with mindless entertainment. Some people watch reality TV.
I read trashy romance novels. But I digress…

Since I had rock bottom expectations, I was delightfully surprised with this book. It was not trashy at all. The fact that I was expecting so little made the ending much sweeter. You know from the synopsis that the leading man is rich, but there is a surprise at the end that makes you want to say “Awwwww” and read the book all over again. I will not say anymore because I want you to buy Make You Mine (A BBW Romance) (Fifty Shades of Romance (Curves)) and read it yourself.

Overall, this short story is a great purchase when you have some free time.

Safe in his arms Texas Ranger style

Jul20

Safe In His Arms (Manhunt Book 1) ♥ ♥ ♥

Synopsis

Mia is an abused wife running from a crazy ex-husband. Because of her testimony, he was sentenced to prison. He is supposed to be gone for a long while and she thinks she will be able to heal and rebuild her life. Unfortunately, Texas Ranger Alex has to tell her the bad news. Her peaceful life has now become a nightmare because her ex-husband has escaped prison.

When Alex first met Mia while helping to convict her ex-husband of her attempted murder, he could not deny that he was attracted to her. But considering the circumstances of how they met, he was good not to try to put the moves on a recently battered woman. Now that he sees her again, Alex knows that he has to do everything to protect her while trying to deny the attraction that is still present.

Opinion

This is a short story with a very clear villain determined to get his wife back under his power. Fortunately for Mia, she picked a hero instead of an abusive, cowardly zero to love the second time around.

The story is gritty and action-packed. Mia’s ex has money and is well-connected. These are things that make it more difficult for the authorities to catch him and end and his reign of terror over her.

While all of this is going on, she still has time to fall in love. Granted I’m glad she does, but I wonder if it is too soon after a trauma. Maybe all she needs is a good man who would treat her right with tenderness and care (for any feminists out there, no need to hear from your peanut gallery- you know what I meant). However, a small part of me wonders how much healing does an abused woman need? It can be just as dangerous to leave one relationship and get into another without fully recuperating.

I know this post is turning serious, but when romance stories mix elements like this into their plot line, I worried about the message it sends. I do not think emotionally damaged women who have been abused and terrorized by significant others should be quick to get into another relationship ( even if the guy is a super awesome, physically well-built, make-ya-wanna-moan man). Getting physical with the new guy can confuse the situation.

Okay off my soapbox now.

Overall, I liked Safe In His Arms well enough. I was thinking about it long after I finished reading it. For the book to spur such thought and reaction says a lot. Bravo to the author for that.

To buy Safe In His Arms (Manhunt Book 1) on Amazon click any of the links in this post

A kiss for Midwinter

Jul5

A Kiss for Midwinter ♥ ♥ ♥

Synopsis

When the book begins, Lydia is 15, unmarried, pregnant, and at the doctor’s office with her parents. Jonas is the doctor’s intern, there only to observe. Years later when he takes over the practice, he sees Lydia again. She remembers how they know each other and assumes he thinks the worst of her. Instead of choosing one of the women that obviously fancies him, Jonas is trying to figure out how to breakthrough Lydia’s wall of distrust.

Opinion:

Courtney Milan creates very complex characters her books. Her women are strong but usually damaged in some way. That is the case with Lydia. She was an innocent who suffered because she trusted someone who took advantage of her naivety. She had a great deal of self-recrimination that she had to come to terms with before she would be able to trust again.

Jonas was my type of guy. As a doctor, he was interested in honest, open communication, even when that meant explaining bodily functions and responses. Speaking frankly about intimate matters without attaching any stigma was important in helping Lydia to believe that he was sincere in his affections. If there had been more doctors like him during that time, I think there would have been less sickness and unwanted pregnancies.

Overall, I liked A Kiss for Midwinter because of its interesting characters. The story emphasizes an important lesson in love: forgive yourself first for past indiscretions before trying to love another. Sometimes it is nice to read a romance novella with such a positive message.

Handsomest man in the country

Jun30

The Handsomest Man in the Country, #1 The Traherns: ♥ ♥ ♥

Synopsis:

After the Civil War, Mallory is forced to go west when her parents died. Through a series of misfortunes, she is forced to marry Trahern. Since she had to marry out of necessity, there was not any attraction between the two main characters. In fact, Mallory initially described her husband this way, “I did never seen the back end of a mule as ugly as this man”. Trahern realizes that he is a man with not many options. He is, however, willing do what it takes so that Mallory does not regret marrying him.

Opinion

This was a cute story about Mallory and Trahern getting to know each other after the forced marriage. I do not prefer stories told in the first person point of view, especially when the character is from a different era. Mallory talked and viewed the world like the backwoods, country girl she was. Some of her points of view were humorous, but at times it took me a minute to understand what she was talking about. This story was sweet enough to compensate for the fact it was told in first-person point of view.

As a novella, The Handsomest Man in the Country, #1 The Traherns is a short read for the afternoon or at the doctor’s office. The end is worth the purchase. If you do not mind first-person point of view novels, I would suggest this author’s series because I think they will all be very interesting.

To buy The Handsomest Man in the Country, #1 The Traherns on Amazon click any of the links in this post

Lonely Lords Series: Ethan

Jun25

Ethan: Lord of Scandals (The Lonely Lords) – ♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Ethan is the oldest brother to Nicholas and he is a widowed father of two young boys. Alice is their governess. (there is so much going on in this story that I did not even know where to start).

Opinion

It would seem that this story is the standard “man falls for governess” trope. While parts of the story seem to drag on (blame Victorian polite society for all the prevaricating), all of that seemingly fluff helps the reader understands why there is so much hesitation on both sides to enter into a relationship. Every scene helped me to understand the Ethan and Alice so that they were more than characters on a page. They became more 3-dimensional.

The villains caused so much drama that I wondered if the main characters would be able to overcome it all. I disliked Ethan’s wife more and more as the story developed. She did a number on his emotional state that almost ruined him for future relationships. Throughout the story, I could ascertain bits and pieces of the main villain despicable character, but the depths of his evilness were spelled out near the end. He got better than I think he deserved considering the havoc he cause on the lives of so many people.

Out of all the Lonely Lords series romances, so far Ethan: Lord of Scandals (The Lonely Lords) was my most favorite, possibly because Ethan and Alice were so damaged. I am a sucker for the underdog getting a happy-ever-after ending.