Tag: Entangled Lovestruck

Guest Review: Just One Spark by Jenna Bayley-Burke

Posted May 3, 2018 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Just One Spark by Jenna Bayley-BurkeReviewer: Tracy
Just One Spark (Just One... #1) by Jenna Bayley-Burke
Series: Just One... #1
Also in this series: Just One Spark
Publisher: Entangled: Lovestruck
Publication Date: April 9th 2018
Format: eARC
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 260
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two-stars
Series Rating: two-stars

Hannah Daniels reads steamy romance novels to forget her last trip on the love roller coaster shredded her heart and tossed it like confetti. Her instincts about men stink, but at work they’re on point. Only her busy schedule means she reads whenever she can make time. Like at the laundromat while sitting on top of a washing machine. Don’t judge.

Firefighter Mason McNally has searched his whole life for a woman who stirs his soul. When he finds her, she’s nose-deep in a racy paperback atop a vibrating washer. Her beauty, boldness, and raw sensuality ignite his interest. But there’s a problem. He’s forgotten he’s wearing a wedding ring.

No amount of hasty explanations that it’s for his brother’s psychology experiment convinces her to give him a chance. But he’s rushed into fiery situations before, and this woman is totally worth the risk. He’ll just have to prove to her that first impressions can be wrong and their spark of attraction is oh so right.

Hannah is in the laundromat when she meets Mason.  Unfortunately Mason had been participating in an experiment for his psychologist brother and was wearing a wedding ring.  Hannah tells him off for hitting on her and even though Mason says he’s not married, she doesn’t believe him.

Hannah had been dating previously but then found out that the guy was married with a family and she was crushed by what she thought of as her own stupidity.  She doesn’t trust men in general right now and is just interested in her career.

Mason is determined to talk to Hannah once again so he basically stalks her until he can find her, but fails.  It’s through Hannah’s married sister that she ends up meeting Mason’s brother and then is re-introduced to Mason.  They find out that they are neighbors in the same building and he lives right above her.  Despite Hannah’s decisions to take things slowly they can’t seem to keep their hands off of each other.  For Hannah, however, this is just the beginning of what might be a lasting relationship.  For Mason this is the beginning of forever. He wants her and he’s not about to let her go.

This starts off as a decent story, although Mason’s stalking is a bit creepy.  Unfortunately all I ever really felt for this couple, as the book moved on, was awkwardness.  I never felt comfortable with the pair and I think it was because of Hannah.  I found her to be incredibly irritating.  She was stubborn, grated on my nerves and at times she was down-right mean to Mason.  He had his issues but overall he was a nice guy who seemed to truly care about her.  He deserved way better, imho.  Throughout the whole book Hannah never tells Mason she loves him.  Never.  I found that extremely odd in a romance.

There were some parts of the book that were better than others but I found them few and far between.  I didn’t realize as I was reading the book that I had read it before.  I think I must have blocked it, or something because only one part really made me think, “Have I read this before?”  According to Goodreads I read it 4 years ago but sadly I didn’t like it any better this time around.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Just One…

two-stars

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Guest Review: The Attraction of Adeline by Lisa Wells

Posted April 13, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: The Attraction of Adeline by Lisa WellsReviewer: Tracy
The Attraction of Adeline by Lisa Wells
Series: Off-the-Wall Proposal #2
Publisher: Entangled, Lovestruck
Publication Date: April 10th 2017
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The Proposal: Adeline Rigby will live with Accountant Jack Foster and pretend to be his fake fiancée for one month in order for him to seal a promotion to partner. In return, Accountant Jack Foster will intimately tutor Adeline Rigby in French before she leaves for Paris where she will fulfill her dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu.

