Format: eARC

Review: By a Thread by Lucy Score

Posted June 19, 2023 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Reviewer: Holly
By a Thread by Lucy Score
Narrator: Erin Mallon, Sebastian York
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: April 23, 2020
Format: eARC
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 582
Length: 14 hours and 21 minutes
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Dominic was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether to chop me into pieces or pull my hair and French kiss me.
Dominic
I got her fired. Okay, so I’d had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there’s nothing innocent about Ally Morales. She proves that her first day of her new job… in my office… after being hired by my mother.
So maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine’s offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue.
But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father.
She’s working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn’t feel like sharing with me. And I’m going to fix it all. Don’t accuse me of caring. She’s nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette.

Ally
Ha. Hold my beer, Grumpy Grump Face.

Author’s Note: A steamy, swoony workplace romantic comedy with a grumpy boss hero determined to save the day and a plucky heroine who is starting to wonder if there might actually be a beating heart just beneath her boss’s sexy vests.

I’ve heard mixed things about this book and since Lucy Score can be kind of hit or miss for me, I was on the fence about trying it out, but I’m glad I gave it a try. This was a really cute read. The banter was a lot of fun and I really loved the grumpy/sunshine theme.

Dominic meets his mom for breakfast one morning, gets into a verbal sparring match with his waitress and demands she gets fired when she doesn’t back down. His mom ends up offering Ally a job, which she’s desperate enough to take since her father needs medical care and she’s completely broke after a series of unfortunate incidents. The vibe in the office is a little strange and Dominic is a total grump, but Ally soon finds herself getting shuffled around the office as a Jill-of-all-trades, which often keeps her in direct contact with him. Since his mom has made it clear he can’t fire Ally, she figures she has nothing to lose by giving him a hard time back.

Dominic is trying to clean up the mess his father left in the company, and he doesn’t want to do anything to make their employees feel unsafe, but he can’t help how he gravitates to Ally. She’s full of sass and sunshine, and she pulls him out of his own head. But he can’t be with her as long as she works for the company. Since he can’t fire her, he’ll just have to get her to quit….

I really love the first 3/4 of this book. The banter and sexual tension between Ally and Dominic was really good. I loved what a grump he was and how she seemed to pull him away from that. What I did not love was the way he tried to push her to quit during the last 1/4 of the book. He spent the entire book feeling kind of skeevy because his dad was a creep, yet he kept trying to force Ally to quit? She didn’t share her personal issues with him, but he knew she needed the job and still tried to force it? It went on too long and really hurt my overall enjoyment of the book the more I thought about it.

I also felt like the characters acted much younger than they were purported to be. He was in his 40s and she was close to 40, and yet they both acted kind of immature at times. They felt like they were in their 20s, not their 40s.

The book was on the long side and I got frustrated with both of them at various times throughout, but I enjoyed it as a whole. As long as I don’t think too hard about the way he acted.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

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Tagged: 3.75 Reviews, Contemporary, Holly's Reviews, Kindle Unlimited, Lucy Score, Reviews, Self-Published

Review: Ancient Warrior by Katie Reus

Posted May 15, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Reviewer: Casee
Ancient Warrior by Katie Reus
Series: Ancients Rising #8
Also in this series: Ancient Vengeance, Ancient Sentinel
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 246
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Series Rating:

The last time she saw him…
Long before The Fall, before the world changed forever, tiger shifter Harlow worked in Black Ops for the safety of all shifters. She excelled at her job, loved everything about it, until the male she loved tried to kill her. So she was forced to kill him first.
She killed him.
Now Aodh is back. And this fierce, dominant dragon shifter won’t stop until he gets answers. But things aren’t what they seem and now he has more than a battle with Harlow on his hands. If they want a chance at a future, they’ll have to take down an ancient enemy who has targeted not only them, but their friends—and it’s going to take uniting all their skills to survive.
Author note: Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone, complete with HEA and no cliffhanger.

Harlow has always been a character that I was curious about. She was such a badass from the moment she appeared. I was really looking forward to seeing who the hero would be that could deal with her dominant personality.

