Kate

I recently came across a picture of Stuart Reardon holding a baby. The not-so-logical part of my mind was then convinced that I had to read this book because not only is he the cover model, he also co-authored it. It would do me well in the future to realize that a hottie cover model does not always equal a good book. DNF.

**Update: So after gaining some insight into these characters and why they did certain things or acted certain ways straight from Tarryn, I'm not so mad anymore. I would even consider bumping my rating up to 4 stars. I should know by now that nothing Tarryn writes is without thought and explicit reasoning. I know she's never going to give us cliche-filled fluff. She's going to give us real life and flawed characters that make us uncomfortable because we can often see so much of ourselves in them. She's going to have her characters make poor decisions, leaving us wanting to rage-quit, but really she does these things to make us think deeper about what we're reading and make us question why. If you go into this book trusting the amazingness that is Tarryn Fisher's mind and understanding that everything that happens isn't so surface-level, I think you'll enjoy it.


I have never been so conflicted over a book. It's as if Tarryn Fisher decided to take every awful and cliche romance trope and throw them all into a book. We have cheating, a love triangle (square?), a surprise pregnancy, a jealous/catty girlfriend, someone gets hit by a car. Everything I dislike about romance novels is a part of this freaking book.

I can't bear to give Tarryn less than 3 stars. This did pull me out of the reading slump I have been in lately so she gets points for that but overall it was a disappointing read when usually I love Tarryn's books so much.

3-3.5 stars. I liked the dystopian aspect of this book. It felt very Hunger Games-ish with 12 regions and an “End Man” from each region whose duty is to impregnate the regions' women in the hopes of repopulating the male species. The romance aspect of the story could have been better written. I felt like we didn't get to know much about Gwen or Folsom and suddenly they care so much about each other after their first meeting when it really just seemed like they only cared about having sex with each other. It felt very forced. Tarryn is usually so great about developing her characters and I didn't get that here but I will still continue with the series because it's TF.

Another great read from KA Tucker. This second chance romance alternates between “now” and “then” chapters. The two main characters meet and fall in love as teenagers working as counselors at a sleep away summer camp. It hit me with so much nostalgia that I almost wish this would have been an entire book filled with summer camp romance and shenanigans. The “now” chapters didn't have the same spark at first. I had a hard time connecting with now-Piper. But they definitely picked up and I ended up really enjoying this story.

I really enjoyed this slow burning, political romance from Lauren Layne. I can always count on her to deliver a well-written, intriguing story. Yours in Scandal is the story of Robert Davenport in the last months of his tenure as mayor of NYC and Addie Brennan/Adeline Blake, event planner and estranged daughter of his rival in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Robert hires Addie to plan a party with the intention of getting the dirt on her dad but instead ends up falling for her, even though her wild child reputation could cost him the election. The two characters have chemistry that sizzles from their very first meeting and the slow build of their relationship makes it that much more satisfying when they finally get together. Although the story could be a bit predictable at times, it was an overall enjoyable read. I can't wait to see which of the side characters introduced in this book will eventually have their own. 4/5 stars.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been waiting for Tiffanie DeBartolo's next book for YEARS. When I saw Sorrow under “Read Now” on NetGalley, I screamed, downloaded it ASAP, and then left it sit for days because I was so afraid to start it for fear that it wouldn't live up to the masterpieces that are HTKARS and God-Shaped Hole. Spoiler alert: I didn't need to be worried.

Joe Harper is a perpetual floater through life. He doesn't take chances. When things get too tough, he runs. After isolating himself from his family and friends, he takes a job with eccentric artist October Danko. As an empath, October immediately senses that Joe is holding back. She is inexplicably drawn to him and for the first time in his life, Joe wants to be brave and sees the possibility of a full life with October. Enter plot twist, which leaves Joe with a tough choice to make.

Sorrow is not your typical love story wrapped in pretty paper with a bow on top. Love often hurts and Tiffanie doesn't shy away from that in this book. What I also enjoyed about this story and about Tiffanie DeBartolo in general is that her books focus on so much more than just romantic love. Sorrow touches on the love of self, love between friends, the love of music and art and nature.