The Terms:

1. Maintain distance. Three get-to-know-you dates before announcing their engagement will be tempting enough.

2. No kissing. Okay, fine. Three kisses. Maybe four. And neck kisses don’t count.

3. No touchy feely stuff. Or at least not too many public displays of touchy-feely stuff.

4. No sex.

5. All right, all right. One night of sex in order to be a believable engaged couple.

6. Two nights of mind-blowing sex to make sure first night wasn’t a fluke.

7. Absolutely, positively, no falling in love.

Adeline’s best friend introduces her to her brother, Jack.  Adeline falls and hits her head and has a mild concussion so Jack stays with her to make sure things are all good.  While they’re together they talk and Adeline finds out that Jack is up for a promotion. Jack says he probably won’t get it as his boss is really old-fashioned and believes that any partner needs to be married.  Jack is single so that counts him out.  Jack really wants that promotion as he’s a hard worker so he ends up asking Adeline to be his fake fiancé.  When her landlord decides to sell her condo she moves in with Jack and it’s the perfect time to try and sell their fake engagement to his boss and co-workers.

Adeline has agreed to be the fake fiancé but has no desire to go any further with it…at first. She immediately takes sex off of the table but is soon changing her tune.  Jack was left at the altar at one point in his life and has no desire to ever get married.  That’s until he gets to know Adeline better and ends up falling in love with her.  Soon Jack is saying things that are supposed to be fake but are he really means them.  Adeline thinks that Jack is incredibly hot but she has plans for her future and none of those include a man.

This book was part fun and funny and part heart-breaking.  The fun and funny part were when Jack and Adeline were together.  I loved that they could laugh at each other and have a good time.  Adeline was a bit of a stick in the mud but she was so fearful of getting off of her life track that she couldn’t bend.  The heart-breaking part was Adeline’s life.  She had been put into foster care at the age of 5 and had had 6 foster families until finally the 7th family stuck.  She loved her foster mother, Dottie, but Dottie not only had Alzheimers but breast cancer and was dying.  The cancer treatments were making her Alzheimers worse and she seemed to be stuck in one memory and unfortunately that memory of Adelilne was not a good one.  Adeline would go to Dottie’s house every Saturday night but Dottie wouldn’t let her in or even be nice to her.  In the end things were worked out between them but it was very sad and I definitely cried when Dottie was dying.

Overall I thought the book was a good one and will most likely pick up another Lisa Wells book in the future.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

three-half-stars

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Guest Review: Her Scottish Mistake by Michele de Winton

Posted April 11, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Her Scottish Mistake by Michele de WintonReviewer: Tracy
Her Scottish Mistake by Michele de Winton
Publisher: Entangled, Lovestruck
Publication Date: April 10th 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
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three-stars

Aspiring blogger Janie Milan is finally on her dream trip to Thailand. But when an unfortunate piña colada incident lands her in the path of a hot Scotsman, Janie finds herself dying to find out what's under his kilt. Only the frustratingly sexy man isn't who he's pretending to be…

After cutting a deal to keep his brother safe, Scottish heartthrob Blaine Galloway is hiding from the press. But his secret identity starts to slip the second he meets small-town blogger, Janie. Now the press is hot on their heels and Blaine’s life is tumbling into a tabloid-sponsored hell. Coincidence? He’s not so sure.

Janie is on the trip of her life in Thailand.  She needed to get away from her small town in Texas where her cheating ex was getting married to her ex-best friend.  Soon after she arrives she accidentally spills her piña colada onto a man who happens to be incredibly good looking.  She helps him clean up and they go their separate ways.  When they meet each other at breakfast the other day and find out at the same time that they’ve each been booked into a couples resort they take advantage and book a day trip together.  They get closer as they spend the days together and start to fall in love.

Blaine Calloway is a Scottish actor who needed to get away from his life and the press.  He’s taken a trip to Thailand because he figures it’s as far from the UK as he can get.  He ends up having a great time with Janie as he loves how down to earth she is.  She treats him like a real person, not an actor, even after he comes clean about who he is.

Unfortunately the press get wind of his getaway and come after him.  Blaine blames Janie and the shit hits the fan.  Can these two people be together when they feel they can’t trust each other?

