Fatal Desires (Fatal Cross Live #1) by Theresa Hissong:
Published: August 14th, 2015
Source: Purchased at Kinky in Kansas City Convention 2018
My rating: 4 stars
So this is the first book by this author that I've read, but won't be the last. I met the author at the 2nd annual Kinky in Kansas City romance author convention this past March. I didn't get a picture with her, because I usually only do that with authors I already have read and know that I like their books. This was definitely a book that was hard to put down. I'd pick it up, and tell myself I was only going to read a chapter or two before bed, but before I knew it, I'd read several more chapters than that. I liked all the characters, and I like that it seemed like it was pretty realistic the way things were handled. There were definitely moments that had me crying, based on what what happening to the characters or how they were feeling about things that had happened or things that they'd done. I like that it puts in the fact that drugs are probably pretty matter of fact in the world of rock stars, but that our characters are all fighting to stay sober and clean. Of course I also loved that the tour went to Kansas City, my town! My only real issue with the book, and it is totally silly, is that there were no page numbers. :-) It made it hard for me to keep track in Goodreads how far I was. I know, that's stupid. And it isn't anything that made me mark it down in rating. Just something that bugged my anal reading habits.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
For years, I have worked behind the scenes for my cousin’s band, living my life as simply as possible. Running the inner workings of a rock band is the only thing I know to do. My only saving grace is a long vacation soaking up the sun in some exotic locations around the world between tours.
One steamy night on an island with Taylor Vaughn, the guitarist for the rock band Fatal Cross, and my world is turned upside down. When he doesn’t return my calls, I end up going through hell alone. Little do I know, he’s fighting his own personal demons.
When he fills in on my cousin’s tour for a few weeks, I am forced to work with the man who stole my heart months before on a private island. It isn’t easy being around him, but I am determined to keep my head low and pray this tour ends soon, but does anything ever go as planned?
Published: June 27th, 2017
Source: Purchased
My rating: 4 stars
So, I loved the first book in the series, The Undateable, and this one was pretty good as well. It was a quick read, and hard to put down. While I didn't necessarily connect with the female in this one, I did connect with all the stuff about the library funding that the male character was dealing with. The small town was funny, and I loved how all the women would have to go outside and watch the new hot librarian, Liam, when he was jogging in the morning. The storyline behind Joanna's band, as well as her problems with the other small town characters was a blast. A cute fun read. Definitely recommended! Not a lot to say on this one other than that, guess it's really a mini-review this time!
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
The riot grrrl and the bookworm--just the pair to get the whole town talking...
Liam Byrd loves Halikarnassus, New York. He loves its friendliness, its nosiness, the vibrant library at the center of it all. And now that Joanna Green is home, the whole town sizzles. A rebel like her stirs up excitement, action, desire--at least in Liam.
Joanna never thought she'd have to come back to her dull, tiny fishbowl of a hometown ever again. She almost had a record deal for her all-girl rock band. She almost had it made in L.A. And then her deal went sour and her granny broke her leg . . . and now here she is, running into everybody's favorite librarian every time she heads to a dive bar or catches up with old friends.
He has charm, he has good taste in music--and the sight of him in running shorts is dangerously distracting. But when he loves her old town and she can't wait to check out, their new romance is surely destined for the book drop...
Savor You (Fusion #5) by Kristen Proby:
Source: ARC won from Goodreads giveaway
My rating: 5 stars
I've only read one other book by this author, Easy Love, which is part of an entirely different series. But I've wanted to read this series for awhile. I've met the author, I believe it was at Apollycon, or maybe it was at NOLA Storycon the year before that. I was excited to win a copy of this book from Goodreads, and I was not disappointed with it at all. In fact, I'm now so excited to get my hands on the earlier books in the series so I can learn where all the couples mentioned in this book got their starts and what their stories are. About 30 pages in I was giggling at the "twitch" moment. It's an inside joke from NOLA Storycon. Not sure I'll ever be able to read that in a book and not giggle these days. Then there was the moment when I learned that shower sex may not be as glorious as it is made out to be in romance novels. That's something I've never tried, so I'll have to take the word of the character in the book about how it's not that great for the girl a lot of times. And then there was a quote towards the end that was perfect. "When a person tells you that you've hurt them, you don't get to decide that you didn't". That's something I feel like I've dealt with. People tell me they didn't hurt me when I tell them what they've done. Instead of apologizing and realize I felt that way, they don't get to decide that they've hurt me. They can say they didn't mean to, and they're sorry that it hurt me, but they can't say they didn't hurt me. Sorry, a little soapbox moment for me.
I loved our slightly overweight heroine, totally identified with her. And I loved her guy. I loved the story, and loved the whole world this book was a part of. I'm sure you'll see me review more of these books in the future. I'll have to even check to see if they're available as audiobooks from my library. I'll be getting the chance to see this author again at Book Bonanza, will have to get this ARC signed!
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
In the next sizzling romance in Kristen Proby's New York Timesbestselling Fusion series, two celebrity chefs compete in a culinary competition, but resisting each other will prove to be the greater challenge.
Cooking isn't what Mia Palazzo does, it's who she is. Food is her passion . . . her pride . . . her true love. She's built a stellar menu full of delicious and sexy meals for her restaurant, Seduction. Now, after being open for only a few short years, Mia’s restaurant is being featured on Best Bites TV. To say Seduction is a wild success is an understatement. All the blood, sweat, tears, and endless hours of work Mia has put into the restaurant has finally paid off.
Then Camden Sawyer, the biggest mistake of her life, walks into her kitchen . . .
Camden's celebrity chef status is world-renowned. He's the best there is, and the kitchen is where he's most at home. He can't resist the invitation to Portland for a showdown against Mia for a new television show. Mia was in his life years ago, and just like before, he's met his match in the beautiful Italian spitfire. The way she commands the kitchen is mesmerizing, and her recipes are clever and delicious. He's never had qualms about competition, and this is no different. He can't wait to go head to head with Mia. But can he convince her the chemistry they share in the kitchen would be just as great in the bedroom as well?
As Mia and Camden face off, neither realizes how high the stakes are as their reputations are put on the line and their hearts are put to the ultimate test.