Tag: romance books

A Month of Reading: April Book Reviews (Part One)

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Another month flew by with me reading a bunch between courses, work, side work, and remembering to occasionally sleep. For Netgalley I reviewed a new release, Making Waves, a couple weeks ago and have another review for Pieces of Me (releases in May) coming up likely on Wednesday.

Like last month I don’t have time for a lot of individual reviews, so instead I’m giving a summary and overall impressions for each book. There’s quite a few books this time so this will be divided into two posts, one tonight and one tomorrow. Today’s titles include:

Romance – How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days, So I Married a Highlander, Making Waves, Duke of Pleasure, The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, Haunted on Bourbon Street (also fantasy/paranormal), and Barbarian’s Lady (also fantasy).

Reviews are in order of date read. (My star ratings are explained here.)

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How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days  3-Stars
So I Married a Highlander 1.5-Stars
What Happens in Scotland series #1 & #2, by Kate McKinley

This short regency romance introduces us to Pippa Welby, daughter of a wealthy tradesman who is against marrying into higher society due to their treatment of her, and Lucas Alexander, the ninth Duke of Arlington. Lucas meets Pippa at a ball but gives her the impression that he is aloof to her existence, when really he desires to make her his. So he concocts a plan that makes sense only to one of the most powerful men in London: announce their engagement ball and invite Pippa to it.

Things heat up quickly between the two, and though Lucas’s motives were questionable for a while, things get sorted out and these two lovebirds get their happily-ever-after. The characters are both likeable, but both could use more development (a constant problem in shorter novels).

“I just want you by my side, Pippa, however I can get you. I don’t know how to do this. If I want something, I take it. I always find a way. But this, with you… us… I feel so damned lost.”

Continue reading “A Month of Reading: April Book Reviews (Part One)” →

Review: Making Waves

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Making WavesMaking Waves by Laura Moore

My Goodreads rating: 4 of 5 stars
My actual rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Making Waves introduces us to Dakota Hale, an independent concierge business owner in the Hamptons and Max Carr, the successful business man who recently purchased the old Hale family estate and hires Dakota to help furnish it.

From the moment they meet sparks fly between Max and Dakota, but much of the latter half of the book is spent rebuilding. These two worked hard for their HEA.

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A Month of Reading: March Book Reviews

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Unlike most semesters, I found time to read during the mid-semester crunch, and so I took full advantage of it. Between reading and obsessively trying for 100% achievement completion in Banished I don’t have time for individual reviews, so instead I’m giving a brief summation of my impressions for each book. Titles include:

Romance – Barbarian’s Redemption, Fire in His Blood, Collide, Apricot Kisses, seven books from the Morna’s Legacy series, Scandalous Desires, and It’s Complicated.

Fantasy – Only the Stones Survive, The Graveyard Book, Collide (heavy genre overlap), A Darker Shade of Magic, and A Gathering of Shadows.

Reviews are in order of date read. (My star ratings are explained here.)

Only the Stones Survive by Morgan Llywelyn 1.5-Stars

It took me two weeks to finish this book, and then only because I brought it as my only form of entertainment (by that point, nearly halfway through it) on a trip with a four hour layover followed by a four hour flight. I’m still not quite sure what this story was about. The characters were forgettable and far too numerous for the book’s length and the plot dragged. Every time it finally would get interesting, the viewpoint would shift. I give the story one star for its world-building and a half star for being readable (even if it was boring). If you’re into Irish mythology the book may intrigue you, otherwise I’d give it a pass.

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Review: The Scoundrel’s Honor

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The Scoundrel's HonorThe Scoundrel’s Honor by Christi Caldwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unlike The Rogue’s Wager (Sinful Brides #1), Caldwell’s writing shines in The Scoundrel’s Honor. It’s a riveting story with likeable characters that evolve throughout the tale.

Ryker Black, brother to Helena (Sinful Brides #1), is a feared gaming hell owner who sees emotion as weakness and has no interest in marriage. Penelope Tidemore—sister to Patrina, Poppy, Prudence, and Jonathan (Scandalous Seasons books 4 & 5; Lords of Honor #2)—is a young lady trying to rise above her family’s scandalous name, but won’t be cowed by cruelty. An unfortunately meeting leads to these two marrying, opening Penelope to a world far grittier than anything she could have imagined and leading Ryker to deal with the consequences of letting in another’s affections.

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Review: Law and Disorder

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Law and DisorderLaw and Disorder by Heather Graham

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’ve spent the past week considering what to say about Law and Disorder. My problem with this story is that I ended up quite disappointed in it. The premise sounded great, and I’ve heard good things about Heather Graham before… but the actual content of the book? Overall–this was a story trying to be something it was not, and because of that, it’s just (barely) okay.

Let’s start with the good bits. The actual crime, while crazy, keeps the story moving and is intriguing. Graham included a lot of history and details for the setting, and while I have no idea if any of it is truly reflective of the area or totally fictional, it was both interesting and in-depth. The mystery and tension were well done. The main story regarding the crime was wrapped up nicely.

However, this is a “romantic suspense” book, yet Law and Disorder would have been better served without the romantic component to it. Continue reading “Review: Law and Disorder” →