Tag: 3.5 Reviews

Review: Fall Into Temptation by Lucy Score

Posted September 19, 2022 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Fall Into Temptation by Lucy ScoreReviewer: Holly
Fall into Temptation by Lucy Score
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Series: Blue Moon #2
Also in this series: No More Secrets , The Last Second Chance
Publisher: Self-PublishedFormat: Audiobook, eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Contemporary Romance
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars


"If we do this again, it won’t stop at kissing.” It was a dark promise...

Beckett Pierce is the most eligible bachelor in the nosiest small town in upstate New York. But after his last girlfriend handcuffed herself to his porch and set his welcome mat on fire, he's not looking for any more romance.
Even if it lands right in his backyard. And has miles of red hair.
Gianna Decker has her hands full--no, overflowing--with problems. With two kids, a useless ex, and a brand new yoga studio, the last thing on her mind is finding a man who'll cause her more problems.
Making out with her broody landlord? Yeah, that would be a problem. Lusting after the sexy mayor of the town she just moved to? Definitely a problem. Dating the “favorite” son of her father's new lady friend? It seems like Beckett is a bad idea just waiting to happen.
But he's a bad idea she can’t seem to resist.
As Beckett and Gianna find themselves thrown together again and again, they can't help but fall into the temptation of sizzling stolen kisses, of a desire so hot it brands. And soon they're much, much closer than they ever wanted. Tempers flare when their families complicate things and the interfering citizens of Blue Moon Bend step in with their special brand of chaos.
Can Beckett and Gianna manage to disentangle themselves before it’s too late?
Or is the temptation too much for either of them to deny?

Fall into Temptation (Blue Moon #2) by Lucy Score, follows middle brother Beckett as he finds love with the new yoga instructor.

Gia just recently moved to Blue Moon Bay and opened a yoga studio. She’s happy to focus on her business and raising her two kids, until she meets the town mayor -who also happens to be her landlord. He’s sexy as hell and she is so down with having a fling with him. As long as things don’t get complicated, everything will be just fine, right? Oh, except the part where his mom is dating her dad..and he isn’t happy about it.

Beckett isn’t really sure that he wants a ready made family, but he can’t deny he wants Gia and her kids are funny and adorable. She might want to leave things uncomplicated, but he’s totally down with spending time with her and her kids.

This was a cute read. I liked Gia and Beckett together. Her kids were adorable and the way they gravitated to Beckett was sweet. I did think the conflict and resolution toward the end was pretty over the top. Beckett acted like a complete moron. His immature response to stuff was frustrating. The grovel scene was pretty good, but I think Gia gave in a little too quickly.

Still, I’m really loving this series. The characters come to life and I’m totally digging the town.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Blue Moon

four-stars


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Review: The Jackal by J.R. Ward

Posted September 7, 2022 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: The Jackal by J.R. WardReviewer: Casee
The Jackal by J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: August 18, 2020
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 416
Length: 11 hours and 8 minutes
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sinner brings another hot adventure of true love and ultimate sacrifice in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
The location of the glymera’s notorious prison camp was lost after the raids. When a freak accident provides Nyx clues to where her sister may still be doing time, she becomes determined to find the secret subterranean labyrinth. Embarking on a journey under the earth, she learns a terrible truth—and meets a male who changes everything forever.
The Jackal has been in the camp for so long he cannot recall anything of the freedom he once knew. Trapped by circumstances out of his control, he helps Nyx because he cannot help himself. After she discovers what happened to her sister, getting her back out becomes a deadly mission for them both.
United by a passion they can’t deny, they work together on an escape plan for Nyx—even though their destiny is to be forever apart. And as the Black Dagger Brotherhood is called upon for help, and Rhage discovers he has a half-brother who’s falsely imprisoned, a devious warden plots the deaths of them all…even the Brothers.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I hate to love it and I love to hate it. And I just love it period. The world has always engrossed me and continues to do so even after all these years. I picked this one up when I couldn’t decide what to read. As always, I was pulled into this amazing world that JRW has created.

Nyx is looking for her sister whom she believes was wrongly convicted of murder. When a chance encounter with a vampire leads Nyx to the infamous glymera’s prison camp, she knows that she has to find her sister. She doesn’t know what to expect or even what her plan is, but she knows that she has to try to save her. She realizes at once that it’s a far deadlier that she thought it would be. After accidentally killing one of the prison camps guards, she finds herself face-to-face with the vampire they call The Jackal.

The Jackal has been in the prison camp for hundreds of years for a crime that he did not commit. While he is a prisoner, he’s not like other prisoners. “Command” as he calls it is the warden of the prison. Nothing happens or goes on that Command doesn’t know about. This book had a lot of action and seemed to never stop. Which makes sense considering that it’s a freaking prison.

To be honest, Nyx was stupid af. A true TSTL heroine. She had no plan when she went in. Like, none. Not one glimmer of what she would do when she arrived, let alone how she would find her sister. The Jackal was a great character though I really wondered what he saw in Nyx. I had a hard time seeing past her stupidity. She did get better toward the end, but it was too little, too late for me. I only finished reading it because I really liked The Jackal. Rhage was also prominent in this book & I enjoyed reading his memories of the past.

As per usual, the “secret” in the book smacked me right in the face at the time it was revealed. I had no idea that it was coming, but it really worked out in the end. Additionally, I will be reading the rest of the series because it’s very compelling.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp

three-half-stars


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Review: An Unexpected Cowboy by Shannon Stacey

Posted September 5, 2022 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: An Unexpected Cowboy by Shannon StaceyReviewer: Holly
An Unexpected Cowboy by Shannon Stacey
Series: Sutton's Place #2
Also in this series: Her Hometown Man
Publisher: Harlequin, Harlequin Special Edition
Publication Date: March 3, 2022
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 227
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

He’d been told home is where the heart isHe never believed it until now
Lone-wolf cowboy Irish is no stranger to long, lonely nights. Some might say he even prefers it that way. But somehow Mallory Sutton tugs on his heartstrings. The feisty single mom is struggling to balance it all—and challenging Irish’s perception of what he has to offer. She shows the guarded cowboy everything a family—and real love—can be. But will their unexpected connection keep Irish in town…or end in heartbreak for Mallory and her kids?

An Unexpected Cowboy (Sutton’s Place #2) by Shannon Stacey follows Mallory Sutton, a single mom. Her whole life Mallory has been the one who keeps things together. She stepped in and took care of her mom when he father passed away and she’s taking care of her two young boys since their father split. Between those responsibilities and the taproom and the thrift stop she and her mother run, she has no time for herself, much less time for a romance. She isn’t really even tempted, until Irish, a friend of her ex-brother-in-law’s parks his 5th wheel in their yard. That cowboy is hard to resist….

Irish isn’t ready to settle down, but a temporary fling with a hot single mom might be just what they both need. But once he gets a taste of Mallory, convincing himself he still has to pack and leave may turn out to be harder than expected.

I really like the Sutton family and I’m glad we got Mallory’s story. I liked how she and Irish connected and how he came to care for her boys and the rest of her family. I’m really looking forward to Evie’s book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Sutton’s Place

three-half-stars


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Review: Arctic Bite by N.J. Walters

Posted August 22, 2022 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Arctic Bite by N.J. WaltersReviewer: Casee
Arctic Bite by N.J. Walters
Narrator: Joe Hempel
Series: Forgotten Brotherhood #2
Also in this series: Fury Unleashed, Ancient Desire, Hunter Avenged
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Publication Date: May 18, 2020
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 400
Length: 7 hours and 56 minutes
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Being immortal doesn’t mean you can’t die. It just means you’re damn hard to kill.
When Alexei Medvedev joined the Forgotten Brotherhood — paranormals hired to assassinate other paranormals — he knew it wouldn’t be a cake walk. But his next target is one of Death’s own Reapers gone rogue. For the first time since he started this gig, “damn hard to kill” feels more like “damn near impossible.”
Tracking Cassie Dobbs brings him to a remote bar in small-town Alaska, where this hot-as-hell Reaper is casually serving drinks, as if she doesn’t have a bounty on her head from Death himself. Alexei is dangerously intrigued. Everyone in the Brotherhood knows the first rule: don’t fall for your target.
But Alexei soon has bigger problems to face than an unexpected attraction. They only send assassins after those who deserve to die…or so he’s been made to believe. Now that he’s met Cassie, though, he’s not so sure.
What if everything he’s been told is a lie, and the person he’s been sent to kill is the only one who knows the truth?
Each book in the Fury Unleashed series is STANDALONE:* Fury Unleashed* Arctic Bite

The Forgotten Brotherhood is the last line of defense against paranormal creatures gone rogue. Immortals going after immortals, if you will. They only take contracts to take out immortals who deserve it. When life and death is at stake, there can be no mistakes.

Alexei Medevdev is a vampire/polar bear shifter and he is on the hunt for an immortal in Alaska. When he arrives to the

Cassie has been on the run from Death himself. As a reaper, Cassie has been around since the dawn of time, reaping souls. Eventually it becomes too much for her to bear, so she runs. Hiding in a remote town in Alaska seems like just the thing. Then Alexei shows up in her bar. She immediately knows something is off about him, but she’s not sure what. If she uses her power to sense what and who he is, it will bring the reapers down on her head. So she acts like any other mortal, though that’s the biggest lie of her life.

It doesn’t take Alexei long to realize that something is not adding up and that Cassie is not what she seems to be. It’s not long before he is protecting her, though he soon learns that she is not someone that needs protecting. While this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, I really did enjoy it. I love the world that Walters has created here. There is a mishmash of lore in this series and it’s very compelling.

Additionally, the first two covers in this series are amazing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Forgotten Brotherhood

three-half-stars


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Review: Unzipped by Lauren Blakely

Posted July 6, 2022 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Unzipped by Lauren BlakelyReviewer: Holly
Unzipped by Lauren Blakely
Series: Lucky in Love #4
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Plus
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 306
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Wanted: hot nerd seeks dating coach.

Picture this - I'm ready to win back the love of my life, and I'm going big this time. We're talking boom box, sing her name in the rain, let the whole damn neighborhood know I'm good and ready this time around. After all, if you're going to grand gesture the ever-loving hell out of a second chance, you need to pull out all the stops.

There's only one little problem.

My college girlfriend isn't the one who shows up when I play my "I'll do anything to win you back" tune. The woman who flings open the second-floor window tells me my ex doesn't live here anymore. But she'll help me win her back. Anything for romance, anything for a guy so willing to go big for love. And that's what I want at first. Until I get to know my new "romance coach" and discover she's funny, clever, and keeps me on my toes. Now I don't want to win anyone else's heart. I want the woman who's been helping me all along. Trouble is - she thinks I'm in love with someone else, and when we take off on a road trip, everything I think I know about women is about to be unzipped and turned inside out.

***He's the last person I ever expected to pop into my life, but he might be exactly what I need to save the thing that matters most to me. All I have to do is not fall for him.Unzipped is a standalone romance!

Unzipped (Lucky in Love #4) by Lauren Blakely follows Kyler aka “Tom” as he decides to win back the love of his life. I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the narrators. I hae not read any of the other books in the series, but I don’t feel like I missed anything.

Things ended rather abruptly with his college girlfriend, but he’s got his stuff together now and he’s ready to show her he’s a changed man. He knows he needs a grand gesture, so he stands outside her window with a boombox..that keeps eating tapes and doesn’t want to play music. But that’s okay, he’ll just sing the song…terribly and off key. Okay, this isn’t going well, but it’s the gesture that counts, right? Not when said ex-girlfriend isn’t even home.

Finley isn’t having the best time of things. Her sitcom is on the brink of being cancelled and she’s creatively tapped out. When a madman shows up outside her window with a boombox, she knows she’s found her next muse. She offers to help Tom win back his ex, so she can keep using him for inspiration. As they spend time together Finley realized Tom is more than a simple muse, and Tom starts to wonder if he’s pursuing the wrong type of love.

This was a cute listen. I enjoyed both narrators and the story overall, though I did think the Instalove was a little over the top. I didn’t really buy their HEA after only a week. The epilogue helped, though. I did like that Tom came to realize his past actions weren’t great and he wanted to make them right.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Lucky in Love

three-half-stars


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