"In a different world, we'd make sense. I wish we could live in a different world."
This book made me cry rivers. I've never imagin4 Stars!
"In a different world, we'd make sense. I wish we could live in a different world."
This book made me cry rivers. I've never imagined myself becoming so emotionally immersed in and moved by such a beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable romance book.
[image]
Viola May Pendleton grew up in a fortunate environment. She has parents with exceptional jobs and reputations in their town, called Blossom. Until she met the bad boy biker Harlin Alexander Granger and fell in love with him, her views about life changed. Their love was a whirlwind and things could have been more perfect, but then they are not allowed to be together because Harlin is a member of a gang called Venom Vipers.
At first, I thought I was getting the usual raging, clichéd insta-love story between two young adults, but when I got to the bottom of the story, I found out that this is not at all your usual kind of love story. It was more than anyone's heart could ever take! I love how Viola evolved into a mature woman in such a short span of time after meeting Harlin. And I love how Harlin just made everything in this book worthy and remarkable.
One thing I also loved about this book was the twist. OMG. Where did that even come from?! It absolutely stunned me in different ways. I could never deny Elizabeth Stoots's exceptional writing style here. It's my first time reading her work and I can say she has so much potential to become a best-selling author. I just have some issues with the words and sentences that need some editing-- like the missing question marks (?) and words like "they're" instead of "their". It's just minor though and it can still be overlooked, especially when the writing is well-done.
If you want a short, fast-paced love story with a good cry, this novella is a must.
"I've learned that in life we have to have the pain or else nothing else makes sense. How could we ever know to appreciate the good without the bad? Can you imagine never knowing anything bad?"
OMG! The Ritual definitely made all those smutty books I've read in the past look like a child's play.
[image]
But sizzling things aside, I defi4 Stars!
OMG! The Ritual definitely made all those smutty books I've read in the past look like a child's play.
[image]
But sizzling things aside, I definitely loved this book. It's a dark romance that offered a touch of suspense and mafia-ish feels.
(Note: Check trigger warnings in this book before you dive into it.)
Ryat Alexander Archer is a member of a secret organization at Barrington University where they call themselves Lords. When he graduated from his initiation, an assignment was handed to him by a higher Lord which is to pursue Blakely Rae Anderson and make her his chosen. Ryat was hesitant to accept this assignment at first knowing that Blakely is already in a relationship with a fellow Lord and she was already promised to marry him, but he took the assignment nonetheless to prove his dedication to the organization. From there, Ryan introduced Blakely to his dark world.
From the moment I've read the first part, I knew I would already love this book. It started off pretty strong and it definitely picked my curiosity seeing how cruel and unmercifully badass Ryat is. His first encounter with Blakely also set the mood on fire, I already felt the tension going on between them. The chemistry! And wow, the smut level in this book is so strong my Kindle almost exploded. Hahaha!
Although the secret organization wasn't a mafia (it's more like a college fraternity but darker and involves deadly assignments), it definitely had a mafia-ish feel on it. There were lots of things that happened here that it made me think wow, the author could have put them separately as trilogy. But I'm glad Shantel Tessier didn't do that. It was perfect like that and I didn't mind how long it was.
Perhaps the only thing I wasn't a fan of was the millions of secrets everyone was keeping. Seriously, why hide it from Blakely? Does it even matter?
All in all, this was a great college dark romance book. Blake and Ryat definitely went through a lot but I loved their journey together in this dark, twisted world. P.S. I went through the songs that were included in the playlist here and I love them too!
"In a world full of smoke and mirrors, he's something real. We got here by chance, but we're still together by choice."
I listened to its free audiobook posted by the author on Youtube. As this is a small-town romance, I instantly dived into it. It was a story 3.5 Stars
I listened to its free audiobook posted by the author on Youtube. As this is a small-town romance, I instantly dived into it. It was a story told in two POVs: voices of main characters Lily Matthews and Dr. Brad Burrell. When Brad was re-assigned to a small town called Pine Haven to temporarily replace its clinic physician, he didn't like it at first since he grew up and was used to the big city. However, when he met the clinic's receptionist Lily, things eventually changed as he developed feelings for her.
