Tag Archives: L.B. Dunbar

After Care by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: After Care
Author: L.B. Dunbar
Series: Sexy Silver Foxes #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance, Midlife romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

I did wonder if reading this story was going to be a little bit triggering for me. I mean, it’s a romance which features a breast cancer survivor as the female love interest. And yeah, I did wonder if it was going to be highly triggering to read, having just lost a family member to cancer. But, somehow, it was incredibly joyful and kind of cathartic at moments to read. I found After Care to be absolutely adorable and totally unforgettable. This was a great “silver fox” romance that had me smiling, frowning and just all around enjoying this in every moment that I could.

Although Tommy helped Edie in a lot of ways, he was also completely a knob to her at times as well. I love that he found her sexy as is, and is constantly all about pleasing her and making her happy. However, when he was actually tested and needed to demonstrate that he actually has faith in her… well, he failed miserably. I mean, the man spends the entire story telling Edie that she needs to trust him. But then, when she needs the benefit of the doubt, he just… walks away. What an absolute fool. He kind of redeemed herself, but not enough for my satisfaction. It made the “happily ever after” portion a little more difficult to swallow than usual.

In amongst Edie’s relationship with Tommy, she also manages to create her own Found Family. Honestly, I actually think that her relationships within this were more powerful to me than the actual romance. I love a good Found Family story, and the fact that Edie is able to do this after a series of huge things have run her life off course made it all that much better. Plus, it highlights how wonderful her children are in supporting her through everything. I loved the entire secondary cast dynamic and how powerful this was to forming Edie’s happily ever after.

I can’t wait to read more stories of Dunbar’s Silver Foxes. I’m not quite in my own midlife romance, but I’m probably heading closer to that end of the scale than the new adult stories. Although I wanted Edie to give Tommy a bit more pushback when he messed up, I also loved her forgiving nature. It made for a fun and sweet story. One that I will most probably read again, and has definitely made me intrigued to read more from this series as the next midlife romance couple takes centre stage.

<- The Sex Education of M.E.Midlife Crisis ->

Image source: Goodreads

Naughty-ish by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Naughty-ish
Author: L.B. Dunbar
Series: Holiday Hotties #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

One of the things that I enjoy most about L.B. Dunbar books is that they always feature couples who are that little bit older. For Nick and Holliday, they are next door neighbours who find their joy and happiness with each other at Christmas. Both have a whole lot of issues to get over, but I love how they come together as lovers fairly quickly. Plus, for both of them, their primary love language is gifts and acts of service. The courtship between them is slow and occurs through their willingness to give to each other. It’s really cute and sweet. But also build towards being able to communicate and just be together.

Nick’s willingness to join in with Holliday’s life and jump into being part of a family unit is really sweet. Rather than trying to take control, or not understanding the importance of Christmas, he tries to make Holliday’s life easier. I love that Dunbar doesn’t shy away from how difficult it can be for a Mum at Christmas time. Reading this at Christmas time with my first intense Christmas as a Mum of two (my second born was only 2 months for our first Christmas as a family of four, so this one was intense) made me feel so validated and seen. It highlighted the difficulties (and the joys) of what the Festive Season entails for mothers and the pressure we feel to make everything perfect.

Naughty-ish is the first romance that I’ve read in a while with an irritating ex who doesn’t actually get any kind of, well, anything. He doesn’t help Holliday out, he is selfish, and at the end of the story, all of his crappy decisions and their impact on his children are just… nothing. It’s kind of irritating, but then, it’s also so much more realistic than a lot of the romances that I read. I mean, most of the time the selfish fool doesn’t ever realise that they are a selfish fool. And Holliday does, after all, have to co-parent with Mitch for the rest of their lives.

As a mum of two little ones, I am absolutely dreading the idea of Elf on a Shelf when they get old enough. And Naughty-ish did nothing to change my mind. I’m seriously hoping I can come up with a good idea as to why we don’t do this tradition – it just adds to the stress and difficulties of Christmas time and the festive season. This was such an adorable Christmas romance, and I love that it featured a single mum who has to deal with all of the nonsense of magic this time “magical”.

<- Scrooge-ishGrouch-ish ->

Image source: The Reading Cafe

Grouch-ish by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Grouch-ish
Author: L.B. Dunbar
Series: Holiday Hotties #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2024

Thoughts

I absolutely adored that this is a Christmas romance which is based on the twelve days of Christmas. I didn’t know that the twelve days of Christmas are actually the twelve days after Christmas – the 26th December until the 6th January. Plus, each of Brock’s twelve tasks have a lingering echo of the Christmas carol. It was so much fun picking up all of those little echoes, as I fell more and more in love with Brock and Pear. This was a ridiculously fun and light read, and honestly, the only reason it took me so long to read is that it was on Kindle Unlimited, and I have to read that on my glitchy phone.

Grouch-ish is a great romance with a bit of an opposites attract couple. Pear is eternally optimistic, even when she’s been dealt a pretty crappy hand of cards. I mean, some of the tragedies in her past would make anyone collapse. The fact that he’s a grumpy, silver fox, fireman with children just makes it all that much more yummy. I mean, he eventually lets some of his issues slide and some of his grumpiness diminishes. It’s particularly nice that Pear’s joy of life and patience is what brings Brock around to being a calmer, better version of himself.

I love how Brock and Pear are both incredibly lonely, and build their relationship on getting to know one another. There is the instant attraction, but their romance is kind of slow-burn, they slowly increase the intensity of their attachment until it all implodes. I always enjoy a good story in which the couple take the time to get to know one another, and don’t rush into an insane relationship just based on lust and attraction. Their loneliness might be the instigator of some of their relationship, but it’s not just companionship that keeps them together. Rather, a mutual sense of admiration and joy in each other’s company.

Although this story technically takes place just after Christmas, it is still a beautiful Christmas story. It’s a reminder that sometimes, Christmas can be hard for some families around loss. But it can also be incredibly joyful and one of the most promising times of year. A time for fresh starts, forgiveness and joy in the little things. At least, that’s how I feel about Christmas, and I found that Grouch-ish reflected this perfectly.

<- Naughty-ishMore L.B. Dunbar ->

Image source: Lisa Loves Literature

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

Love in Deed by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Love in Deed
Author: L.B. Dunbar, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Green Valley Library #6
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: 2020

Thoughts

Bev and Jedd, with their future romance and it’s place in the SmartyPants Romance world was touched upon in Love in Due Time. So I’ve kind of been intrigued to see how it would unfold. Having said that, Bev wasn’t exactly the kind of heroine that I was chomping at the bit to read about. But then you finally get to their story. And you know what? Whilst I didn’t still fall completely in love with Bev, her story is heartbreaking and you can begin to understand just why she acts the way she does. Although this story doesn’t necessarily feature my favourite characters, it actually is some of my favourite growth of characters.

Bev’s bitterness, whilst limiting and kind of horrible, is also amazing. I knew that it would be a bit more difficult to read (there’s a bit of a note in the front from the author, and things are hinted at it Love in Due Time). I really wasn’t expecting the depth of abuse and nastiness though. But, again, it was actually Bev’s growth that I loved the most. She finally begins to come to terms with her past decisions and actions and takes back her own life. The nasty and bitter cycles that she’s fallen into pretty much just fall away and she finds her inner strength again. It was also fun contrasting the current Bev to the Bev that Jedd remembers – how that backbone and steel spine have always been there and it just takes a bit of a push for her to find it.

For me, this story was mostly about Bev and her growth, the fact that she falls in love on the wayside is just a nice bonus. And I really loved the fact that Jedd’s presence is the catalyst for her change, not the cause. As much as I’m a big believer in love, I don’t enjoy the idea that it takes love to actually fix us. That’s a personal journey and a personal decision, but love can be a great catalyst. Jedd’s constant pushing is a great catalyst and it made me appreciate all of the character dynamics in this even more. It was most definitely beautiful.

I don’t read many contemporary romances (or, for that matter, many books) that have differently abled leads. I love that this is a romance that feature two differently abled individuals. Ones who have to overcome the change in their circumstances to move forward with their lives. And, at the beginning you have someone who is still dwelling on the past which has led to her restrictions, and one man who has just embraced it and decided to move forward and embrace life. Sure, there’s been a process for both of them, but I love how people’s first impressions of them are not glossed over and ignored. Rather, it is acknowledging that people will jump to conclusions and that’s on them, not the person they are judging.

This is a fantastic romance that has a whole lot of character growth. Dunbar brilliantly works with her characters in this story to give a textured tale that I look forward to reading again and again. On every rereading, I feel that I will appreciate the phenomenal characterisation on a whole other level. Something that wonderful authors are able to do.

