Category Archives: Book Review

Take Me
Author: Diane Alberts
Series: #4 in the Take a Chance series

Review Copy Provided By the Publisher

Description:
Married in the morning…

Professional heartbreaker Mike Worth thrived on the chase—and dancer Morgan Collins represented the ultimate prize. But there was no way he was going to throw away his single-man status…not even for an elusive redhead with sparkling eyes and mile-long legs. So how did he let one drunken Vegas night end with I do instead of hell no?

Morgan’s life revolved around her career and she had no intention of letting a man interfere—even if Mike made her question all her rules about love. At his urging, she reluctantly agreed to give their spur-of–moment marriage a chance. But once their trial-honeymoon ended, would she choose to follow the dance and leave her unforgettable husband behind?

Review:
Ok, let’s get first things first out of the way, holy hotness on the cover…I wanted to just get my hands on the guy and well…potentially do very naughty things…lol! Yes, I’ll admit, i’m shallow when it comes to covers, the hotter guys on them the better (I refuse to be ashamed of the books I read, and the covers they use). But moving on…I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical since this was book 4 in a series and I hadn’t read the previous books in the series and normally, I am a tad AR about that…but I didn’t really have the time to read them, so I took the chance and for the most part I enjoyed it. i mean, who wouldn’t enjoy a book that starts off with a guy (who is adamantly anti-marriage) insulting a dancer at a bar by calling her a stripper, that turns into a love-fest (for lack of a better word).

Yes, there were a few times where parts of the story related back to previous books in the series, but it wasn’t so much that I felt completely lost and I think the author did a great job developing the relationship between Mike and Morgan. And I personally loved the fact that both of them were career minded and neither of them really wanted to give up what they had as singleton’s in order to fulfil the standard romance trope of happily single, and then all of a sudden married and popping out kids (which kind of irks me). Morgan was kick-ass and sassy and I found her totally relatable in a funky kind of way – the not willing to settle down as society seems to dictate, to march to her own tune.

The smexy-ness in the book was appropriately high and hot 😉 Holy man, was it hot in places (I even found myself waving my kindle over my face, because i’m sure I was blushing…lol). All I can say is that I am sure to be reading more by this author in the future. Overall, a solid 4 stars.

One Night in the Spa
Author: Kathy Lyons

Review Copy Provided By Publisher

Description:
What starts out as a simple massage treatment for spa manager David’s best friend Kim, turns into a night of seduction and sexual discovery.

Always relegated to the friend zone, David is determined to show Kim what she’s been missing…one erogenous zone at a time. Sure, their friendship is on the line. And sure, David’s hiding a motive larger than either him or Kim. But the second his hands touch her smooth skin, he just doesn’t care anymore.

Kim’s been so focused on the loss of her sports career that she’s had no time for romance or sex. But her response to David can’t be denied. Is it just that her body’s been missing out, or could her heart be involved too?

Review:
There is just something sexy about a guy giving a girl a massage, the closeness between the two, the intimacy of the act. And I loved that part of the book, but for the most part, I was kind of disappointed. Kim kinda of drove me nuts quite a bit during the story – I just struggled to find anything that I liked about her – she was a tad self-obsessed and too woe is me, for me. but I did like David – even though, he was a bit of a jackass in places (i mean, there is one thing he did, which is like oh heck no, you didn’t just do that). But at the same time, he was there for Kim when she needed him – so it kind of made up for his potential douche-bagginess…(and yes, that is a word, or at least I think it is…)

I’m not sure if I would personally read any more books by this author – while cute, it just didn’t quite work for me. Overall, I gave it 2.5 stars.

Eat, Play, Lust
Author: Tawna Fenske

Review Copy Provided By Publisher

Description:
Cami Pressman is a yoga instructor with a lifelong secret love of junk food. Not even an irresistible man can replace the mouthwatering wickedness of her favorite foods.

Until, that is, Paul Hammond signs up for her class. He’s a gourmet chef looking to score some fitness tips, and a date with Cami. Suddenly Cami’s lust for junk food isn’t the only thing making her tingle.

When this sinful chef and hot yoga teacher eat, play, and lust together, they just might bring their obsession to a new level.