I thought the book has a very nice romantic concept. I love small-town romances because of their warm and comforting feel. And this book has a lot of things to like, especially when it brings out two characters growing up from two different environments. I also love that aside from the romance, the story gives importance to community involvement as well as family values and friendships.
However, there was insta-love in this book which I didn't quite like. It was also a bit challenging to warm up to Lily's character. She makes small things a big deal and takes things personally even if the people don't actually meant to attack her. Although I understand that she's just really devoted to her hometown.
And although I loved that Brad changed from being an ass to being a nice guy, I still find his character development unrealistic. It was too sudden for him to have a change of attitude and mindset towards everything. But regardless of that, I find it adorable how he still pursued Lily despite her imperfections and how he respected her. All in all, it was still a good audiobook to listen to. I loved how it was narrated. I can definitely say that the author has a great and engaging writing style. The voices of the characters are also amazing, I love listening to them!
I listened to its free audiobook posted by the author on Youtube while I was cooking for lunch, and it was a nice experience ;)
This has been3.5 Stars!
I listened to its free audiobook posted by the author on Youtube while I was cooking for lunch, and it was a nice experience ;)
This has been an adorable clean romance book. Although I find the best friend's sister trope quite cliché, I couldn't help but still swoon over how the characters' romance evolved in a sweet and tender manner.
The story started off when Emily Franklin was helping her brother and her best friend's wedding shower together with her brother's best friend Cole Sanford. She has always been secretly infatuated with Cole but she didn't think he will be interested with her. When the two of them worked together in preparation for the wedding, they eventually developed feelings for each other. Their romantic development started not just with the wedding shower planning but also when Emily was teaching Cole how to cook and also invited him to go to Church.
I loved the Christian aspect of this book and how it incorporated God's presence in a relationship. It was something pure and refreshing. The story was a little bit underwhelming for me though and I think the best friend's sister trope is already kind of overused. However, I still think this was a good romance book with a wholesome outcome in the end. I loved how the characters have shown their imperfections and how they were willing to get themselves better and prove the sincerity of their love towards each other.
What I love about Mia Sheridan is that she has this moving, almost poignant writing style that always have a special effect on me. This book ga3 Stars
What I love about Mia Sheridan is that she has this moving, almost poignant writing style that always have a special effect on me. This book gave me that. It may not be the perfect romance book from her, but I was glad to have savored her writing style again after Archer's Voice.
Falling for Gage is the story between Gage Buchanan and Aurora "Rory" Casteel. They met at a dive bar owned by Rory's family called Cakes and Ales after Gage and his friends got stuck in the area. There was already an attraction going on between them from the beginning which led to a one-night-stand. Since Gage is already set to go to London to take care of their family business' new venture, both of them knew they will not see each other again. But then after a week, their paths have crossed again when Rory went to Gage's hometown in Calliope, seeking answers and finding out who her father is, while pretending as an art appraiser.
The book had such a fun and quirky beginning. I loved Gage and Rory's flirty interactions while never missing out the deep conversations on the side. However, the things that happened after that were kind of a let-down, especially when I saw the weak character development of Gage (if there was anything at all). Gage has always been following the footsteps of his dad and had always conformed to the goal of being the perfect son. When he met Rory, he slowly got aware of himself and knew that deep within, he wanted a different route for his life. However, he was still very stubborn to follow what he really wants in life and instead, just be a phony to his dad. I had trouble liking Gage as a whole because of this. The whole time I was like, "C'mon, Gage, can you man enough?"
The romance in this book was beautiful, however, despite that, it was already hard for me to be fully enamored because of Gage's character. The mystery aspect was also well-done here. I loved the painting hunts they did to try to fit the puzzle. And I didn't expect that revelation! More importantly, the ending was so sweet and something that every romance reader would look forward to. It's also a bonus to see some characters from Archer's Voice being present in this book.
"There's a difference between a fling, feelings, and forever."
When the main characters have so much good traits in them, and you4.5 Stars!
