Tag: ella maise

Book Review: The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Sports Romance
Length: 430 pages
Author: Ella Maise
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: April 16th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The first time you meet someone, you make eye contact. You smile, say hello. Should be simple, if you’re anyone but me. The first time I met Dylan Reed, I found myself making eye contact with a different part of his body. You see, I’m very good at being shy, not to mention extremely well-versed in rambling nonsense and, unfortunately, rather highly skilled at making a fool of myself in front of a guy I’m attracted to.

At the time, I knew nothing about him and thought none of what I said would matter since I’d never speak to him again. Turns out, I was very wrong. He was the star wide receiver of the football team, one of the few players expected to make it into the NFL, and I ended up seeing him all over campus.
I might have also propositioned him, run away from him, attacked him with a cooking utensil…and…uh, maybe I shouldn’t tell you all of it. It’s pretty normal stuff, things you’d expect…from me. Eventually, the time came when I couldn’t hide anymore—not that he’d have let me even if I tried.
Before now, he never knew I was secretly watching him. Now that we see each other every day, he knows when I have a hard time looking away. It doesn’t help that I’m not the most subtle person in the world either.

He smiles at me and tells me he finds me fascinating because of my quirks. I can’t even tell him that I think my heart beats differently whenever he’s around.

He thinks we’re going to be best friends. I think I have a big thing for him, and the more I get to know him, the more I don’t care that I’m not allowed to be his friend, let alone fall for him.
The thing is, that’s exactly what I’m doing—what we’re doing, I think.

Falling.
Hard.

EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED.

I started this one off not knowing how I would feel about it and then found myself holding my hand to my open mouth in shock watching the other shoe drop angry I had to put my audio book away for real life things because I NEEDED ANSWERS. Cleary this book wrapped me up and I was utterly smitten with Dylan and Zoe.

This turned out to be a really sweet strangers to friends to lovers scenario. I loved the forced proximity and all of the subtle moments that brought Dylan and Zoe together. I can’t help but love a good jealousy or protective moment and this had BOTH. I can also happily say this is definitely a sports romance. I loved the football aspects that were woven in well to the plot too.

I thought the Mark thing was initially off putting until fully explained and I wish that that creep factor hadn’t bee there at all. I don’t have any major issues otherwise. This was a swoony new adult romance that I could not put down.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Sports Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open; high explicit
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: rape (occurs to a side character, aftermath depicted), physical assault

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Marriage for One by Ella Maise

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 520 pages
Author: Ella Maise
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: May 8th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Jack and I, we did everything backward. The day he lured me into his office-which was also the first day we met-he proposed. You’d think a guy who looked like him-a bit cold maybe, but still striking and very unattainable-would only ask the love of his life to marry him, right? You’d think he must be madly in love.

Nope. It was me he asked. A complete stranger who had never even heard of him. A stranger who had been dumped by her fiancé only weeks before. You’d think I’d laugh in his face, call him insane-and a few other names-then walk away as quickly as possible. Well…I did all those things except the walking away part.

It took him only minutes to talk me into a business deal…erm, I mean marriage, and only days for us to officially tie the knot. Happiest day of my life. Magical. Pop the champagne… Not. It was the worst day. Jack Hawthorne was nothing like what I’d imagined for myself.
I blamed him for my lapse in judgment. I blamed his eyes, the ocean blue eyes that looked straight into mine unapologetically, and that frown on his face I had no idea I would become so fascinated with in time.

It wasn’t long after he said I was the biggest mistake of his life that things started to change. No, he still didn’t talk much, but anyone can string a few words together. His actions spoke the loudest to me. And day after day my heart started to get a mind of its own.

One second he was no one. The next he became everything.
One second he was unattainable. The next he seemed to be completely mine.
One second I thought we were in love. The next it was still nothing but a lie.

After all, I was Rose and he was Jack. We were doomed from the very beginning with those names. Did you expect anything else?

WELL, THIS WAS GOOD.

I can’t believe I waited so long to read this one because it was so goooooood. Oh my goodness. I LOVED the first half. The grump x sunshine trope with a dash of I hate everyone but you. GOLD. I didn’t realize just how much of a sucker I am for that kind of vibe in my romance reads.

Jack and Rose are in a marriage of convenience (lets just drop all of my favorite tropes into this one). Watching the push and pull of feelings had me in a puddle. I adored all of the small things Jack did to subtly show her he cared and how Rose remained positive about the new situations before her. The angst was real and the banter was top notch. And I swooned right along with Rose every time Jack rolled up his sleeves or gave a small smile. These are the things that I love.

What I didn’t love was how one of my favorite tropes was dragged out a bit. I’m here for a good, take care of someone when sick trope, buuuut this one went on for probably 100 pages or so and slowed down the pacing of the book a bunch. Without that I probably would have thrown 5 stars at it easy.

Yessss, there’s *drama*, but I didn’t care one bit. I was already so deep into this relationship and I think it actually fit the book well. Things get wild, and I was into it. ANYWAYS. Definitely recommend this one [spice was too concentrated/too much for met at the end, buuut for those who love that, read it!!]

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3 long open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: bribery, loss of a loved one, surgery, medical situations (exams, testing, appointments), extortion, panic attack

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph