Tag Archives: Contemporary romance

Studfinder by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Studfinder
Author: L.B. Dunbar, Heart Eyes Press
Series: Busy Bean #5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Small town romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I honestly don’t know much about the American judicial system, but this is definitely the first romance that I’ve read in which the couple meets through the restitution process. This might not have given me a huge amount of insight into the system, but it did give me a little bit of an idea. I’m also always looking for the novelty of a new Meet Cute with how much I read, and Rita and Jake meeting through the restitution process certainly met this criteria. The fact that Jake is actually innocent, somehow makes it a little bit harder to read about his past and time in jail.

Rita’s journey to become who she is now is a fantastic one. I love that she’s had a whole lot of challenges to overcome that would destroy a lesser woman, and that she does so with grace and kindness. Plus, even as she has found her feet and moved on again and again in life, she is constantly looking for new challenges. As much as this story is a romance, it is also Rita’s journey to find a new purpose in life at forty. And to have the guts to actually pursue it.

The biggest theme throughout this novel is the idea of forgiveness. Theoretically that is what the restitution program in America is about (but, as always, I have my doubts, society is not that kind). And, it is also a part of AA – forgiving oneself for the past and moving forwards. But, even bigger than this is that throughout this story, Rita and Jake also have to forgive each other for mistakes in the past. I both love and dread how much their pasts intertwine – it’s kind of sad and depressing. But, also, it drives the story forwards so well. And both Jake and Rita have so much growth from being able to forgive and move on.

As the mystery of the true arsonist unfolds, I didn’t think Dunbar would be so cruel as to have the real culprit be, well, the guilty one. It was brilliant, but also incredibly shattering. Plus, it meant that I really, really, really wanted there to be some form of justice for the real arsonist’s past actions.  However, as mentioned before, the theme in this story is overwhelmingly one of forgiveness, so I guess that I actually like how that whole story turned out. I just have to make the vindictive voices in my psyche be quiet for a moment or ten.

<- FriendzonedDoubletalk ->

Image source: Goodreads

Superfan by Sarina Bowen

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Superfan
Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #7
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Sports romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

Silas’ past relationship with Delilah is hinted at throughout Overnight Sensation. I love that Superfan teases out their past together as their present moves forward. The dual timelines work brilliantly together and had me rooting for the couple from the very first paragraph. They are just too damn cute and sweet together, and their entire romance is filled with bad timing and missed chances. Plus, this isn’t only a sports romance, but a rockstar romance too. Two subgenres that surprisingly work brilliantly together.

Brett is obviously set up as the villain in the beginning of this story, and I knew that he was going to cause some kind of issue from fairly early on. However, I really didn’t expect this level of creepy nope from him. And, even days after finishing this story (and writing this review), I still get the icks when I think about just how skeevy a villain he truly is. There are so many layers of manipulation, control and abuse in his actions that it becomes really uncomfortable. Mostly in that it is incredibly easy to see how people can end up in abusive relationships with no way out – it’s just so insidious!

Honestly, I found the stress of Brett and his machinations to be a physically uncomfortable phenomenon. A testament to how great of a writer Bowen is, but honestly, what a horrible villain to feature in a romance! I’m used to hints of abuse and cruelty in the characters I read about. But, he is definitely one who is outright evil and horrid. It made me love this story all that much more, and one of the reasons I enjoy Bowen’s writing so much is the fact that she is able to give me a whole heap of feels in a novel. But, I definitely experienced high levels of stress throughout my reading of this romance.

For all that I had a whole heap of feelings throughout this tale, I did find Delilah and Silas’ romance to be incredibly cute and sweet. I love that they manage to fall together naturally and forgive each other for past misunderstandings. They also get a great happily ever after. Even if it is a little less traditional than the other members of the Brooklyn Bruisers, I loved their eventual happily ever after. And I can’t wait for them to be the charismatic secondary characters I know they will be in more books throughout this series.

<- Overnight SensationMoonlighter ->

Image source: Natasha is a Book Junkie

The Fling in Panama by Liz Alden

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Fling in Panama
Author: Liz Alden
Series: Love and Wanderlust #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Travel
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I thought that Lila and Eivind were a wonderfully cute and adorable couple. They were incredibly sweet and cute together. Plus, they manage to fall in love in the most beautiful of settings. And I learnt a little bit about the Panama Canal (which I knew absolutely nothing about prior to reading this book). They both have a few issues of maturity in the beginning of this story, but, after falling for one another, leant to grow into slightly more functional adults.

I love that, ultimately, this romance was about giving up parts of what they want for a better future together. It’s a great reminder that in all relationships, compromise is important. And sometimes we need to re-examine the things that we thought we wanted for what we actually want. Yet, ultimately, neither Lila or Eivind actually have to give up their dreams, just reconfigure them a little to fit another person in.

At the beginning of The Fling in Panama, Lila is portrayed as an incredibly naïve and innocent young woman. However, I really didn’t find her to be that naïve at all. I mean, she’s aware that she’s not quite worldly and experienced in a lot of ways. But, she uses this knowledge to then try and expand her horizons. I love characters who are wiling to learn and explore the world – those who are aware of their limitations and use this to become a more rounded person. It made it really easy to love Lila, without actually getting frustrated with some of her sheltered upbringing.

The realistic nature of the emotional release after a long time spent aboard a sailing yacht was brilliant. I love that the entire crew, whilst enjoying their experience of a lifetime, found that it was an intensely emotional experience. And, rather than romanticising such an adventure, Alden is able to show how emotionally intense such a once in a lifetime moment can be. I honestly can’t fathom being stuck on a boat as I sailed across the world with four other people for 45 days. But, that’s probably why I’m not exactly the kind to have wanderlust and actually do something like that. I loved reading about such an adventure though!

<- The Night in Lover’s BayThe Slow Burn in Polynesia ->

Image source: Empire Bookstore

Blind Date by N.J. Walters

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of hot romance book cover

Title: Blind Date
Author: N.J. Walters
In: The Mammoth Book of Hot Romance (Sonia Florens)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011

Thoughts

I love the premise of this blind date also being a second chance. Alright, it might be a little underhanded to set yourself up on a blind date with your ex to get her back. But, it does also work kind of nicely. I also liked this in the format of a short story – it was a story that entirely took place over one evening with the reconciliation and date all happening in a short amount of time. And just the right amount of angst to keep you interested.

Honestly, this is one of the more basic second chance romances that I’ve read. Both characters put their careers before their relationship. And then, after a little bit of time and a whole heap of pride do their work, they realise they’ve made a mistake and desperately try to get back together again. It’s sweet and cute, if not a little bit ridiculously predictable. Although, sometimes, that’s just what we want.

This was honestly a very lustful and lust driven story. But, also quite cute and a little bit sweet. I do like a good second chance romance, and even if this didn’t quite hit all of my happy points for a short story, it still worked incredibly well.

<- SorceryHell’s Fury ->

Image source: London Borough of Bexley

Shammed by Bernadette Franklin

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Shammed
Author: Bernadette Franklin
Series: Holiday Fun #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

Shammed is the typical laugh out loud, pure nonsense romance that I’ve come to expect from Franklin. And I absolutely loved it! I mean, who wouldn’t love a novel that careens from high jinx to high jinx? Nonsensical moment to nonsensical moment? Plus, this whole relationship and story line was instigated by prank wars. Something I’ve never actually taken part in, but would absolutely adore to observe (maybe not be involved in, because I’m not exactly great at thinking on my feet or pulling pranks…)

I love that for someone that gets overlooked frequently, and who had a pretty hard run of it in Claustrophobic, Alice is the ultimate prankster. Kind of. I mean, she starts off with a really strong and sassy prankster game. And then, when she realises how much she likes Lance, she ends up just… kind of giving him really sweet and kind presents. I mean, it’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also not as prank-based as I wanted. Though, kind of a nice courtship – one that involves being giving and truly knowing the source of your ‘pranks’.

