Tag: romance books

Book Review: The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons #2) by Julia Quinn

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 391 pages
Author: Julia Queen
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: December 5th, 2000
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

ANTHONY’S STORY

This time the gossip columnists have it wrong. London’s most elusive bachelor Anthony Bridgerton hasn’t just decided to marry—he’s even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate’s the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams…

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands—and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate’s determined to protect her sister—but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony’s lips touch hers, she’s suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself..

THE ANGST.

This was a complete, bookstagram made me do it. I had no designs about picking up this series and a friends review convinced me to give it a try and Y’ALL. WHY DID I HOLD OFF ON THIS.

THE PINING. THE PASSION. THE ANGST. THE HEATED GLANCES.

It is everything I LOVE about enemies to lovers and I couldn’t get enough. There were so many rememberable scenes and I loved watching these two fall in love. Fantastic banter and the quiet moments where they learned more about each other were so tender. I liked how much background was added for both characters to give credence to decisions and actions. I found the steam scenes to actually be really sweet and work well into the story.

I liked the way the side characters worked into the plot but didn’t over shadow the romance. They added to the story and I loved many of them. I bet I’m going to find myself reading the rest of these books.

The ability for both Kate and Anthony to overcome different aspects of their pasts and find love together was CHEF’S KISS. There was no way I wasn’t throwing five stars at this book and now I already want to reread it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: little
  • Romance: two low explicit open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: PTSD, death from anaphylaxis recounted, death of a parent discussed

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Book Review: Stone Hearts (Poplar Falls #2) by Amber Kelly

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 264 pages
Author: Amber Kelly
Publisher: Amber Kelly, LLC
Release Date: January 14th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A new friends-to-lovers small-town romance from Amber Kelly…When I returned to Poplar Falls six years ago, I’d given up on love.I’d made the mistake of marrying the sexy rebel right out of high school. He’d ended up in jail. I’d ended up pregnant. With a baby on the way, I decided to give up my wild, impulsive ways. All I wanted was a family and to watch my sweet son grow up, happy, and healthy.Then Myer Wilson keeps showing up in my life—and my son’s life.He’s the hometown football hero, who blew out his ankle his junior year and ended his career. I didn’t look twice at hot jocks in high school. But now that he’s taken over his family’s ranch, I can’t help but look even when I swore off men for good.But maybe he’ll finally be the one to help me let go of the past and find my second chance at love. Or maybe my past will come back to haunt me.

FAVORITE OF THE SERIES.

And I’m saying this because I’m writing this review after finishing all of the books, so this is verified information. FAVORITE.

I am apparently really here for the friends to lovers + single parent trope lately because I was smitten with everything this had to give in under 300 pages. I LOVE Dallas. I love her tenacity and strength in dealing with some crappy situations. I LOVE Myer. His steady presence and simply showing Dallas that’s he’s always there for her (and Beau) was the perfect love connection set-up.

There was no way I could put this down and I loved everything about it. I like how the conflict and resolution worked out. Beau is simply, dang adorable and made me smile more than once. There’s some spicy moments that fit well into their love story and we all know I love a slightly cheesy (yet omgee romantic) ending.

All of that is here.

Why do I find it so hard to review a book I LOVE?! It’s honestly easier for me to say READ THIS SMALL TOWN ROMANCE SERIES. Get caught up in Poplar Falls.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses to brief open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: domestic violence, sexual assault

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Book Review: Wicked Hearts (Stone Hearts #3) by Amber Kelly

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 242 pages
Author: Amber Kelly
Publisher: Amber Kelly, LLC
Release Date: May 14th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

My big brother and I landed in the care of my aunt and her husband after my parents died in a tragic accident when I was three-years-old. I grew up smothered by love from a family that knows what the bitter sting of loss feels like.

Living under that umbrella afforded me the ability to grow up with the security needed to try my every whim… and I have, now it’s time to figure out who I want to be.

My family would love for me to settle down with someone grounded and successful like the sexy new vet in town.

I like him, but I am restless.

I don’t want to be grounded. I want to ride the wind.

Walker Reid has worked on my family’s ranch for years. He’s like a son to Uncle Jeff and my brother’s closet friend. He is a sexy devil, drinks too much and likes to live wild and free.

I’m drawn to him. Maybe he’ll finally be the one to help me let go and find where I belong. Or maybe my brother will kill us both.

DEFINITELY WICKED.

This installment broke me a bit, then sewed me right back together. Full of hope, understanding, and finding a reason to give it your all, Walker & Elle brought the house home in Wicked Hearts.

I thought this story was really sweet. Walker needed someone like Elle in his life to remind him of the love that can grow between two souls. Walker had such a big wall in place and watching the tiny moments that Elle pulled it down were tender. I loved that Elle gave it her all. And really resonated with her inability to find her niche. Both fantastic main characters who I didn’t know I would love as much as I did by the end.

Elle and Walker worked so well together. An opposite attract kind of romance, these two couldn’t stay away. It was intense and full of heart. I love a good Aunt Doreen moment and this one has the BEST one. I love all of these side characters as much as the two that are currently in the spotlight. Another great read for this small town romance series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses to open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warning: side character gets an abortion (not on page), loss of both parents

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ARC Book Review: The Suite Spot (Beck Sisters #2) by Trish Doller

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: March 8th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Trish Doller’s The Suite Spot is a charming romance novel about taking a chance on a new life and a new love.

Rachel Beck has hit a brick wall. She’s a single mom, still living at home and trying to keep a dying relationship alive. Aside from her daughter, the one bright light in Rachel’s life is her job as the night reservations manager at a luxury hotel in Miami Beach—until the night she is fired for something she didn’t do.

On impulse, Rachel inquires about a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, Rachel packs up her daughter and makes the cross country move.

What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, moody man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel—and rebuild her own life—from the ground up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

GENTLE.

That was the vibe of this entire book. A gentle and loving slow-burn romance that was the kind of read I didn’t know I needed when I picked it up.

I looooooved Rachel. I thought she was a strong single Mom. She’s trying to figure things out and make the best decisions for her and Maisie. I liked that she was vulnerable and honest. And I love the way Rachel connected with Mason. Mason was one of the those dreamy quiet heroes. A solid presence who’s continually there and does the tiny things that make your heart skip a beat. There’s exploration of themes of loss, finding a second chance at love all underneath a beautiful backdrop on an island in Lake Eerie.

It’s fast paced but never in a way that felt rushed. Plenty of months fly by as Rachel and Mason swirled around each other in an ever closing vortex. I couldn’t get enough of their quiet moments and it had just the right touch of steam.

There’s lots of goodness here. I do wish there was a bit longer of an ending or even an epilogue. Lots of heartstrings were pulled and this book gave off a beautiful message of hope.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: two brief open that quickly fades to black
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce (recounted), single parent, loss of a child (recounted), sexual assault (occurs in the first chapter)

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