L-L-L-Little Reviews - 5 Romances from March

Okay, working again to catch up on reviews.  With my March feeling like I was sick the whole time, I got behind on reviews.  So I'm going to post five mini-reviews of the contemporary romances that I read or listened to during March.


Riot (Mayhem #2) by Jamie Shaw:

Genre:  Adult contemporary rock star romance
Release Date: March 17th, 2015
Source:  Finished copy purchased
My rating:  4 stars 

I do love a good rock star romance, and this is definitely one of those!  I loved that Dee was just the way she is.  I also definitely identified with how she felt what happened to her was her own fault, even though it wasn't really.   But I also got mad at the fact that she kept letting things go the way she did, and kept pushing Joel away.  I know, I know, it's done for the drama.  Anyway, a great second book in this series, nice and steamy like I enjoy, and soon I need to read book three!


Also, must share my picture with the author from Apollycon 2017

Here is the blurb from Goodreads: 
When Dee Dawson meets sexy mohawked guitarist Joel Gibbon, she knows it won’t be long before she has him wrapped around her finger. No guy has ever been able to resist her… but Dee’s met her match in a player like Joel.

Dee’s not the relationship type—not after seeing the pain “love” has caused her friends and family—yet she’s desperate to make Joel want her more than anyone else. He quickly becomes an obsession, and when a reckless attempt to make him jealous ends in disaster, Dee turns into the damsel in distress she never wanted to be. With her carefree world crashing down around her, the last thing she needs is Joel’s pity.

But Joel is suddenly determined to prove he cares, and no matter how hard Dee tries to push him away, he refuses to let her shut him out. Now the girl who swore she’d never say those three little words must choose between guarding her heart and losing Joel forever… or falling head-over-heels for the tattooed rock star of her dreams. 


Misadventures of a City Girl (Misadventures #1) by Meredith  Wild and Chelle Bliss:

Genre:  Adult contemporary romance
Release Date: September 12th, 2017
Source:  Digital audiobook borrowed from library
My rating:  4 stars   

I listened to this book on my drive to Branson during my spring break.  It was an okay story.  I had some issues with it, but overall the steaminess was really good.  I wasn't quite sure why he behaved the way he did in the small town, or why those small town people behaved quite the way they did either.  It was my first book by either of these authors though, so I will probably read more by them in the future.

I will get the chance to meet one of the authors at Book Bonanza in August, the other is no longer attending.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Fresh off a divorce from a Hollywood hotshot, Madison Atwood needs an escape. With the paparazzi fresh on her heels and her love life splashed on every tabloid, she runs away to a swanky retreat in Northern California. Avalon Springs is the mountainside haven she needs to find herself again. Luke Dawson lives off the grid, preferring solitude to society. When he finds a beautiful woman soaking in the hot springs on his property, he can't stop himself from watching her. She captures his attention, but she's just a city girl--a beautiful distraction disturbing the peace he's settled here to find. When Madison discovers Luke's secluded cabin, he can't turn her away again. They make no promises. Madison needs to feel wanted again, and Luke misses the touch of a woman. But when mother nature has other plans, they're forced to spend more than a night of passion together. Can Luke say goodbye to the only woman who's made him feeling anything in years, and can Madison leave behind the man who brought her back to life?

*****

Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They’re the perfect bedside read, a ‘quick blush’ for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.  


Drunk Dial by Penelope Ward:

Genre:  Adult contemporary romance
Release Date: August 21st, 2017
Source:  Purchased Audible Audiobook
My rating:  5 stars  

My third book by this author and once again I really enjoyed it!  At first, I was a little unsure.  I figured that the main character must have some kind of scar or something, but the reason that she didn't want to show her face to Landon was a total surprise to me.  Although I was unable to understand exactly how she felt in the one comment she made, so much of the story was really good besides that.  Landon was a dream guy, and I don't quite get why she got upset over his big reveal, because really, how was that any worse than a guy who had just been a straight out manwhore?  But then there was the whole big part of the story that had to do with her secret, as well as her "little sis", and that had me in tears, and I couldn't stop listening.  A great story!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Look up Landon Roderick, that boy from childhood whom I’d never been able to forget—even though he so easily forgot about me—and call him.

Then again, anything sounds like a good idea when you’ve had a little too much wine before bed, right? It was supposed to be just a quick, meaningless, prank call. Instead, I went off on him—unloading thirteen years of pent-up emotions.

I didn’t think he’d call me back.

I certainly could never have anticipated the weeks of sexually tense phone conversations that followed as I got to know the man he’d become.

Turned out, Landon had never really forgotten me, either. That special connection we had was still there. I opened up to him, but there were also things about me he didn’t know. And he had his own secrets.