Lance’s backstory was honestly a little bit difficult to read, particularly amongst the light-hearted nature of his and Alice’s courtship. But I love, that although it’s totally a feeding ground for angst and bitterness, Lance shows and feels none of this. He’s a far more balanced individual than I ever would be. Which, honestly, that also goes for Alice – she’s definitely entitled to a whole lot more bitterness about her past job than she shows. Ultimately, she’s actually an incredibly humorous and entertaining character. One who sky dives and has no fear of, well, gravity…

There was a lot less Juliette Carter in this story than I had anticipated. I was a lot less disappointed in this than I expected – mostly because there was a lot more Chloe and Julian as a result. Particularly Chloe – I love when she goes on the rampage and just decides to do something somewhat insane. Her and Alice together? Shammed was definitely a story of absolute insanity, led by two incredibly fun women.

<- ClaustrophobicBat Out of Hell ->

Image source: eBay

Sweet Distraction by Lainey Davis

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Sweet Distraction
Author: Lainey Davis
Series: Stag Brothers #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

After reading Lesson Plans, I really wanted to know more about Alice and how she goes about her happily ever after. Particularly since she’s only a teen in the opening novella, and it was interesting to think of who she would become when she reached adulthood. Alice is so bright and full of life, whereas Tim(ber) is a great counterpoint to this, a little more serious and less willing to grab life and dive right in. I love how engaging they were as a couple, but also how they balanced each other out.

I love that throughout all of Tim dealing with his emotions, it’s Alice that is his safe place. And she is willing to help him and be there for him when she realises this. Davis describes having that one person who is the ‘safe space’ incredibly well – having that one person who you can let your guard down around and actually open up to. One of the most memorable scenes in this book is when Tim and Alice are sitting on a park bench and he is able to just relax and unwind.

At first, I wasn’t all that confident of Alice and Tim as a couple, he was a bit controlling, and she’s such a free spirit. But, it turns out that they are a fantastic couple. Tim just needed to realise that he doesn’t get to unilaterally call the shots. Once he manages that, he’s actually really sweet and you can understand all of the emotion and love behind the insanity of his behaviour and questionable decision making.

There is something enjoyably and beautifully simple about Davis’ writing. It is always a couple that somehow work perfectly together. There are a few hurdles, and then a great happily ever after. I love reading her work and just… living in a happy world with enough complications to keep it interesting. Now, I’m looking forward to reading the next in the Stag Brothers series.

<- Lesson PlansFilled Potential ->

Image source: Amazon

A Moment Like You by Claudia Burgoa

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: A Moment Like You
Author: Claudia Burgoa
Series: The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #2
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: 2020

Thoughts

Henry and Sophia are one of those beautiful and fun couples that I just couldn’t get out of my head. The fact that this whole story and relationship starts with Sophia thinking of Henry as Satan just made it all that much more entertaining. Even though their beginning might have been a bit unorthodox, ultimately they were total relationship goals and completely gorgeous. And, although this is the second story in the Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers series, it was a great introduction to Burgoa and the rest of the Baker Creek brothers.

I honestly thought at the beginning of this that there would be more hurdles to Henry and Sophia getting together. But, it just didn’t happen. And then, when they got together, there was still half of the book! I both love and hate when this happens – it’s great that they got together quickly, but then there were a lot of drama to get through. Which is exactly what I like to read about – the drama that happens after a couple gets together and really helps them to prove their mettle.

Although Martina is one such hurdle that Sohpia and Henry need to overcome, I love that Sophia is able to handle her with grace and dignity. Rather than pitting the women of this story against one another and having them try and take each other down, Sohpia is ablet o find a way for everyone to get out of an awkward situation with a happily ever after. And, in doing so, Sophia is able to build someone up to gain her own independence.

I love that this series sets all of the Aldridge boys up to have some huge battles in their future. It makes me desperately want to go back and read Loved You Once, but also leap forward in the series and dive in to Defying Our Forever. Each of the boys have a phenomenal battle on their hands, and I want to know how they’ll unravel. Plus, Sophia’s letter provides a great indicator to just how messy the situation is about to get, whilst also hinting that maybe their father wasn’t quite the evil being that they all believed him to be. He might not have been kind and good, but maybe not quite as thoroughly evil as anticipated.