I always come away from a Tiffanie DeBartolo book feeling restored, like I just had a great chat with a friend I haven't seen in a while. I waited so long for Sorrow and now that I've read it, I can't wait to read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Woodhall Press for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.

I was really liking this book until the most annoying twist ever happened at 45% and I really thought about DNFing it.

Ex-wife of the love interest shows up and she is 7 months pregnant. *eye roll*.

If it had not been for that little plot point, I really could have given this book 5 stars. It was a bit less rom-com and more emotional than RS Grey's usual books, which was refreshing but overall, I was disappointed. But if you don't hate the ex with a baby trope like I do, definitely give it a try.

Really enjoyed this one. Overall really likable characters and lots of fun banter.

Olive Dunn is tasked with planning her 10-year high school reunion and unexpectedly ends up co-chairing the event with her old lab partner turned baseball star Carter Ramsey. Olive and Carter, while not close in high school, fall into an easy friendship that seems like they've been close for years. As their relationship grows into something more, they're both torn over the fact that, logistically, their relationship couldn't work outside of their tiny home town.

I'd definitely recommend this, especially if you're a fan of high school reunion stories.

Really enjoyed this one. I found both of the main characters very likable and RS Grey did an excellent job creating tension between them that you could cut with a knife. I also enjoyed that there was more to this story than the romance aspect. Maren realizes that she has been given a great opportunity and she grows from it. This was overall a really entertaining and quick read.

This might be my least favorite book by RS Grey. Usually her books are fun and filled with charm and witty banter. This book was so boring, like she wasn't even into writing it. Both MCs are filthy rich and that was extent of their personalities. They barely spend any time together to form a relationship/feelings. Also if I have to hear the word “betrothed” in a contemporary romance one more time, I'll scream.

2.5-3 stars. Very much like the Katherine Heigl/Josh Duhamel movie Life as We Know It. It was just an ok read for me. I thought it was missing that certain spark that pushes books into 4/5 star territory.

At first, I thought the MMC was overly harsh to the FMC even though they were both new to parenting. There was really nothing redeeming about him after that point. Supposedly the characters have been in love with each other all along but I didn't really feel a connection between them at all.

Then the twist the author throws in at 90% was really unnecessary and didn't add much to the story.

Overall, not a terrible read but not very memorable.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

This is the RS Grey that I know and love. Three Strikes and You're Mine is the perfect blend of humor, tension, and steam. It's refreshing when both of the main characters are on the same page and know what they want and go for it with very little drama involved. That may not make an interesting story for some but I really enjoyed it.

I'm DNFing this for now. I wouldn't call this a romance despite being marketed as such. I'm not sure which couple I'm supposed to be rooting for. Alex/Val, Val/Javi, or Javi/Alex? I don't even know because they all seem to have attractions to each other. There's not a whole lot of romance happening, just depressing things with some sex scenes thrown in. The writing is decent so I can see why this book has such good reviews but it's just not for me.

Yeah this is gonna be a no for me. Immature main character who hates the guy before he even speaks one word to her just because he's good looking. She also acts like she doesn't know her brother because apparently then guys wouldn't want to talk to her??? I don't know. If you want to write characters with this level of maturity, please don't try to pass them off as adults.

2.5 stars. I've loved the crazy ride that the Royals series has been up to this point. The cliffhangers and the anticipation between releases were part of what made this series so fun. Something about this book though wasn't as captivating as the others. With every other book in the series, I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. There were so many ups and downs, so many over the top, crazy things happening, that I couldn't put the books down. I didn't feel that way with this one. It wasn't really exciting at all up until the last 10% and then I felt like it ended so abruptly, almost like the authors were just over it and hurried to finish.

Easton was still a hot mess for a good portion of this book. He does finally start to show some signs of maturity and I liked that he finally put someone else's best interests before his own. However, there were a few things that I felt went unaddressed and I still have questions about. It's still a 3-star read for me because I can't bear to give it anything less, but it was a disappointing end to the series.