Review ~ Bad Cruz by L.J. Shen

Bad Cruz by L.J. Shen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do enjoy an enemies to lovers read and I thought that Bad Cruz was quite a fun read.

It was interesting to see Tennessee as a quiet girl, who hid behind her massive walls and had a bad reputation. She dressed and acted like a clumsy woman, but was infact quite the opposite. She was a strong mother who had confidence issues and didn't want to cause trouble.

Cruz acted as though Tennessee was a thorn in his side, but it turned out that he had always harboured feelings for her. Spending time alone with her helps them to get to know one another again and build feelings for each other.

I enjoyed the banter between the characters and how their relationship grew. It wasn't always smooth sailing but I was happy as to how it all wrapped up. This was a good read, but not my favourite Shen book, but I look forward to what she brings us next.

Title: Bad Cruz

Author: L.J. Shen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: November 10, 2021

I would say Dr. Cruz Costello is my archenemy.
But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in over a decade.

He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician.
I’m the girl who got knocked up at sixteen and now works at a diner.

He is Fairhope royalty.
I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip.

He’s well-off.
I’m…well, off.

When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise.
Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else.
Cue ten horrible, insufferable days at sea with a man I cannot stand.
(My fault, of course.)
But when the alcohol pours in, the secrets spill out, and I’m left with one question:
Can I take another chance on love?

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Review ~ Off Limits by J.A. Low

Off Limits by J.A. Low
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This read was quite the shocker early on into the story. I can't believe what happened in the opening chapters and then have the sense of mind to go home and pack up your things before jetting away...

Noah was quite the sweet guy and made Chloe feel beautiful and cherished. He wasn't the playboy he made himself out to be. Chloe had to find her own feet after leaving quickly in the beginning and while enjoying her holiday she was able to land herself the dream job. I enjoyed the secondary characters, both Noah's and Chloe's and look forward to more stories from this world.

These two were quite sweet, and the story was good, but it wasn't the type of read that blew me away. There were a few elements that could've been done better and I prefer the interaction instead of being told parts of the story.

Title: Off Limits

Author: J.A. Low

Series: Playboys of New York #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: October 1, 2019

Chloe Jones is trying to put the scandal of leaving her Super Bowl legend fiancé at the altar behind her. No better way to escape than to turn her island honeymoon into a much-needed vacation with her girls. What she wasn’t expecting was to meet a hot stranger. Don’t they say to get over somebody you need to get under someone else?

Chloe’s ready for a fresh start, shame her vengeful ex is making it difficult for her. That is until she lands the job of her dreams.

What she wasn’t expecting was to come face to face with the hot stranger from her island escape—Noah Stone, New York’s biggest playboy, and her new boss.

Chloe can be professional even if all she can think about is those lips. And the way he fills out his suit pants.

He’s totally off-limits, and she’s signed the paperwork that says so.

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Review ~ He Loves Me Not by Deborah Bladon

He Loves Me Not by Deborah Bladon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Deborah Bladon is a new to me author, but I was intrigued by the blurb for He Loves Me Not, so I had to give it a go. It turned out to be a good read, although it didn’t blow me away like I hoped it would.

I found it sweet, watching Roman and Bianca fall for one another. They had chemistry right from the start but were unable to move on it immediately. When the chance arose for these two, Ronan was focused on no strings and didn’t want a relationship.

I felt that Roman had secrets that he was holding onto, and I picked them early in the read. The twist was quite the coincidence, however it brought them closer together. I enjoyed how it all wrapped up, and the future that they will have together.

Title: He Loves Me Not

Author: Deborah Bladon

Series: The Hawthornes of New York #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: May 3, 2021

Roman Hawthorne is tall, devastatingly handsome, and has a jawline that is so sharp that it cut could glass. He’s my dream guy on paper but let’s just say Roman is arrogant with a capital A.

When I meet him in a bar on a random Tuesday, I think I’ll never see him again.

But I do.

Every time I show up at that bar, Roman is there with his perfectly styled hair, dark brown eyes, and megawatt smile.

Soon our innocent flirtation turns into more.

Roman is exactly what I need.

He brings me daisies, encourages me to chase all of my dreams, and we do things that make even me blush.

When he looks at me, I swear he can see into my soul.

I’m living a real life fairy tale until I discover that Roman has secrets that will change both of our lives forever.

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Review ~ Pause by Kylie Scott

Pause by Kylie Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kylie Scott is one of those authors that I go to when I’m looking for a good read, and I must admit Pause was another fabulous read!