This was an interesting little romance.  The idea of small town meeting foreign actor was a cute one and seemed to work at times during the book.  Unfortunately I didn’t feel like the H/h were suited to each other and had a hard time reading about them falling in love.  It wasn’t so much that they were different but that the way they were written I couldn’t feel it. Even when they were fighting with each other I didn’t feel the emotion between them and that was my biggest issue with the book.  If you can’t feel the love between characters how can you truly love their romance? You can’t.

Despite the lack of emotion I felt I thought that the Thai scenery was written really well.  I almost felt like I was there and I loved that.  It seemed like Blaine and Janie were going to wonderfully romantic destinations that were incredibly described.

The story is about not only two people falling in love but finding out where they belong in the lives they live.  Blaine needed to find out what he was doing with his acting career and Janie needed to find her place in her little town of Little Acre as it seemed as if she’d be stuck there the rest of her life.  She loved her family but she wanted to do more.  I thought this part of the book was well done as well and I liked seeing Janie with her little family that was a bit dysfunctional.

Overall it was a decent read but again, didn’t feel the love/romance at all.

Rating: 3 out of 5

three-stars

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Guest Review: How to Play the Game of Love by Harmony Williams

Posted December 27, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: How to Play the Game of Love by Harmony WilliamsReviewer: Tracy
How to Play the Game of Love by Harmony Williams
Series: Ladies of Passion #1

Publication Date: October 17th 2016
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three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

He’s everything she thinks she doesn’t want.

When Miss Rose Wellesley’s father threatens an arranged marriage, she knows she'd better settle on a choice quickly or end up having no say in who she marries. Fortunately, she's garnered a rare invitation to Lady Dunlop's "Week of Love" house party, an annual affair notorious for matchmaking. Her plans to expedite a proposal would go smoothly if not for the brash younger sister she must chaperone, her outspoken, disagreeable best friend, and the bullish Lord Hartfell who seems determined to dog her every step.

Lord Hartfell embodies every last thing Rose dislikes in a man. He’s domineering, tenacious, argumentative, and a little too casual with his nudity for her tastes. Worst of all, Rose can't seem to get him—or his kisses—out of her mind.

Rose is determined to find a more appropriate husband, even if her heart disagrees with how unsuitable the stubborn lord is…

Rose, her sixteen-year-old sister, Daisy, and her friends Francine and Mary are all at a house party.  This is what Rose thinks of as her last chance.  Her father has said that if she doesn’t choose a husband soon that he’ll choose one for her.  She’s had marriage proposals but she hasn’t loved any of them.  She wants love – is that so wrong?  Her father wants her married before Rose’s sister has her first season and he’s not about to take no for an answer.

The house party that the girls are at are is a notorious week-long party that supposedly is the week of love.  Many couples get married after meeting at this party every year and Rose wants that too.  The first night Rose sees Captain Frederick Paine and falls in love.  He helped her out of a mud puddle once when she was younger and she found him honorable.  Now he’s not only honorable but a soldier and good-looking.  Unfortunately when Rose starts to make her move it seems that Frederick isn’t interested in her and she’s thwarted by a man named Lord Hartfell.  She tries to get away from him throughout the week but it seems they’re paired together quite often.  As much as Rose doesn’t want to admit that she likes him she seems to be falling for him.  When she finds out who he really is, she’s incensed and hurt and wants nothing to do with him.  In the end will the love she feels conquer the hurt?

Cute book, I must say.  I liked the whole idea of the story and the set-up.  It had a happy feel to it and Rose’s friends were supportive and just lovely people.   That being said I really didn’t like Rose for most of the book.  There, I said it.  It’s horrible to say but she just annoyed me to no end.  She was set on Frederick even when he almost gave her the cut direct.  I think it was more like she wasn’t even on his radar despite she how hard she was trying to get noticed.  Lord Hartfell had his quirks as well but he didn’t really deserve the nastiness that spewed from Rose’s mouth.  She would kiss him then tell him off.  It got old after a while.

I can’t give any spoilers away about the end of the book and what was kind of the big reveal.  I will say that I thought it was well done and enjoyed how the author softened Rose up a bit in the end.  It was a little too late for my liking but it was nice to see.

The story was good and I liked the writing if not the heroine.  I think I’ll check out the next book in the series in the hopes that I find out some information that was left out of book one about another couple.

Rating: 3 out of 5

three-stars

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Review: Just One Week by Alice Gaines

Posted September 15, 2016 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments

Review: Just One Week by Alice GainesReviewer: Rowena
Just One Week by Alice Gaines
Publisher: Entangled: Lovestruck
Publication Date: September 12th 2016
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one-star

Her brother’s best friend is not only the hottest man Michelle Dennis has ever seen, he’s the reason she left town eight years ago. Of course he’s the one waiting at the airport. Worse, he made sure they’re staying in the same house.

Alex Stafford is expecting to pick up his friend’s kid sister, not a full-fledged bombshell. He was planning to apologize for their past, but the feelings he had years ago come roaring back…and this time, there’s no denying them.

Keeping his hands off is a test he’s bound to fail—especially when they’re stuck in close quarters. But falling in love with Michelle, living in her world, isn’t an option for a guy like him. And remembering that will save them both a lot of heartache…

I was really interested in reading this book after reading the synopsis. I’m a total fan of the brother’s best friend trope so I was pretty excited to get this one read. I’m sad to report that this book just didn’t work for me. At all.

Our heroine, Michelle returns to the place that always felt like home after being away for 8 years. She went away to college and then after college, she went to some more school and then she got a job working across the country so she hasn’t been home. Everyone knows that she ran away and that her brother’s best friend Alex Stafford is the reason.

Alex’s parents are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary and his father’s birthday and Michelle is expected to attend the party. It’s a big deal for them and Michelle doesn’t have the heart to not be there. Alex’s parents were like parents to her and they loved and supported her when her own parents wouldn’t so out of respect for them, Michelle comes home. She was expecting to spend the entire trip home acting casual around Alex but things don’t always go the way you plan, especially when Alex shows up at the airport to pick you up and won’t let you hide from things you want to hide from.

Alex is determined to mend the relationship between him and Michelle. He won’t get a more perfect opportunity to do that so the time for fixing things is now.

Sounds good, right?

Sadly, I never connected with anyone in this book. Not even any of the secondary characters. There was a lot of potential but the story never took off for me and the dialogue between the hero and the heroine didn’t feel right. It wasn’t authentic or real, at least that’s how I felt. I felt like I was reading what my grandma thinks guys in the NFL sound like. He thought and said things like, “What the f?” and “Holy cow” like he was a 12 year old juvenile and not a grown ass man in the NFL. He actually screamed the following:

“Damn it,” Alex shouted, “At least, leave me my dignity”

My reaction to that was:

The entire book felt off to me. I couldn’t get into the romance between Alex and Michelle because I thought they were immature and Alex was a whole lot of woe is me that just didn’t ring true for someone who is in the NFL. The NFL is not an easy profession to get into. My nephew is hoping to play in the NFL and he’s got a dominant personality. He’s driven, he’s persistent and he’s bullheaded but none of those characteristics struck me as true for Alex. His whole I’m not smart enough, I’m just a dumb jock attitude rubbed me the wrong way because you’re a grown ass man who grew up with a supportive family, supposedly thriving in a profession that only the top percentage of players in the entire country can even be a part of and I felt like he was more whiny baby than grown man.

Michelle wasn’t any better either. I get her grudge over what Alex did to her all those years ago but aside from that, she was pretty forgettable. I just finished the book and I can’t remember that much about her, other than she worked as a biometric researcher and had a doctorate. shrugs

Don’t even get me started on Kyle, the brother and best friend. His tantrum when he finds out about Alex and Michelle made me roll my eyes and want to bitch slap him into next week.

I just couldn’t with this book and I kept reading hoping that it would get better and that something would click for me but in the end, I was still frustrated and rolling my eyes so this book just wasn’t for me.

Grade: 1 out of 5

one-star

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