Review:
Sometimes after reading lots of longer books, you need a shortie to clean the palate (for lack of a better phrase). And Eat, Play, Lust did just that. I can safely say that after reading it, I might not look at Tater Tots the same way again in the future. I never pegged them as a potential aphrodisiac, but man, that was one hot scene…lol! and I loved the use of SUP Yoga (Stand-Up Paddle Yoga) to move the story along. It was quick funny, in that, an online friend of mine had just been talking about trying it out and now I’m kind of interested (especially if there might be a hot guy involved for me 😉 )

The story itself was short, only about 55 pages, and so I was able to read it rather quickly (all of it while waiting for a prescription to be filled at the pharmacy), but for such a short book it really packed a punch. I would love to see a long book between Cami and Paul, or even with them as secondary characters. In fact, I would probably even buy this book over if it were revised/expanded to tell a longer story (can that be registered as a request please…)

I’d give the story a solid 3.5, mostly because I wanted more in the story 😦 But I’ll be looking for more books by the author in the future.

Love Waltzes In
Author: Alana Albertson
Series: Dancing Under The Stars #1

Review Copy Provided By Author via Reading Addiction Book Tours (RABT)

Description:
To her millions of fans, ballroom champion Selena Marcil seems to have the perfect life: a great dance partner, a hit reality show, and celebrity perks. But underneath the glamorous ball gowns, Selena longs to find someone to share her life with when the stage lights dim.

Selena’s childhood sweetheart, Bret Lord, hung up his dance shoes after winning two national titles with her as a teenager, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He never saw his former fiancée again, except on television and on the cover of men’s magazines. Ten years and three deployments later, Bret gets an offer to audition for Selena’s dance show. When the Marine Corps gives him temporary leave to appear on the series, Bret can’t refuse the quick cash that will enable him to provide financially for the widow of his buddy, even if it does mean coming face to face with his past.

When Bret shows up at her national championship, Selena is shocked. For years she searched for him to no avail. After spending time with Bret, Selena realizes despite their past romance, they have no future. He has no desire to live under a spotlight and she has no desire to leave it. Can Selena and Bret recognize when Love Waltzes In?

Review:
I’ll admit, Dancing with the Stars (the TV show) is a guilty pleasure of mine. I had probably watched it for the last 7 seasons, and even if I scratch my head at some of the “celebrities,” I still tune in every week…so when I saw the description of Love Waltzes In, I was sucked in. The only way, I could really describe it is Dancing with the Stars meets G.I. Joe (I kinda saw Bret as the Channing Tatum in Magic Mike/GI Joe – not sure if that is what the author was going for, but hey, it works for me 😉

The author states in her profile, that she is a recovering ballroom dancer and you could tell that she knew what she was writing about when it came to describing the dances, as well as the scenes where Bret and Selena were teaching their stars how to dance. That being said, having been in the military, I did have an issue with the whole Marines letting Bret leave to go and be on a dancing show…but hey, I can try to suspend disbelief right?

Unfortunately, while I liked the premise of the story, it featured one of my least favorite tropes in the romance genre (don’t worry, I’m not going to say what it is). I honestly think that the story could have done without it – more as a second chance type romance, than an angsty one that resulted. I also felt that the authors descriptions of the judges on the show were almost exactly like the 3 on the real-life show – albeit with different names – the crusty old judge, the flamboyant choreographer and then sultry woman…aka, Len, Bruno and Carrie Ann. but I didn’t let myself be too distracted by that.

While there were a few weaknesses in the story, I am intrigued enough that I want to read the second one when it is released and I’ll be checking out more work by the author in the future. I’d give the book 3.5 stars and would recommend it to people who like cute contemporaries that are a tad angsty.

Everything Left Unsaid
Author: Jessica Davidson

Book received via a traveling book program on Goodreads

Description:
“I wait for him, the cold seeping through my clothes, until it finally dawns on me that he’s not coming back. And I wonder why he chose her instead of me? Why he went looking for her when I was right there.”

Tai and Juliet have been best friends forever – since they met at kindy and decided to get married in first grade.

They understand each other in the way that only best friends can.

They love music, beach walks, energy drinks and, they are slowly discovering, each other.

As they dream of adventures beyond the HSC – a future free of homework, curfews and parents, a life together – their plans are suddenly and dramatically derailed.

For Tai is sick.

And not everything you wish for can come true.

