Make Me Wilder by Serena Bell

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Make Me Wilder
Author: Serena Bell
Series: Wilder Adventures #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Small town romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

Gabe and Lucy, like all of the couples in Bell’s books were really cute and sweet. I love that they both find it really hard to trust (for different reasons) and are a little removed from everyone else. I know quite a few people like this, and it’s a fun adventure to go on with them both learning to open up and trust others again. Not just each other, but their families and loved ones. Lucy in particular is a pleasure to watch actually except friendships and a life beyond the closed off one she’s been living.

This has one of the more sweet Meet Cutes that I’ve read recently – I mean, it’s a couple meeting in the rain and rescuing ducklings together. How is that not ridiculously adorable and sweet? I also love that there’s the instant attraction which then leads them straight to a date of sorts. Which, because this is a contemporary romance novel, is immediately unravelled by the fact that she’s consulting on his company. Against his wishes. This adds that perfect amount of antagonism that doesn’t ensure their happily ever after, but not enough to truly threaten it.

Wilder Adventures is a really cool business idea, and definitely something that I’d personally have an interest in. But, I loved how Lucy encourages the Wilders to actually expand on their business. It was fun reading about a company and experience that I would love to go on, but wouldn’t actually book because I’d be worried about inaccessibility and sexism. Lucy’s view was kind of brilliant at removing that issue. It also perfectly opens up the rest of the series to the remaining brothers. And seeing how they are going to adjust to all of the changes as they find the women that they get their happily ever after.

Make Me Wilder is a great contemporary romance. I mean, it’s a small town romance with rugged mountain men as the male leads. Add to that that Bell writes positive female friendships that don’t pit women against each other. Yes please! Sign me up for more!

<- More Serena BellWalk on the Wilder Side ->

Image source: Goodreads

Sacrificed in Shadow by SM Reine

Book Review
Overview

Title: Sacrificed in Shadow
Author: SM Reine
Rating Out of 5: 2 (Managed to read it… just)
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2013

Thoughts

My shelves are primarily filled with two genres – fantasy (particularly urban fantasy) and romance. So any new urban fantasy-esque story to make it onto my enjoyed shelves has to be really good. And it has to hook me in the first three chapters, or I just… give up. Sadly, this is one of those books. Once upon a time, I would’ve pushed through in case it got better. But this time I didn’t bother. Particularly since I walked away from this book for 24 hours and had no interest in finding out what happened next. But it may be a better fit for someone else.

Image source: Amazon

Hot Under the Collar by Serena Bell

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Hot Under the Collar
Author: Serena Bell
Series: Hott Springs Eternal #1.5
In: Chasing Holiday Tail (miscellaneous)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Small town romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2023

Thoughts

Reggie and Ford are a really nice couple, and a great way to introduce me to the world of Hott Springs Eternal, and even the Wilder Adventures series. Both of which I’m now going to dive right into and just… inhale. I mean, Reggie and Ford were just too damn cute, and they were a little bit older too. I enjoy my young adult stories, but sometimes I just need something that is a little bit more mature. With more mature couples who have experienced life.

I love that Reggie and Ford manage to go on their first date… because Reggie bought a puppy. And accidentally also purchased a date with a hot firefighter. The fact that his grandmother kind of orchestrated it all just made me laugh all that much harder. I mean, she is totally the kind of older woman that I want to be when I grow up. I’m sure that most people would read this short story and dream about the hot firefighter, band I totally did. But I also just love Nan all around. I’m looking forward to her popping up more and more in the rest of the Hott Springs Eternal and Wilder Adventures series.

I really enjoyed all of this little romance, but I must admit, the part that I enjoyed the most of it all was the Meet Cute. I mean, Reggie manages to set her house a little bit on fire. And when the sexy firefighter Ford gets there, he sees evidence of her self love and, you know, penis candles. Its definitely not the desired outcome of spending time by yourself. But it was definitely a Meet Cute that had me laughing out loud, to the surprise of my little family…

<- Hott ShotLady and the Scamp ->

Image source: Goodreads

Hott Shot by Serena Bell

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Hott Shot
Author: Serena Bell
Series: Hott Springs Eternal #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Small town romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

Hot Under the Collar introduced me to Quinn and Sonya as a couple. Then I realised that I had their story on my shelves. And wow, was I excited! I mean, they seemed like fun secondary characters, but finding out about their romance and falling for one another… this was so damn cute and fun. It’s also a fun start to a whole new series, one that I’m itching for the next one to come out!

