Tag Archive | contemporary Romance

-Letter X– Across the Tracks @AprilAtoZ #atozchallenge #IRromance #BWWM

Apr28

X is for Xyla (Xyla Turner)

Across the Tracks

4heart

Synopsis
Lisa and Rich had a negative racial experience with each other as children. While Rich did not give it another thought, it helped to form Lisa into who she is and the career choices she decided to make as an adult.

When Lisa and Rich meet as adults, there is an intense attraction. They have to decide if they will act on it and how it will impact their lives.

Opinion
I loved this book like I have not loved another IRR (interracial romance)!!! This story was REAL and focused on how true love can conquer everything. I think a lot of IRR gloss over the negative aspects an interracial couple has to face. There are the sideways racist comments and people that will try to sabotage the relationship for no other reason than they do not want to see the mixed couple together.

Rich probably had the most development to make in the course of the book. He was a product of his environment because his father was so prejudiced. I know men like Rich that have racist families but they do not let that define who they decide to love.

Lisa might not have been overtly racists, but she had her own internal issues that she had to come to terms with and decide what was most important to her.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
I say BUY especially if you are a fan of IRR. This is a story like no other.

Book details
Print Length: 167 pages
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Series: None

buy_this_book

-Letter W – Never Kiss a Stranger @AprilAtoZ #atozchallenge #stepsiblingromance

Apr27

W is for Winter (Winter Renshaw)

Never Kiss a Stranger (Never Say Never)


Synopsis
Addison and Wilder meet using a dating app (similar to Tinder) and agree to one night. No questions asked. No last names.

The next day, Wilder decides that he has not had enough of Addison and they keep hooking up.

Then, they find out their parents are getting married and they will be step-siblings.

Opinion
When I read the book blurb, I imagined the characters differently. While I appreciated the explosive between-the-sheets chemistry, that is not enough to base an entire relationship.

I thought that Wilder seemed immature. He was too much of a dominating alpha male and super needy at the same time.

Image result for how is that possible meme
Even with that, I was planning on rating the story 3 hearts ♥♥♥.

THEN, the whole plotline where their parents were getting married emerged. Up until now, I was only slightly annoyed with Wilder’s erratic emo tendencies.

Image result for plot thickens meme

Addison and her sister freak out as if being step-siblings would make them appear to be hillbilly. Ridiculous!

By this time, she is in love with Wilder.

She is going to throw it all way FOR WHAT?

Nothing that made sense to me. Hence the story lost another heart ♥.

Step-sibling romances are not taboo if they did not live/grow up together. They met as ADULTS! It was not that serious. A good PR person could have been able to spin any possible fallout if there had been negative publicity.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BORROW. The story is okay, but the attempt at conflict was overly dramatic and fell short of its intended purpose in my opinion.

Book details
Print length: 274 page
Series: Never Series Book 1
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥

buy_this_book

Cover Reveal: Devastate by Marley Valentine #romance @MValentine__

Apr26
Title: Devastate 
Author: Marley Valentine
Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone
Release Date: May 25, 2017
Cover Designer: PopKitty
They always say to expect the unexpected. Little did I know the unexpected also meant the unthinkable. 
No longer a wife or a mother, what was once a full and meaningful life was now obliterated; leaving me with nothing but darkness in its place. 
Until him. 
Blazing bright and determined to bring me back to life, Lior came knocking on darkness’ door. Gentle, yet fierce; he was armed in warmth and healing. 
He was powerful, persistent and prepared for war. 
I just don’t know if I’m willing to fight or ready to fall.

Marley Valentine comes from the future. Living in Sydney, Australia with her family, when she’s not busy writing her own stories, she spends most of her time immersed in the words of her favourite authors.
HOSTED BY:

-Letter T- The Red Scot #swirlromance #IRromance @aprilAtoZ #atozchallenge

Apr24

T is for Turner (Twyla Turner)

The Red Scot (A Curvy Girls Club Novel #1)

4heart

Synopsis
When Payton comes into Bradyn’s gym, she might not like all the fact that there are so many big muscular men there but she has been assured it is a safe space for her to work out. Payton has been dealing with the aftereffects to a trauma that happened in college. Years later, she still has panic attacks and is generally skittish and wary of men in general.