"There's a difference between a fling, feelings, and forever."
When the main characters have so much good traits in them, and you feel their chemistry right from the very beginning, then you know you're gonna end up loving the book! That's what The Proposal by Adriana Locke did to me.
Rugby's bad boy Renn Brewer and his teammate's younger sister Blakely Evans have always have this 'thing' going on since they knew each other. They were teasing each other and were almost close to giving in to their undeniable sexual tension. However, they continued to resist it and knew their limits as Blakely's bother Brock is against it because wants to protect his sister from Renn's reputation. On Blakely's 30th birthday, she celebrated it with her brother, bestfriend Ella, and Renn. The drinking, flirting, and teasing eventually led to Blakely and Renn accidentally getting married!
I rarely encounter accidental marriage tropes in books but when I do, it is always a hit. Hello, Shine Not Burn and Well Hung! This book was a win for me because Renn was such a great male MC and Blakely was not annoying. They both handled the situation maturely. And despite the fact that Renn was dubbed as a bad boy in public, he proved that he was not that kind of person and he actually loves his family more than anyone else.
I enjoyed Blakely and Renn's interactions. Their banters and teasings and they way their romance progressed in such a sweet way. There was a little drama in the near-end and I kind of felt off with Renn's father, but I'm glad it went away easily and was quickly resolved. The ending made me smile. Those are the kind of endings that I don't really expect (in a good way). This is my first Adriana Locke book and I so loved her writing! I look forward to reading more of her works.
"I married Blakely Evans. For once, I made a great choice."
"Perhaps the kindest thing I could do for the characters would be to leave their stories unfinished. Leave them with their possibiliti
5 Stars!
"Perhaps the kindest thing I could do for the characters would be to leave their stories unfinished. Leave them with their possibilities, their potential, even if they only exist in my own mind."
One could never leave this book unfinished. If you do, you will miss half of your life. I couldn't agree more with everyone saying this is absolutely a masterpiece, because *sobs yes, yes it is! This is my first Rebecca Yarros book and I might just be her biggest new fan!
The Things We Leave Unfinished was unique in its own way because we are lucky to get POVs from four different characters and two different timelines. I love how it was written that way. I don't know if it's just me but all throughout the book I was getting some Nicholas Sparks vibes. The way it tugged at my heartstrings and the way it just made me feel all the feels while devouring the 1940's romance... I was all in for that!
Perhaps the biggest factor that made this book a winner for me was Rebecca's poignant writing style. It hits me in different places. I also love how strong her characters are, especially Scarlett Stanton. The romance was an absolute surprise. Scarlett and Jameson. My heart is all over the place for the two of them!
That twist in the end.... It was worth it! I can definitely attest that it's one of the most beautifully crafted twists I have read in my entire life. I would very much welcome to read another book by this author. She can break my heart into pieces and put them all together again at once. Brilliant, just brilliant!
I didn't know what I was signing up for when I decided to pick this book, but wow! It was so worth it. This is one of the most thought-provoki5 Stars!
I didn't know what I was signing up for when I decided to pick this book, but wow! It was so worth it. This is one of the most thought-provoking, stimulating books I have read in my life. I am a new Lisa Jewell reader here and this is my first time reading her work, but she already gained another fan right here!
We are introduced to two main heroines in this book, the famous podcaster Alix Summers and a woman named Josie Fair-- both mothers of two children who share the same birthday on the same year and the same hospital. When these characters crossed paths while celebrating their birthdays at a local pub, Josie began her obsession with Alix after seeing her as someone who has a successful and different life compared to her. Josie offered to work with her on a podcast project where she's going to tell her story and this could potentially become big. Curious and immensely drawn by Josie's mysterious façade, Alix agreed. When Alix chose to let Josie enter her home, she didn't know that it was the beginning of her being trapped in a real-life crime podcast.
"It feels like Josie has taken Alix's normal and swallowed it deep down somewhere inside her darkness."