The idea of a guy who is tied completely into his scientific endeavours having to work at a beauty salon was a great premise to begin with. Then, there was the actual reality of this – it shows that a lot of our misconceptions about who and what we are are often wrong. It also showed that Quinn didn’t need to conform to Sonya’s idea of kindness and welcoming – he was able to fumble his way to his own style and confidence. One that worked beautifully and highlighted that we are all kind in our own ways. Plus, it was a nice way to dispel that whole stereotypical myth that nerds can’t socialise. We can! But I’m an introvert, and sometimes I just don’t want to.

Sonya only contrasts Quinn superficially. I mean, on the outside, a scientist and a beautician don’t necessarily work, but like with many people, that difference is only skin deep. They are both fiercely independent individuals who strive to make their own way in life. However, I particularly loved how Sonya’s independence acted to her own detriment – she is incredibly strong, but we all need help sometimes. And I loved that the moment when she finally realises that she can ask for help was kind of hilarious. It was definitely one of the most memorable scenes of the book.

The catalyst for this series is the fact that Quinn’s grandfather dies, and, being a bit of an asshole, decides to leave his grandchildren with a challenge each. I absolutely loved this premise. Yeah, it doesn’t reflect nicely upon the old man, but I also like to think that he’s actually doing it to benefit his grandchildren. And, it sets up the rest of this series brilliantly, so now I’m excited to see what happens with the next brother in line for a not-so-grandfatherly challenge.

<- More Serena BellHot Under the Collar ->

Image source: Amazon

Unquiet Souls by Christine Pope

Book Review
Overview

Title: Unquiet Souls
Author: Christine Pope
Rating Out of 5: 1 (Couldn’t get past the first page)
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I wanted to like this story, I really did. But I’m just not really into Pope’s style of writing. This is the second time I’ve had to DNF one of her books. Not because it’s not a good story line. Or one that is completely lacking, I just find that the writing style edges a bit more towards telling, not showing. And I get so bogged down in this that I can’t get swept away by the words. Which, of course, means that I can’t really get into the storyline. But, this may be a good book for other people who appreciate her style a little bit more.

Image source: Goodreads

Too Nice to be Naughty by Melonie Johnson

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Too Nice to be Naughty
Author: Melonie Johnson
In: Chasing Holiday Tail (miscellaneous)
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow, Medium, Fast
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2023

Thoughts

This was a good short story, but one I couldn’t quite get into. I think part of it was the whole premise – a woman goes to a funeral director to plan her twin’s funeral. And then falls for the man. There’s animals and an adoption drive to make it a little bit cuter, but honestly, this was one of those stories that I could take or leave.

<- Ruff Day for the RockstarMake Me Beg ->

Image source: Goodreads

At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: At Any Price
Author: Brenna Aubrey
Series: Gaming the System #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2013

Thoughts

I started reading this novel quite a while ago, and then I put it down. Actually, I went through a few attempts with this. Firstly I didn’t necessarily want to read it because I was worried that there was too much emphasis placed upon virginity (again). But then, I read the first part which contains Mia’s manifesto. And I was completely hooked – I mean, yes to pretty much everything she says and rants about there! But then the male lead was introduced and I felt pretty Luke Warm. So I stopped reading. But, eventually I realised that I still had to know what happened next! So I picked this up again, and I’m really, really glad that I did. Once I got over the hump of that first meeting, I actually really loved this story. And I ended up being really happy and comfortable with this novel and the many ethical moments throughout.

