Behind, again, with reviews. But ended up today with one post not being ready because the book itself hasn't been released. Ended up with extra time to just blog since my school library is pretty much ready for me to leave it for the summer as they get ready to do construction and kick us all out anyway. Not wanting to go out and spend money today, broke till payday on Thursday. And, well, hanging out and relaxing till my concert event of the year tonight, New Kids on the Block! So as I was sitting here and had replied to all my comments, decided the best thing to do would be to get some reviews done! So here are some mini-reviews of one favorite author, as well as some new authors. If it is an author I've had the chance to meet, I'll be sure to share that picture of me with them from whatever convention I got to see them at. These are all adult novels, nothing YA.
Royally Matched (Royally #2) by Emma Chase:
Genre: New Adult Romance
Publisher: EverAfter Romance
Release Date: February 17th, 2017
Source: Purchased
My rating: 5 stars
As with the first book in the series,
Royally Screwed, one thing I really loved was the witty banter. The characters were so much fun, totally the type of people I'd love to hang out with. While I probably liked the first book a tiny, super-tiny bit better, I probably empathized more with Sarah. Such a fun read, loved the whole idea of the reality tv show for getting to marry the prince. And Prince Henry was a cutie. Also I enjoyed going back to the characters from the first book and getting to see how things were with them. Lots of smiles and feelings - both sweet and sad - in this story. Looking forward to the third book in the series,
Royally Endowed, as well as getting to meet the author at Apollycon in March next year. Oh yeah, and here is the picture in the coloring book that goes with this series, although you can see I'm not quite finished with it..
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry John Edgar Thomas Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.He’s not handling it well.Hoping to help her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora agrees to give him "space"—but while the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition. A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit... and her naughty sense of humor.But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight. As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.
Kaleidoscope Hearts (Hearts #1) by Claire Contreras:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 8th, 2015
Source: Purchased
My Rating: 4 stars
I enjoyed this one. It wasn't anything way out there that was too surprising. It was a very good read, hard to put down when I picked it up, which often would be before bed, making it hard to go to sleep. I didn't know it was going to be a series until I'd finished it. So I guess I'll be needing to get ahold of those books soon! I did get to meet the author when I was at Apollycon back in March as well, you can see us in the picture below on the left. I ended up reading it because I wanted to color that page in the coloring book I have, although I've just started it as you can see in the picture below on the right.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
He was my older brother's best friend. He was never supposed to be mine. I thought we would get it out of our system and move on. One of us did. One of us left. Now he's back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I'd turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me. He broke my heart last time. This time he'll obliterate it."
Passing Peter Parker (#hotcom series) by J.D. Hollyfield:
Genre: Adult romance
Release Date: December 15th, 2016
Source: Purchased at Kinky in Kansas City
My rating: 4 stars
A short, quick, fun read. I liked the idea of a teacher romance, but instead of with a student, with a substitute teacher, much more my type of read. Let me tell you though, this nerdy teacher, so hot, so sexy, and so the kind of teacher I could meet at one of my teaching jobs. Definitely a hottie. I bought this book at the Kinky in Kansas City Convention back at the beginning of March, and I know I'll be sure to read more by her! I did not get a picture with this author though.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Miss Thompson is a substitute teacher with legs for miles and a foul mouth. Mr. Parker is a nerdy science teacher who loves to taunt and tease with his wicked tongue.
Together they learn a lesson in chemistry and how opposites attract. Their sex is getting an A but will Miss Thompson pass Peter Parker? Or is this just a little fun until school's out for the summer?
Ink and Lies by S.L. Jennings:
Genre: New Adult romance
Release Date: February 9th, 2016
Source: Purchased at Apollycon
My rating: 4 stars
This was a fun look at romance being written by a guy, a guy who is very jaded and says he doesn't believe in romance. He uses his own sexual experiences with women to create the characters, and also maybe some things from his best friend's love life. He wants to write other types of novels, and so uses a pseudonym for his bestselling romance novels. Realizing that he is in love with his best friend only causes strife between the two. And makes the things that he finds out about her fiance suspicious to her as something he may only have made up to try to get her away from him. But the story is still pretty good, even if somewhat predictable. I was a bit confused at some of the way the romantic writing was interspersed with the story so that I wasn't sure what was real and what was just his story he was writing. I also do really hate when someone in a story refuses to believe something about their significant other being a cheater, or going back to them believing they will change. But again, I know those are the usual things in books to cause drama. I did meet this author at Apollycon and get my picture with her. Also because I bought this book, my name was entered to win another of her series, and I did! Here I am with S.L. Jennings at Apollycon back in March:
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to…
No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.
…two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in…
WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.
…two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it’s all lies!
Lies.
I’m not Hope Hughes. I’m not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I’m not even a woman.
I’m a liar.
And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make herbelieve them. Because maybe—just maybe—if she can find the soul within my words, she’ll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart.
You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.
I just never expected to actually live it.
This is my story. Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.
The one I’m still writing.
Misunderstandings (Woodfalls Girls #2) by Tiffany King:
Genre: New Adult Romance
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Source: Purchased as bargain book at Barnes and Noble
My rating: 4 stars
I picked this one up because of course it was on the bargain table and looked like my type of read. Also, though, I loved this author's other book, The Write Stuff, and so was eager to read more. I was not disappointed by this one. It was very addictive. Not knowing exactly what had brought the two characters to this point in their relationship at the very beginning was very intriguing, and kept me reading with all the flashbacks to see how it had happened. It was a great way to keep me from being able to put the book down, even when it was bedtime and getting late! The big event that caused their split was a very major event, and one that made for a lot of emotions, not only on the characters' parts, but also on the reader's part, meaning me crying. I can't wait to read more books by this author, and hope to get a chance to meet her in the future! I also am excited to go back and read the first book in this series, since we kind of get a look at the future of the couple that was in that first book, and I'm eager to see how their love story happened.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Just when she thought things were going up…
Two years after a devastating breakup, Brittni Mitchell has moved on from Justin Avery—or so she tells herself. But when she returns to Seattle for her best friend’s engagement party, Brittni finds herself the victim of a disastrously timed elevator breakdown. She’s trapped with the last person she wants to face, and forced to recount the past she desperately wants to forget.
She’s going to have to look back…
When Brittni left her podunk hometown for a big city college experience at the University of Washington, hooking up with a guy like Justin Avery was not part of her plan. Between Justin’s attention-grabbing tattoos, cigarette smoking, and bad boy attitude Brittni quickly chalked him up as �Mr. Wrong.” But his charm was unrelenting, and Brittni’s decision to give Justin a chance quickly turned into the worst choice she ever made.
So that she might be able to move forward.
Now she’s stuck with Justin—literally—and the complicated web of misunderstandings that tied up the truth for two years is about to unravel.
American Queen (American Queen Trilogy #1) by Sierra Simone:
Genre: Erotica/BDSM/MFM
Release Date: October 25th, 2016
Source: Purchased at Kinky in Kansas City
My rating: 4 stars
Okay. I knew some things about this story ahead of time. I knew the MFM. I knew erotica, I guess I didn't quite realize some of the BDSM. There was a lot of the submissive/master sex in the story, and that doesn't really do it for me most of the time. In fact, especially not to the degree it was in some parts of this. However, I do like how the author kind of explained why the dominant did some things the way they did. And that helped me with being able to read and enjoy the story. There was some pretty extreme sexual situations towards the end of the book, in what was getting close to what could have been a HEA. If it had ended that way, I may have stopped. But it didn't, it left off with a MAJOR cliffhanger, and so I had to immediately order the sequel and now need to get it read soon so that I can see what happens. I do have to admit that cover though, it is so beautiful. How anyone wouldn't see it and immediately want to pick it up and see what it was about would be beyond me. Just know that if you decide to read this one, you have to be open to the things I've mentioned above. I did get to meet the author at Kinky in Kansas City, but I don't think I got a picture taken with her since I hadn't read any of her books yet.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
It starts with a stolen kiss under an English sky, and it ends with a walk down the aisle. It starts with the President sending his best friend to woo me on his behalf, and it ends with my heart split in two. It starts with buried secrets and dangerous desires…and ends with the three of us bound together with a hateful love sharper than any barbed wire.
My name is Greer Galloway, and I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.
This is the story of an American Queen.