Over the countless hours we talked on the phone, I wondered what would happen if we actually saw each other. One night, I did something impulsive again. Only this time, I went to the airport and booked a ticket to California. We were about to find out if one phone call could bring two lost souls together or if my drunk dial really was all just a big mistake. 


Forever Mine (Roommate Duet Prequel) by Kennedy Fox:

Genre:  Adult contemporary romance
Release Date: April 5th, 2019
Source:  Free newsletter serial from author, although I then downloaded free Kindle book
My rating:  4 stars  

Every once in a while a newsletter serial will catch  me in the emails.  This was one of those.  They ended almost every single chapter every week with such a cliffhanger that I was on the edge of my seat just waiting for the next week's newsletter and chapter.  This novella had someone to hate, a secret that people in the story knew, but the author kept us guessing, and lots of steamy scenes.  Also, a happy ending.  I now need to read the series that this is a prequel to.    

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
It’s been ten years.
He hasn’t stopped loving her for one second.

Seeing the woman who broke my heart a decade ago is something I’m not prepared for. Though I’ve forgiven Savannah, I’ve never forgotten what she did.

Now it’s time to confront the secret she’s kept from me. Though it won’t be easy, I’m determined to make things right between us.

One night together is all it takes for our feelings to come rushing back. As memories of us flood in, truths are finally revealed. When the present collides with our past, I’ll do anything to win her back, even when Savannah tries to run again.

This time, I’ll stop at nothing for a second chance.

**Forever Mine is a 35k word novella that introduces you to the Roommate Duet Series. It's suggested to read before Baby Mine, but can be read anytime throughout the series.** 


#Poser (Hashtag Series #5) by Cambria Hebert:

Genre:  New Adult contemporary romance
Release Date: August 8th, 2015
Source:  Purchased Audible audiobook
My rating:  5 stars

Another 5 star story from one of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors.  I love Braedon so much.  But he's got a lot going on in this one, and I think he makes a mistake when he doesn't tell Ivy what he found out about her night with Zach.  However I also was very mad that Ivy didn't tell anyone about the little weird things that had been happening to her. There were a lot of things that happened that really just added to the drama, but so much of this story made me laugh or cry that I was won over.  We got a few chapters from Zach's point of view, which okay, but I didn't like having so many of them in a row, and skipping over so much time for the rest of the characters.  There was one quote I really liked, "Little secrets become big lies."  That is so true.  It was good to meet Ivy's brother, although how he treated Braeden ticked me off.  And while I see some people unhappy with how Braeden dealt with Zach in the final scene, I actually was okay with it.  Sometimes, those types of people, they just aren't going to stop, and when they almost get other people killed, well, that's how I feel about that.  Oh yeah, and someone needs to take Missy down, I have no good feelings about her. 

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Posers gonna pose 

I am a man who had nothing, but found everything.

I'll never go back to nothing ever again.

I vowed to protect her, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

The pictures I stumbled upon haunt me still, the secret I shoulder is heavy.

They say secrets put distance between two people, but the truth is far more destructive than keeping it will ever be.

I won't ever tell. She can't ever know.

When I look in the mirror my reflection is of who I'm afraid I'll become and not the man I am.

It makes me feel like a poser, no better than all the others pretending to be exactly who they aren't.

How does a man keep it together when everything is unraveling right here in his hands?

I didn't start any of this.

I never asked for it.

But it came knocking at my door.

When secrets and threats knock, I don't hide.

I open the door.

Because the best way to take down a poser is to be one.
  

L-L-L-Little Reviews: Three Adult Contemporary Romances

Still not sure about that title idea.  Oh well.  Right now is about getting reviews done before November and NaNoWriMo starts, so I don't feel like those are hanging over my head and I can get some writing done!  These are all three adult contemporary romances. 

King of Code by C.D. Reiss:

Release Date:  September 18th, 2017
Source:  Free Kindle E-book 
My rating:  4 stars 

Not exactly sure where to start with this one, as it was different than expected.  I decided to tackle this as the next of my enormous TBR of free e-books because the author is supposed to be at Book Bonanza last year.  I really did like this book a lot.  I'm afraid that my mini-review may not come off that way however. First of all, it was all done from the male viewpoint, and I feel like so many romances are usually done either all from the female point of view, or go back and forth between them, not just the man's story.  So that took me off guard a bit at first.  But in a way that was refreshing and made the story even more interesting to read and kept my attention for that uniqueness.  It was a very dirty, sexy book.  You have to really be okay with that to enjoy it.  I know that there were a few things I didn't like, for example, the noises that it had Harper making. Sure, sure, I know that real noises during sex are weird sounding, there is even a line in the movie Dogma that makes me laugh because of how true it is.  However I kind of feel like in a romance, we can make the noises a little less realistic?  Maybe?  Just me?  Oh well.  Not a biggie.  And then I did feel like it was just one thing after another, piled on top of each other until the tower was ready to fall and upset every little bit they'd built up and created.  Overall a good book, and I look forward to reading more by this author, as well as meeting them next August at BB19.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Taylor Harden is a tech hero on the edge of fame and untold wealth, until a hacker freezes his company and holds it hostage.