Long before The Fall, Harlow & Aodh worked on a Black Ops team. They were responsible for policing the supernatural. When Aodh turned against Harlow, she was forced to kill him. Or so she thinks. Even after all the years that have passed, Harlow still feels the loss of her would-be mate. Now Aodh is back and wants revenge on Harlow & the rest of the team for deserting him. The only problem with that is that he loves Harlow deeply & could never hurt her. He has no idea why she or the rest of his team abandoned him, but he does know that he won’t let her go so easily.

When Aodh returns, Harlow knows that something went terribly wrong. The man that she thought she killed was not Aodh. It was a witch that wanted Aodh for the dragon inside him. After draining him of his powers for decades, Aodh is finally free. Now Harlow & Aodh have to work together with the rest of their pack to find the witch that destroyed both their worlds.

I loved both Harlow & Aodh. While it was hard for both of them to forgive the other one, they realized that they would have to work together to bring down the witch responsible for so much pain & suffering in their lives. I enjoyed Harlow immensely. She was a great heroine. Aodh wasn’t bad himself, but it was really Harlow that shined on the pages. My only complaint was that the book was way too short.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.

Ancients Rising

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Tagged: 3.75 Reviews, Ancients Rising, Casee's Reviews, Katie Reus, Reviews, Self-Published, Urban Fantasy

Review: Lassiter by JR Ward

Posted April 19, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Reviewer: Casee
Lassiter by J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #21
Also in this series: Lover Unbound, Lover Avenged, Lover at Last, Lover at Last, The King, The Shadows, The Beast, Lover Enshrined, The Chosen, Lover Mine, The Thief, The Savior, Where Winter Finds You, The Sinner, Lover Unleashed
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 480
Length: 15 hours and 17 minutes
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Series Rating:

The next book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series!
In the next installment in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, a fallen angel finds love with a mysterious female—who could be his destiny... or the embodiment of his utter destruction.

I don’t even know where to start with this review. My emotions were very conflicted when I finished this book. On one hand, I really liked being immersed back in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. It always hits me with a sort of nostalgia because I remember exactly where I was when I first read Dark Lover. That book hit me hard & has continued to stay with me through the last 18 years. I remember buying it from a used book store thinking that it was interesting that a man was writing romance novels (little did I know). I loved that book from the first page to the last. On the other hand, I didn’t love this book. I thought I would. I’ve been waiting for Lassiter’s story for quite some time. More than Tohr’s actually (and I really wanted that book). Lassiter has been such an interesting character from the first moment he appeared on the page. I think that JRW’s writing has changed & it’s not necessarily for the better. Unfortunately.

Lassiter & Rahvyn were supposed to be the main characters in this book, but I didn’t really feel like that was the case. I liked reading their story, but the Lash & Devina thing was absolutely ridiculous. I don’t care about Lash or Devina’s POV. As a matter of fact, it almost ruined the book entirely. When I would get to another chapter about those two, I felt like throwing my Kindle. It was really boring & I just didn’t give a fuck about those two. I understand that they were integral to the story and all that, but ffs, lay off a little. Devina’s character needs to be put out to pasture. She is so over-the-top bad that it’s just absurd. Lash isn’t much better.

The best part of the book was Lassiter & Rahvyn’s mating ceremony. I really felt that the ceremony & the love between all the characters was embodied very well. Still, that didn’t excuse the rest of the book. Even the (usually amusing, although sometimes annoying) anecdotes were eyeroll inducing. I would have DNFed it, but I really wanted to see what happened with Lassiter & Rahvyn. Unfortunately, I think that I’m going to call a halt on this series, even after the (kind of) cliffhanger. I also didn’t appreciate how she fast forwarded the series. I thought it was really poorly done.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Black Dagger Brotherhood

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Tagged: 2.5 Reviews, Black Dagger Brotherhood, Casee's Reviews, Gallery Books, J.R. Ward, Paranormal Romance, Reviews

Review: Ancient Sentinel by Katie Reus

Posted April 10, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Reviewer: Casee
Ancient Sentinel by Katie Reus
Series: Ancients Rising #7
Also in this series: Ancient Vengeance, Ancient Warrior
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: January 24, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 137
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Series Rating:

He never expected her…
Jaguar shifter Ren never expected to fall for anyone again—not after the last woman he opened his heart to tried to cut it out. Literally. But the moment he met Grace, he fell fast and hard for the sweet human. Except she’s made it clear she’s only looking for friendship, and he wants it all.
But he’ll do anything to claim her heart.
Grace officially has a crush on her friend—a quiet jaguar shifter with kind eyes and deadly skills. However, he hasn’t given any indication he wants more than friendship. So she vows to move on—until they’re given an assignment by their Alpha. When they’re stuck together under the same roof, sharing one bed, it becomes impossible to hide her attraction. But then an unknown threat surfaces, putting Grace’s life in danger, and Ren will stop at nothing to protect the woman he knows is his mate.