The subtle, impeccable writing is very apparent in this book. I love when the title itself gives you the clue but it still makes you oblivious to what is really going on. And it was a total page-turner. I just couldn't stop! I wanted to find out what was Josie's real deal here. Why the obsession with Alix? What is the real story behind her odd family?
I also loved how unique the plot and how creative it was, being told from main characters' point of view, to switching to Netflix-documentary style POV which made me feel as if I was watching a real psychological thriller TV show. Very well-done! I also couldn't help but feel gripped by the side characters' POV and how slowly they made the pieces up to complete the puzzle.
The ending was... BIG WOW! Some people don't fancy open-endings but for me it's such a brilliant and artistic way to end a novel, leaving the conclusion up to the reader and making us decide which one we should believe. I have my own opinions and I stick to my belief that (not spoiling anything) one character here is truly evil and twisted and is trying to create an alternate reality to suit herself and make her feel better as a defense mechanism.
"She's not what she makes out to be. Not at all."
If you haven't read this book yet, and if you're a fan of dark, psychological thriller with a hauntingly disturbing character on the side, this is a great book to indulge!
(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating and review)
Make Me Dream of You highlights characters Olivia "Livvy" Bishop and Noah Dixon who have already known each other years ago when Noah was dating Livvy's older sister Bex. Now after several years, Noah and Bex are no longer together and have moved on with their lives. Livvy encountered him at a bar and realized she is still carrying a secret infatuation on him. But there's a famous code to never date your sibling's ex, or anyone's ex of a family member, so she tried so hard to fight her feelings for him. However, Noah seems to feel the same away for her as he no longer sees her as the infatuated awkward teenager before. Now he sees her as someone attractive and irresistible.
I admit I wasn't much of a fan of the dating-a-sister's-ex trope but I eventually warmed up to the story once I realized how sincere the main characters are for each other. Their story was sweet and they fought for it in the end so I became okay with it. Also, the romantic development was gradual and I loved it. It didn't happen very fast and it wasn't slow-burn either. I love that even though Noah was portrayed as a "bad" guy with all his tattoos, he was still a perfect gentleman and he respected Livvy despite the sexual tension going on every time they interact. But at the same time, I was also not surprised with his dirty mouth every time he talks dirty to her. Lol.
The only thing I was wondering and felt like I wanted to know more, was how Noah conquered his nightmares when it comes to his painful past. It wasn't quite emphasized how he gets to have those nightmares. Did he try to talk to a real therapist aside from chatting and opening up with a stranger online? Was he already healed when he started to fall in love with Livvy or will he still be experiencing those sleepless nights from time to time?
Over all this was a good romance New Adult book with a good amount of smut that will make your toes curl. Noah and Livvy are one of those cute couples. I also adore the side characters who brought more color to the story. Not much with Bex who wasn't really there with Livvy when it matters, but as a whole, the characterization was great and I enjoyed everyone's banters.
I would say, lots of cringe. The male main character was too much and super unbelievable. Creep level with the stalking aspect is very high i2.5 Stars
I would say, lots of cringe. The male main character was too much and super unbelievable. Creep level with the stalking aspect is very high in this book.
"When liars like us fall in love, everything else false apart."
Liars Like Us introduces us to Emery Eastwood, owner of a family bookstore Lit Happens which one day reached its downfall when a new popular and ten times more successful bookstore was built just across their location. Soon after that, a series of misfortunes happened to her which led her to eventually need tons of money to save her business and to prevent bankruptcy. Then billionaire Callum McCord one day showed up at her bookstore, offering her once in a lifetime opportunity that will solve all her problems and change her life. A marriage of convenience.
"You never have to be afraid of anything again. If you have a problem, I'll fix it. If you need something, I'll give it to you. If anyone bothers you, I'll make them wish they hadn't. Whatever you want or need, you tell me, and you'll have it. You're mine now."
I am all-in for billionaire romance and I have read several of these tropes that I enjoyed so much, but this book was something that my mind refuses to tolerate. Especially when the male lead has extreme obsession and control issues over the female MC. Literally, Callum manipulates Emery's life. It's as if he's the one who decides everything for her. He buys her every luxury things you can think of and solves any potential problems thanks to his money, but in return he owns her and takes away her freedom. That's something that doesn't sit well with me.