Harper doesn't want much from Taylor.

All he has to do to get his company back is teach her how to please a man. Step by step, and for every step she'll unlock a piece of his system.

Kissing unlocks a partition.

Touching unlocks another.

Using your mouth to…

How far is this crazy woman going to go?

They hate each other. They can't keep away from each other. They're decoding each other with every step, until all Harper's secrets are revealed, and Taylor risks losing his heart as well as his company. 

Royally Endowed (Royally #3) by Emma Chase:

Release Date:  August 31st, 2017
Source:  Purchased physical copy of book 
My rating:  4 stars   

I had owned the paperback of this for awhile, but then decided to try the audiobook.  Unfortunately the male narrator was the same as who does Hardin on the After series audiobooks, I think, and so I had trouble hearing him as this character.  So even though I started listening in April, I didn't get around to picking up the paperback to finish it until September.   Once I did that, though, it was a very quick read.  While it was interesting to see how Ellie and Logan got together finally, their romance a very edgy and drawn out one, probably just a little lacked due to not having any true royalty as a part of them.  But not enough to be truly disappointing or make the story not good.  Logan had a background that was dark and led into so many twisting points in the story.  And it was great to have the two of them with their own types of connections to our other characters from the first two books so that we could still get our fill of the royals.  Good, even if not my favorite of the bunch.  Also, I posted my review of the 4th book earlier this week, had a deadline thanks to a review tour, but if you read that review, you'll understand it didn't matter to read out of order, even though I didn't.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Logan St. James is a smoldering, sexy beast. Sure, he can be a little broody at times—but Ellie Hammond’s willing to overlook that. Because, have you seen him?? 

Sexy. As. Hell. 

And Ellie’s perky enough for both of them.

For years, she’s had a crush on the intense, gorgeous royal security guard—but she doesn’t think he ever saw her, not really. 

To Logan, Ellie was just part of the job—a relative of the royal family he’d sworn to protect. Now, at 22 years old and fresh out of college, she’s determined to put aside her X-rated dreams of pat-downs and pillow talk, and find a real life happily ever after. 

The Queen of Wessco encourages Ellie to follow in her sister’s footsteps and settle down with a prince of her own. Or a duke, a marquis…a viscount would also do nicely. 

But in the pursuit of a fairy tale ending, Ellie learns that the sweetest crushes can be the hardest to let go.
 
***
 
Logan St. James grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, in a family on the wrong side of the law. But these days, he covers his tattoos and scars with a respectable suit. He’s handsome, loyal, brave, skilled with his hands and…other body parts. 

Any woman would be proud to call him hers. 

But there’s only one woman he wants. 

For years he’s watched over her, protected her, held her hair back when she was sick, taught her how to throw a punch, and spot a liar.

He dreams of her. Would lay down his life for her. 

But beautiful Ellie Hammond’s off-limits. 

Everybody knows the bodyguard rules: Never lose focus, never let them out of your sight, and never, ever fall in love. 

Studly Period (The Ivy Years #5.5) by Sarina Bowen:

Release Date:  March 20th, 2018
Source:  Newsletter serial
My rating:  5 stars    

So, I started reading this as part of the author's newsletter.  I rarely convince myself to do that, but something about this one got me interested enough to read it.  It was my first story by this author, but I'm now sure it will not be my last.  I guess maybe it was originally published back in March in the newsletter, but I just signed up recently and she must have decided to share it again.  I'm glad that she did.  It could possibly be that it was a hockey player in the book, and I'd just attended my first hockey game ever right about the time I found it.  It was a great story, and then there was even one day that it had such a major cliffhanger I was immediately joining the author's Facebook fan group to tell her how much I was hanging on it and she was killing me!  LOL.  A cute fun short story.  Sounds like as series I'll have to look into soon!  Now, if it sounds like one you want to read, I believe you can click the link on the Goodreads info page, or maybe sign up for her newsletter yourself.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
There are 1016 people in the freshman class at Harkness College. I can’t be the only socially awkward nerd girl virgin among them. Right?
 
It’s time I learn to talk to guys without blushing and stammering. So I take a confidence-building job at the student tutoring center. Twelve bucks an hour, plus human interaction. What could go wrong?
 
A fun-loving French Canadian hockey hunk, that’s what.
 
When Pepe Gerault sits down at my tutoring table, my brain shuts off and my mouth goes right into hyperdrive. Even the sound of my name on his lips—Josephine—gives me a mini orgasm.
 
I want to hand him my V-card. But all I manage to hand him is…my thesaurus. And my dignity. All seems lost, until I hatch a plan to get him alone…