Grace has had a crush on Ren for quite some time. At the beginning of the book, she decides that she’s going to lay it all out there. She’s going to go for it & tell Ren exactly how she feels about him. Her plans are derailed when she heads to his home & finds him hugging a woman. Her hopes & dreams of being with Ren are instantly dashed. It seems that all they will ever be is friends. Ren wants Grace with a fierceness that surprises even him, especially after what he’s gone through in the past.

This is a rather short review because it was a rather short book. I would say that it is more a novella than a full-length book. I didn’t really connect with either Ren or Grace. There was no backstory into Ren’s past. They got together fairly quickly, then the book just ended. It wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t my favorite in the series.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Ancients Rising

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Tagged: 3.0 Reviews, Ancients Rising, Casee's Reviews, Katie Reus, Reviews, Self-Published, Urban Fantasy

Review: Ghostly Game by Christine Feehan

Posted March 20, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Reviewer: Casee
Ghostly Game by Christine Feehan
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: GhostWalkers #19
Also in this series: Predatory Game, Street Game, Ruthless Game, Shadow Game, Power Game, Murder Game, Covert Game, Toxic Game, Phantom Game
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 400
Length: 11 hours and 15 minutes
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Series Rating:

It's fight or flight in this sultry, suspenseful GhostWalker novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.
Gideon "Eagle" Carpenter is used to rolling with the punches life has thrown at him. It's the only thing that's kept him alive. He and his team of GhostWalkers have seen and experienced it all. He does his best to live with all the sins written on his soul. Then he hears the laughter of a woman with the ability to erase--even for a few previous moments--the darkness of his past.
Laurel "Rory" Chappel has always been a nomad. She's accustomed to taking care of herself, despite the physical challenges she lives with. She thinks she's too weak to find real love, but that doesn't stop her interest in Gideon from turning into a full-on addiction. He's all rough edges and danger contrasted with a tenderness that makes her feel safe. Still, after a life spent in motion, she's not sure she knows how to stay in one place.
Gideon hopes he can persuade Rory to take a chance on him with every electric touch. But soon, life conspires against him, forcing the GhostWalker to risk everything to protect the woman he loves....

Rory Chappel is a nomad. She moves from city to city, working as a bartender, but not making any real connections with anyone. That changes when she lands in San Francisco. Not only does she meet a great group of women at her apartment complex, but that’s where she meets Gideon Carpenter. To Rory, Gideon seems too good to be true. He’s attentive & attractive among other things. Rory is used to being on her own, so having so many people care about what happens to her in such a short amount of time throws her off her game. She usually only stays in a city for a few months, then she moves on. She’s not exactly running from anything, she just moves when the urge strikes. It’s not going to be so easy to leave San Francisco. So she starts wondering if she should plant some roots.

Gideon Carpenter is a GhostWalker. Before that, he was an abused child that grew up in a violent household. There are decisions that Gideon made in his life that he regrets to this day. When he first hears Rory’s laughter, he knows he has to find her. When he does find her, she takes his breath away. Rory doesn’t put off the vibe that most GhostWalkers do, but he’s certain that she is a GhostWalker. That would be the only thing that would explain the instant & irresistible attraction he has to her. Then he goes and fucks everything up by telling his team her secrets. It wasn’t that he wanted to tell them, but above all, Gideon is a protector.

This book was unlike any Christine Feehan book that I’ve read in the past. This book was based more on emotion than sex. I don’t think the sex actually happened until about 90% into the book. I was okay with that because at times, Christine Feehan overdoes it with the physical. Honestly, I’m still a little confused about the plot. There was a whole suspense aspect that was weird. Like it didn’t fit into what I’m used to in a GhostWalker novel. Although, that might have ended up being a good thing. This is one of the few series that I still read by Christine Feehan & I plan on continuing with it. It’s interesting & hot. This world that she has created is pretty amazing.

Rating: 4 out of 5.