<- Loved You OnceDefying Our Forever ->

Image source: Goodreads

Tents & Tights by Molly O’Hare

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Tents & Tights
Author: Molly O’Hare
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I really enjoyed this story, but it definitely wasn’t without its flaws. I’ll still read more of O’Hare’s writing though – her characters were fun. The shenanigans were entertaining. And the whole story was difficult to put down and incredibly engaging to read. A tale that I will happily read again in the future, flaws aside.

One of the things that irritated me the most in this story was that Eve was constantly fixated on her size and curves. Even though she was supposed to be a character who was proud of them and didn’t care what others thought. It was a bit of a tough contrast to read. A character who was proud of her body and literally owned and ran a shop that catered to those who are plus sized. But also one that can’t stop fixating on how girls “like her” don’t get happily ever afters because of how they look…

Austin and Eve were a really cute couple. I mean, they were best friends who have had a crush on each other for years. And also a perfect opposites attract story. It’s a great reminder that couples don’t have to have everything or even much in common. But, they need to have a connection. Austin and Eve managed to have that – I also like that they are both ultimately willing to try new things for each other. Even if they really, really don’t like the experience!

My favourite part of this story was definitely the hike to the overlook. I mean, the relationship part of that was great. But I just loved the idea of a hike and the romance of the setting. It was way too beautiful, and I look forward to finding more beauty in O’Hare stories in the future – I’m just hoping they don’t fixate so strongly on physicality of the heroine.

<- Nothing But a DareMore Molly O’Hare ->

Image source: Goodreads

Need You Now: A Shattered Promises Series Prelude by Lisa Renee Jones

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Need You Now: A Shattered Promises Series Prelude
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
In: 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Two (Lexi Blake, Larissa Ione, Lisa Renee Jones & Cherise Sinclair)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2015

Thoughts

There was something that kept pulling me back into this story. It was one that I kept going to DNF, but then a moment would pull me right back in, so I couldn’t quite put it down. I’m glad that I read it. But there were definitely way too many unanswered questions at the end of this. And I probably wouldn’t read it again, but it was still a good story that kept pulling me in.

I found Jenson a little too aggressive for my tastes. I like my men to be a little alpha. But he was a little bit too intense. I get that sometimes people like bodice rippers, but they’re definitely not to my taste. And Jenson is the perfect lead for that genre of story.

Danny was a really fun and enjoyable lead though. She had so many layers and was really easy to follow. Probably the main reason that everytime I felt unsure about this story, I dived straight back in. I did want a bit of a better happily ever after for her though…

<- AzagothShow Me, Baby ->

Image source: Amazon

About That… by Sylvie Stewart

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: About That…
Author: Sylvie Stewart
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Book, Novella
Year: 2019

Thoughts

Cal and Sofia are an incredibly cute couple, and I love that all of the difficulties in their relationship stem from a number of misunderstandings. Mostly misunderstandings and assumptions on Sofia’s behalf – she jumps to a few conclusions. But, I also would’ve jumped to the same conclusions, so it’s entirely justifiable and made for an even more interesting novella.

Sofia is a really fun and light character. Her passion for working with kids is adorable, and she has a passion for life that I seriously wish I could have. She is also incredibly excited by her life and those she chooses to share it with. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to teach children, and her happiness in doing so was absolutely adorable.

I love that although there is an instant connection between Cal and Sofia, they spend quite a bit of time getting to know one another. I mean, there are still so many sparks I almost had to fan myself while I was reading this, but it was also a relationship based on mutual respect and liking of one another – it was fun reading about them falling for one another.

About That… was such a cute and beautiful little novella. I really enjoyed diving into Stewart’s writing yet again. There is some wonderful humour and wit in her words, partnered with heartfelt connections and happily ever afters. Just the type of romance I like to read.

<- More Sylvie StewartFull On Clinger ->

Image source: Kobo