Review:

This review is going to be completely RANT-TASTIC and filled with SPOILERS so if you liked the book, or don’t want to know what happens – look away now! (otherwise, you have been warned)

I really wanted to like this book, every since it started traveling through a group of my Goodreads friends/group members, they were saying how much they cried while reading, and how emotional it was. But almost immediately, the main character Juliet started driving me completely and utterly batshit. I get that most teenagers (or at least those in the ‘new adult’ genre) are self-obsessed, but she honestly took the cake.

Unscrupulous
Author: Avery Aster
Series: #2 in The Manhattanites

Review Copy Provided By Author Via RABT

Description:
At thirty-three Warner Truman is one of the richest men on the planet, a spa mogul who buys and sells resorts at will. He holds powerful executive’s careers in his well-groomed hands. Nothing is beyond Warner’s reach…until he meets her.

Stunning, tantalizing, and perverse, Taddy Brill captivates Warner’s carnal desire like no woman he’s ever met. A self-made millionaire, Taddy is tougher than steel, more brilliant than diamonds and, at twenty-seven, she’s never depended on a man for anything…until she meets him.

The more Taddy plays with Warner’s affections, driving him to erotic heights, the more she is confronted by a dark past. But before she can love him, Taddy must meet her worst fears head-on or risk losing it all, including herself.

Review:
I’m really conflicted over this book – I through that the author is a very good writer, and you could feel the emotion that she puts into her writing. But at the same time, it felt like there was something missing. I really struggled to find anything about Taddy that was relatable – in fact, i found her to be rather abrasive. Maybe that was on purpose – a self-made woman trying to succeed in a male-dominated business – but there was just something unlikeable about her. In fact, of all the characters, I found her Mormon assistant to be the most real/entertaining. She kind of reminded me (naivete wise) of Andie in The Devil Wears Prada.

The story itself was cute and had potential – the whole pursuit of someone you want and the stopping nothing to get it (especially, if you are a millionaire…makes it easier). But it seemed like most of the book was about the pursuit and not about the actual romance between Taddy and Warner. Which possibly contributed to my confusion – I didn’t feel the romance, it was more like a series of quick hook-ups, with an ending that just felt wrong…

Overall, I gave Unscrupulous 3 stars, but I am intrigued on what the author may write in the future.

Vaughn
Author: Emma Lang
Series: #4 in the Circle Eight series

Review Copy Provided By Author

Description:
A con man. A rancher’s daughter. A wildfire out of control.

Elizabeth Graham spends her days running the business side of the Circle Eight ranch. Her knack for numbers and organization lent themselves to her position in the family. She has just turned twenty-one and doubts she will find a man to spend her life with. Elizabeth doesn’t believe in love, after all, and when she meets a charlatan named Vaughn Montgomery, her opinion doesn’t waver. At first.

Vaughn Montgomery is down to the lint in his pocket and the handsome smile he uses as a weapon. His last con in New Orleans went wrong and he fled west. Now he finds himself trapped in the middle of nowhere Texas. And at the mercy of a hard-nosed woman who wears shapeless dresses and whose tongue can cut blocks of wood.

Unwilling to bend and unable to forgive, Elizabeth and Vaughn get caught up in a web of lies that stretches from Austin to Dallas. She finds herself falling for the man who can’t seem to tell the truth and he can’t get enough of a woman who can only speak truths. Together they have to save the Circle Eight and try to avoid falling in love.

Review:
I have to admit that the previous books in the series while decent reads, just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. But there was something about Elizabeth and Vaughn’s story that just sucked me in. Elizabeth was one of those characters in the series, who while was there, you didn’t really know a lot about her from the previous books – she kind of just blended in with the rest of the family – unlike Olivia (who featured in #2 in the series) who was a very unique character. Elizabeth reminded me much more of how I would have expected a woman in the time/place to act – to an extent….and then there was Vaughn. A bad boy trying to make good. While he was a bad boy, there was just something loveable him. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice the life he knew for Elizabeth told me a lot about him.

While the previous books in the series had primarily been set on the Graham farm in Texas, as well as Mexico, Vaughn introduced city of Houston to the locations. While I’ve never been to Houston, I have been to Dallas, and I felt like I was there in part. Ms Lang did a great job of developing the environment and the sense of place. I’m interested to see where she is going to go in the future with the remaining books in the series – in fact, I wish that the next book (which is going to be Nicholas’) was coming out sooner than next year…lol!

Overall, I gave Vaughn a solid 4 stars – it was a needed entry in the series and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.