I think one of the things I really loved about this is that there are a lot of uncomfortable moments throughout the quite fun and sweet romance. I kept feeling a bit odd about some of the things in this story – a woman selling her virginity because it’s a socially pressured construct, prostitution, secret identities, addiction, there were so many discussions and moments that actually made me stop reading and pause. It’s hard for stories to do this in a manner that made me uncomfortable (enough that, as previously mentioned I did stop and start this a bit), but also made me want to keep reading. Aubrey does such a great job of highlighting some of the issues and impressions that society puts upon us. And reminds us that there are a multitude of ways to look at such things.

I must admit that I did guess the ‘twist’ at the end of this story. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, but I did like how this helped to further evolve the characters. It was nice that both leads were able to go through some serious growth and change. They both make mistakes, and stupid decisions, but they find a way back to one another. Plus, it just made the journey all that much more exciting – you already knew there was a secret that was going to make things unravel, so it was exciting to experience this!

For a book that had a bit of a rocky start for me, I actually really loved this. It was beautiful and fun. And, unlike many other romances that I read, there are more stories featuring this couple. Once they decide to take the plunge to happily ever after, they will still have challenges to overcome! Which, lets face it, is a way more realistic romance than just riding off into the sunset together. I can’t wait to read more stories by Aubrey.

<- Girl GeekAt Any Turn ->

Image source: Amazon

Snaps with Santa by Hope Ellis

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Snaps with Santa
Author: Hope Ellis
In: Chasing Holiday Tail (miscellaneous)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2023

Thoughts

This is a very cute and easy second chance / small town romance. I like that it is about a couple that never quite got their closure, but also don’t have all of the hang ups that some of these styles of romances have. It’s also pretty short, so probably not quite enough time and space to actually have a lot of the angst that is sometimes in a good romance.

I love that both of the characters in this are reconnecting after life beats them down. And that, even when they’ve had a few hard challenges thrown their way, they are still optimistic about the future. It’s nice to finish this short story with a whole lot of hope for the future, riding off into the sunset.

There is always something fun about the writing of Hope Ellis, and Christmas romances. And this was such a fun story that I will gladly read again.

<- Santa Claws is ComingRuff Day for the Rockstar ->

Image source: Goodreads

Ballgowns & Butterflies by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Ballgowns & Butterflies
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: A Stitch in Time #1.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Historical romance, Paranormal romance, Time travel
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I read this novella as part of my Christmas reading. And now I just want to read the rest of the series. Particularly the first novel, A Stitch in Time to see how Bronwyn and William fell in love. And met, and how the time travel portal works. There is so much going on that I just need all of the amazing backstory to this world. And adventures. And just, general Armstrong awesomeness.

One of the many, many things I loved about this story was that it featured Christmas on either side of a time warp. I’m assuming that Armstrong has done a bit of research into the time period, because this was mostly about the differences between the two times. Both timelines still focusing on love, companionship and giving.

I also love both of the traditions have that Christmas spirit that makes me love this time of year so much. It’s so beautiful seeing how taking care of others is a big focus on the town’s traditions. And that in the case of this story, the aristocracy actually give a damn about their people.

Although I wasn’t pregnant for the Christmas that I read this, I did only have a two month old. And the Christmas 2 years prior I had been pregnant. So I loved reading about the frustrations and challenges of being heavily pregnant at this time of year. It’s also highlighting some of the challenges I’m sure Bronwyn is about to face in A Twist of Fate.

<- A Stitch in TimeA Twist of Fate ->

Image source: Goodreads

Santa Claws is Coming by Dylann Crush

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Santa Claws is Coming
Author: Dylann Crush
In: Chasing Holiday Tail (miscellaneous)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Short story
Year: 2023

Thoughts

This short story was fun, but it didn’t really have enough going on to get me seriously hooked. It was one of those cure, but kind of forgettable stories. One in which I didn’t have a huge emotional connection to any of the characters.

Probably my favourite aspect of this story was the idea of a pet adoption drive. All based around a cat cafe. It was a nice charity theme, and one that I hope happens somewhere in real life.

<- Tess’ Tasty TreatsSnaps with Santa ->

Image source: Goodreads