Tag Archive | contemporary Romance

Kill Without Mercy by @AlexandraIvy #klover #thriller #romance

I received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis

Annie is in the small town of Newton, Iowa looking for answers. Her father is known as a serial killer from 15 years ago. When women begin to disappear in the same town. She wonders if she can help stop a killer.

Rafe went to Iowa to clear out his deceased grandfather’s house. Upon overhearing a conversation involving Annie, he decides that he needs to help her with her investigation. When there seems to be threats to Annie’s life, he is more convinced that he is doing the right thing.

Opinion

This book is one of the best thriller/suspense romance books I have read in a long while.

There were so many twists and turns, I almost got whiplash.

I really liked Rafe’s character. He was all alpha male and a protector. Rafe cannot deny the attraction between him and Annie, but initially he was intrigued because he is a sucker for damsel in distress.

“Rafe had a full blown case of savior complex…”

Annie’s life is a hot mess. I did not warm up to her at first, but I was able to understand her. Between the gaps in her memory, the nightmares, and the notoriety of her serial killer father, she was a mystery waiting to be solved.

Once all is revealed… Let’s just say wow!

I cannot say a lot about the story without giving anything away/ One of my favorite parts of the story was the camaraderie between Rafe and his friends. The five of them are Rafe, Hauk, Teagan, Max, and Lucas. I love them all so much. I cannot wait for them to get their own stories.

Should you buy? Absolutely yes! For me all of the ARES security stories are now on my TBR list. How Alexandra Ivy will top this story is beyond me, but I am eagerly waiting to find out.

Book Details from Amazon
File Size: 517 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Zebra (December 29, 2015)
Publication Date: December 29, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Countess Curvy: A Curvy Girl’s Earl #BBWromance

Dec5

Countess Curvy: A Curvy Girl’s Earl (A Curvy Girl’s Guide to Love Book 1)

Synopsis

Audrey is curvy and she is proud of it. She is not going to turn down a pastry to be in a smaller dress size.

Duncan is attracted to Audrey, but he has a difficult time convincing her that she is his type.

Opinion

This is your typical big-girl-with-self-esteem-but-the-hot-guy-could-not-want-me story.

Audrey rebuffs Duncan’s advances because she does not think she fits the image of what a girl who dates an earl would look like. She thinks that he will just break her heart when he is tired of her.

Of course in the end, Duncan has to make an enormous gesture to prove his love.

The story is like a cream puff, sweet but not very filling. There was not a lot of substance to the story; nor was there much character development. It was still a fun story. While it might seem to be fantasy, there is a certain aspect of it that could possibly happen. Look at Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla.

Should you buy? I am undecided. I think that if the book is on sale, get it. I know. I know. I have a warped view of how much book I should get for my money. I borrowed this book from a friend. I do not think reading it was waste of time, but I think if I had to pay $2.99 for it, I would have passed.

Book details from Amazon
File Size: 379 KB
Print Length: 109 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Wicked ePub (June 7, 2014)
Publication Date: June 7, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Beauty and the Boss by @DianeAlberts #netgalley

Nov5

I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beauty and the Boss (Modern Fairytales)

Synopsis

Benjamin is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, Gale Inc. His mother hates him and wants the board to remove him from the helm.

Trying to help him out of a particular sensitive situation, Maggie spontaneously tells his mother that they are engaged. Now she has to go along with the ruse or risk losing her job.

Benjamin loves the idea of the faux engagement and wants to turn it into a real romance. Maggie is understandably more cautious.

Opinion

Benjamin is my new book boyfriend.

The nickname for him in the office is “The Beast”. He may have a gruff manner but he was not too bad to me. He was mainly dealing with a lot of guilt following the death of his father. He was misunderstood mainly because of his negative interactions with his mother. As soon as he learned that Maggie was not one to be impressed with dollar signs, he was better off. When it came to relationships, he seemed sweet and thoughtful. While he could be serious when it came to work, he had a fun side when he knew he could let down his guard.

When the conflict reaches its peak, Benjamin asks the right questions. He tries. Got to love him for trying.

Maggie has spunk and I could empathize with her. I could understand speaking out to help in a situation, but not all together thinking through the implications of aforementioned actions. She did well trying to protect her heart. In the end, it was in good, capable hands.

Should you buy? Yes!!! I loved the story. I loved the characters. I could relate to them and I wish I knew them in real life. Buy this book and you will not be disappointed.

Book details
File Size: 1063 KB
Print Length: 190 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence (November 16, 2015)
Publication Date: November 16, 2015
Sold by: Macmillan

Available on Amazon

Summer Storm #MCromance #bookreview

Sep16

Summer Storm: A Satan’s Fury MC Novella

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.