<- Carpentry and CocktailsDewey Belong Together ->

Image source: Amazon

Cowboy by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Cowboy
Author: L.B. Dunbar, Heart Eyes Press
Series: Busy Bean #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I like that this novel had a little bit of gender flipping in that it is Bull who is the serial dumpee. And Scarlet is the one who isn’t entirely sure of how much she wants to commit. The fact that these two meet and anticipate a one-night stand as a bit of a palate cleanser for both of them, and then can’t quite move on is also gorgeous. And then they get their gorgeous surprise. I might not be a huge fan of pregnancy as a driver to keep a couple together, but it really worked for this story. After all, it’s made very clear that these two really want to be together from the get-go. Which makes the pregnancy a convenient excuse, not a point of pressure.

Scarlett is an incredibly feisty pregnant woman, and this made me ridiculously happy. I don’t actually know many women who were totally mellow in their pregnancies (although my husband is convinced that I was actually the calmest I’d ever been). The final scene when she gives birth is actually my favourite of the whole book. I mean, everything in this is fantastic. But her feistiness and willingness to yell at just about everyone in that moment had me genuinely laughing out loud. It makes me wonder if Dunbar has had experience with feisty pregnant women in her history – she writes passionate and strong women with a heavy dose of sass so well.

I love that Bull completely lives up to his name in this book. There’s a few more sexually charged “living up to the name” aspects. But it was his bullheadedness that made me smile. Instead of confronting Scarlett head on and trying to gently sway her to his way of thinking, he just continues to silently work on her. This stubbornness is brilliant and a lot of fun to read. I seriously enjoyed how he is able to be patient and work with Scarlett’s insecurities and issues. Plus, when her ex appears, he continues to be kind of steadfast in his commitment to Scarlett. I also love that although the ex is sinister and causes a whole heap of uncomfortable issues, it ends up being Bull who really gets in his own damn way. There’s nothing like a character who makes silly decisions and ends up (sometimes hilariously) harming his own plans.

This was a fantastic read. It was fun, light and easy. But there was also just enough angst and trouble that it was impossible to put down. I had a lot of fun reading this. And the many sneaky cow / pregnant woman comparisons had me giggling. Since I’ve recently been through all of the joys of pregnancy, I was able to find this even more relevant and entertaining – a lot of laughter and smiles throughout this very sweet and cute romance.

<- SweetheartCakewalk ->

Image source: Goodreads

Love in Due Time by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Love in Due Time
Author: L.B. Dunbar
Series: Green Valley Library #1, SmartyPants Romance
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

I have to be honest, I get a little bit over the storylines that feature a woman who has only had sex with the one man. Or who are virgins before they meet their one and only… and this did have a bit of that kind of trope. It made me feel a little hesitant to sink into this novel. Although I didn’t necessarily love that Naomi spent twenty-odd years waiting for Nathan to come back into her life, I did still enjoy this story. Probably because Naomi didn’t really spend that time pining for and waiting for one man, but just dealt with her sexuality and weird messed up feelings about it in her own time and her own way.

There are pretty much no contemporary books on my shelves that feature wiccans. Sure, I have plenty of paranormal stories which feature this practice – but they combine the paranormal views of magic. This is the first one that is all about what it’s actually like to practice Wicca in the everyday world. The practices, the beliefs, and the prejudice that people have to face. The fact that it endangers Naomi on a regular basis because she’s in a small town… it’s completely understandable and realistic. Unlike all other stories that I’ve read featuring Wicca.

Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t go into a career as a librarian – I have a book obsession and am an introvert. Naomi’s job and the constant, beautiful reminders of Bethany Winston made me wonder even more why I haven’t trialled this as a career. Although, to be fair, I do love the career that I currently have… but I digress. The backdrop of the library and it’s potential for being closed against the drama of Naomi and Nathan’s relationship is absolutely gorgeous. Then, there’s the complete counterpoint of Nathan’s dramas – the Iron Wraiths and all of their horribleness. It made me fairly uncomfortable throughout. But it was most certainly the perfect obstacle to overcome.

I may have been a bit hesitant about reading this due to the virgin trope – but I did end up absolutely loving it. The virgin trope is a little less painful than I had anticipated – and probably takes up more of my review than it did of the actual story line. Definitely an enjoyable book that I look forward to reading again and again.

<- More SmartyPants RomanceCrime and Periodicals ->

Image source: Goodreads