Luckily Emery balances everything off by tirelessly defying Callum in every way possible. Her sarcastic remarks at him at least makes everything less worse. I actually like her character especially when she fights for her rights and wants. She also has a humor that cracks me up!
It's my first time reading a book written by J.T. Geissinger and I actually loved her writing style. Maybe this wasn't just the good fit for me because of the problematic male MC. But I might still try her other works.
P.S. This book has been recommended by a BookTuber I started following few days ago. :)
Let me start by saying I craved desserts more than I used to when I was reading this book. Hahaha! I enjoyed the first half of this book. The3.5 Stars
Let me start by saying I craved desserts more than I used to when I was reading this book. Hahaha! I enjoyed the first half of this book. The second half was kind of a drag it was like the story was really over but they just have to have some little conflicts here and there to emphasize the slow-burn feel.
"Just remember, it doesn't matter how far you go; you'll always be where your heart is."
Emma Maron, the actress behind the character Princess Anya of the popular TV series Dark Castle, has learned that she no longer becomes part of it in the next season when their producer decided to kill her character. Heartbroken, she went to seek the comfort of her boyfriend Greg, only to find out he was cheating on her. To heal her wounds, she went to Rosemont, a relaxing estate in California where she met the gorgeous ex-hockey player Lucian "Oz" Osmond who is the grandson of the owner. He happened to be there for the same reason, to lick his wounds as he was forced to retire from the sports he loves because it compromises his health.
The chemistry was very apparent with this two characters right from the beginning. Both characters are physically gorgeous and they share the same sentiments when it comes to fame and dealing with obsessed fans. On a deeper level, they also connect well as they both struggle to find their way back to their profession. I actually love their romantic development where they started as friends and their friendship slowly developed into romance. Aside from that, we can see how they really did their best to help each other emotionally.
What's so special about this book is that Lucian is a baker and he makes desserts for everyone but makes them extra special for Emma.
[image]
I loved it as a whole. I just wished there were no dragging moments in the second half of the book. Slow-burn romances are usually a struggle for me. But well :)
While I immensely enjoyed The Duke and I, this second book of the Bridgertons series didn't win me over. There were just too many red flags for2 Stars
While I immensely enjoyed The Duke and I, this second book of the Bridgertons series didn't win me over. There were just too many red flags for Anthony Bridgerton.
[image]
The story starts with the viscount and the oldest of the Bridgerton siblings Anthony Bridgerton finally deciding to get married after being pressured by her mother to get to know the ladies of the ton. He will get married, however, in his own terms. Which means that his wife-to-be should not be someone he could possibly fall in love with. When he decided it's going to be Edwina Sheffield, Edwona's sister Katharine ''Kate'' Sheffield was against it because of his renowned reputation of being a rake. Theirs was an enemy-to-lovers story and it started with lots of witty banters and undeniable sexual tension along the side.
I had high hopes with this book especially that I adored Anthony in the first book being the protective brother of Daphe Bridgerton. Unfortunately in this book, his character went a bit too much. I didn't like how he can potentially become abusive (and it's not something that every reader could see), but for me, small gestures like intentionally stepping on a woman's hand, kicking her in the stomach, or even throwing hurtful words-- I'm sorry, but they're a big NO for me.
[image]
[image]
And also, I thought Anthony needed to re-assess his anger-management issues. Kate though, was a likeable character. I loved how she developed and bloomed all throughout the book.
There were sweet moments along the way but they couldn't be enough to change my impression with Anthony. Was he a redeemable character? Yes, as it was justified later in the book, but it isn't enough to explain his treatment towards Kate in the beginning.
I still gave this book 2 stars notwithstanding Anthony's character which was a real turn-off, because Julia Quinn's writing style is always pleasant and worthy to be acknowledged. I would still read the next book of this series, because I want to follow each of the Bridgerton siblings stories.
The Duke and I is everything a historical romance fan could ever ask for. I've been grinning from ear to ear! This book reminds me so much of 5 Stars!