Bradyn is a heavyweight MMA fighter who owns a gym. While he might be a beast in the ring, he is tongue-tied when it comes to trying to speak to women. This is doubly true when the woman in question is the most beautiful woman he has seen. However, every time he tries to talk to Payton, it seems that he scares her.

Thankfully, Payton’s three best friends are there to help along the relationship and give Bradyn the encouragement he needs to break down Payton’s walls and win her heart.

Opinion
I bought this book based on the review from Coco of My Reading Nook 
I don’t think I have read another book where the heroine was so fearful of the hero because of his physique. Given what Payton experienced, I can understand. It was at a very impressionable time in her life that everything happened. Besides her issues with muscular men, Payton was strong, opinionated and usually told it like it was.

I LOVED LOVED Bradyn. When she first walked into his gym, it was a wrap. He was down for the count. LITERALLY. When he worked up the nerve to talk to Payton, he was too cute, stumbling over his words because he was too nervous when trying to speak to her. Never mind the fact that when he would frown at his internal dialogue, Payton was misinterpreting it.

Image result for misunderstood gif

Because of their respective communication issues, I am glad that Payton’s friends were perceptive enough to help them along. It was not that Payton was giving him mixed signals. She was giving no signal at all. However, they could see that there was a lot of potential if she would open up and give him a chance.

I loved her friends so much, I had friend envy. I especially liked the fact that they could call each other out on whatever they had issues with because nothing was off limits. I wish I lived closer to my besties so that we could go to lunch every weekend and talk about everything under the sun.

When Bradyn and Payton finally come together, I was cheering for both of them. Oh yea, he knew what he was doing. What Payton did not have in experience, she made up for it in enthusiasm.

Image result for excited gif

I do agree with other reviews that the villain/conflict was predictable. That was fine with me because all I really cared about was Bradyn and Payton getting their HEA. And the epilogue…BE STILL MY BEATING HEART. Because I am geeky girl too, it touched a special place in my heart. I loved it that much.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BUY. I believe this entire series will be a BUY for me and I am very excited.

Book details
Series: A Curvy Girls Club Novel
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 (it was slow getting started though)
Print Length: 269 pages
Publisher: Novels with Curves (November 18, 2016)
Publication Date: November 18, 2016

buy_this_book

-Letter D- Seb by Cheryl Douglas #romance #review @aprilAtoZ #atozchallenge

Apr5

D is for Douglas

Seb (Steele Brothers #3)

3heart

Synopsis
Seb restores old cars and has a reality show.
Skylar asked Seb to restore her uncle’s car because (1) he is a fan of the show and (2) he is seriously ill. She does not have the money to pay for the restoration but she offers to work for him to pay off the debt.

Opinion
The story moves along well but Skylar makes some unwise decisions that negatively affect the relationship. As always, I try to give the girl the benefit of the doubt, but in this case I think Skylar made an idiotic move. She knows Seb is a hottie with a great personality, but she would make poor decisions to mess that up.

brain
I think when there is instalove (as in the case in this story), neither party should be disappointed when there is a lack of trust.
They went from strangers to love in 0.2 seconds even though he is commitment shy. Now her feelings are hurt because he does not trust her.
It’s her OWN fault!

Image result for suck it up buttercup meme
I understand how it happened, because I have a friend who did something very similar. However, that does not excuse the fact that Skylar should have realized that withholding information could lead to loss of trust. I think that Seb had a good basis for falling in love with Skylar, but I understand how he had been hurt before would affect his view of her actions.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BUY. And I say that even though I know you are probably going to be rolling your eyes when you get to the bad decision making on Skylar’s part. Plus, there were a couple of surprises that will make you wonder where the story is going. This book is part of a series and I am ready to read more about the Steele brothers. They all seem very yummy!

Book details
Series: Steele Brothers
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Print Length: 237 pages
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

buy_this_book