The Duke and I is everything a historical romance fan could ever ask for. I've been grinning from ear to ear! This book reminds me so much of Lisa Kleypas' and Judith McNaught's works which gave me so much feels. Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings are one of those adorable couples that can make you swoon in different levels. They have this full chemistry and they're a proof that opposites really do attract.
Daphne is already at a marriageable age, thus her mother and the society are pushing her to get married asap. The problem is, she is too nice and friendly and men just regard her as a friend. When she met Simon at a party held by a common friend, the two of them instantly became friends and somewhat connected. Since Simon is a sought-after bachelor and every Mamas in London are hunting him for their daughters acquaintance, he found a way through Daphne to resolve the dilemma. They decided to pretend an allegiance that could benefit them both.
What I loved about this book is that the author, Julia Quinn, truly knows how to tickle her readers with the characters' witty, funny, and sweet dialogues. I love the spark shared by Daphne and Simon since the beginning and how their romantic development progressed from attraction, to friendship, and later to romance.
''But what I found''-- his lips touched hers again-- ''much to my dismay''-- and again-- ''was that it's quite impossible not to love you.''.
Simon's backstory made me feel emotional. He is a tortured hero and I can't help but warm up to his character. At first, I wasn't really sure how he can pull up a good character development given the fact that his past is kind of heavy, but I did love how he redeemed himself in the end.
There were absolutely LOTS of funny moments in this book which cracked me up. I wish to read more historical books like this, with a good humor, because it just makes the story a lot better! And omg, the Bridgerton family is truly a handful and I love them so much, especially Daphne's older brothers Anthony, Benedict, and Colin whose protectiveness to her is immeasurable.
The family aspect in this book was well-emphasized and it's one of its strongest parts, especially highlighting the Bridgerton's huge chaotic family that fills up the emptiness of Simon who has no family. As a whole, this is officially a new book added to my favorite historical regency romance. If you love a good romance with a light humor, I highly recommend this book!
I love Dukes in historical romances, so when I saw this on Goodreads recommendations, I immediately dived into it. Its premise looked promising3 Stars
I love Dukes in historical romances, so when I saw this on Goodreads recommendations, I immediately dived into it. Its premise looked promising and I was so hyped that it has great reviews as well. It is the story about Honoria Prudence Anstruther-Wetherby and the sixth Duke of St. Ives, Sylvester Sebastian Cynster a.k.a. "Devil" or The Devil Cynster. Both of them met in an unusual situation when Honoria saw a dead man (a Cynster boy named Tolly) lying on the ground on her way through the village, after which Devil arrived to help her carry the corpse to a cabin nearby. It was then when Devil decided that he wanted to marry Honoria and make her his Duchess. However, Honoria was too stubborn and she refused him because she wanted her independence and would love to travel to Africa to fulfill her dreams.
Devil's Bride has a very strong start but unfortunately, it went downhill somewhere from 50% mark. I kind of lost interest with the story because it was dragging in most parts. Plenty of fillings along the way. The constant push and pull between our main characters also made me want to pull my hair out. It wasn't easy to like Honoria's character-- what with her indecisive mind. And omg don't get me even started with her constant raising of brows and lifting chins! Also, I kind of didn't like how she was so eager to seduce Devil but didn't really want to give him reassurance about marrying him.
The only redeeming thing about this book was Devil. I couldn't ask for a better Duke in a fictional world. He doesn't fool around and is always straight to the point, contrary to Honoria's manners. I especially love when a male character decides right from the beginning that he wants the heroine and then pursues her without delay.
The story not only focuses on romance. It has a slice of mystery and a little bit of action which made it quite unique for a historical romance. And although the book has a confusing start, it eventually makes sense when you get to the story. I enjoyed the first half of this book that I found myself really rooting for the characters. However, the swooning didn't last that long as their dynamics became tedious at some point. As for the mystery, it was pretty predictable for me as of who the killed Tolly. I might take a break from historical romance for now. It was a long-ass book in the first place.
Loading...