Anna’s life was on pause while she was in a coma, and when she wakes everything has changed and she found it hard to find her feet and figure out her new place in the world. Leif was such a sweet and loveable guy, with the patience of a saint. Together these two were sweet and I loved how Leif allowed Anna the time to grow. There were some intense moments, and I loved how Anna was able to find the courage to stand up for herself.

I absolutely loved this read and I devoured it quickly. I liked watching these characters grow together. Kylie Scott has a way of creating worlds that I can get lost in and don’t want to leave! I cannot wait to see what she will bring us next!

Title: Pause

Author: Kylie Scott

Series: Larsen Bros #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: April 13, 2021

An unpauseable new romance from New York Times bestselling, Audie Award winning author Kylie Scott!

When Anna wakes up from a coma after a car crash, she discovers life has gone on without her. Her husband has been unfaithful—with her best friend—and she’s been long since replaced at work. While her old life is a distant memory, her new life feels like an empty shell. Then she meets the stranger who saved her life during the crash, and he changes everything.

Leif Larsen—tattooist, joker, and player—has his own scars thanks to the crash that put Anna in a coma. Helping her move on from her failed marriage, and create a new life, sounds like a perfect distraction. So when he needs a new roommate, he invites Anna to begin her new life with him.

Although their lives may have been put on pause, together they just might find a way to heal.

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Review ~ Well Played by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Well Played by Vi Keeland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well Played was a pretty fun read. It had a couple tense moments, but overall, I really enjoyed the relationship growth between Presley and Levi. Levi’s family was fed some lies by Tanner (Levi’s brother) into the reason why Presley and Tanner separated, so it was good to see opinions change as the truth was revealed.

It was nice to see Levi give Presley’s vision a chance, after he realised she wasn’t the evil person his brother portrayed. He built a good relationship with his nephew – Alex – and I could see these three would gel well together. However, as twists occurred, it would change the direction on how I could see the story unfolding. The ending was what I hoped and I really liked how it wrapped up.

Title: Well Played

Author: Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: October 25, 2021

It all started with a bet.
When my young son inherited half of his great grandfather’s historic inn, I decided to move us both to the place where I grew up.
Notice I said half of the Inn. The other half now belonged to Levi Miller, the famous quarterback who had other ideas about what we should do with the property.
We won’t mention that I accidentally injured him during our first meeting, causing him to get eight stitches.
You could say we got off on the wrong foot.
We bickered a lot as we both moved into the property while we figured things out.
He wanted to unload the rundown place which, admittedly, needed a lot of work.
I wanted to restore The Palm Inn to its original beauty and re-open it as a bed and breakfast.
We couldn’t agree on anything. So Levi made me a proposal. One he thought I would surely lose. If I could sell out the place by the time he had to leave for training at the end of summer, he would back off and let me run it.
But in the weeks that followed, we got more than we bargained for while we were living under the same roof.
Levi and I got closer, and before I knew it, my nightly fantasies about the brawny Adonis became a reality. Not to mention, he was so great with my son.
We were in over our heads in more ways than one.
Because not only was he the last man on Earth I should be falling for because of our deal, but Levi was also my ex’s older brother.
And now the inn was the least of my problems.

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Review ~ Dirty Curve by Meagan Brandy

Dirty Curve by Meagan Brandy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meagan Brandy is a new to me author, and I had to read more of her work since I enjoyed Fake It 'Til You Break It so much. Dirty Curve was another fun read – being a college romance with a single parent – I usually love it… just not as much as I hoped.

Tobias and Meyer were thrust together as Tobias needed a tutor and Meyer was kind of forced to help him. She wasn’t a push over kind of girl and Tobias didn’t understand why she wouldn’t drop everything to be at his beck and call. It was interesting to see their relationship grow and the change in Tobias when he realised Meyer had other commitments.

The romance between Tobias and Meyer grew slowly. Tobias fell for his girls, and his focused changed. There were some twists thrown in that had me scratching my head and I wasn’t happy with the direction of the story. Some elements could have been smoother, and the Tutor Girl nickname became old too. This was an ok read for me, and it won’t stop me from picking more of Brandy’s work in the future.

Title: Dirty Curve

Author: Meagan Brandy

Genre: Sports Romance

Published: August 27, 2021

You know how in college there’s that one guy everyone wants to be?

That’s me.

I’m the top dog.
The number one.
The big man on campus.

Some say those things are solid wins.
My new tutor would disagree.

My title means nothing to her.
My status lost on her.

And now my mind? That sucker is stuck on her.

She was told to make our sessions priority over all, to drop everything when I need her, and come to me. She does.

But I don’t want to steal her time anymore.
I want to earn it.

If anyone can do that, it’s me.

I’m Tobias Cruz, the king of the curveball. I don’t lose.
Not the game, and surely not the girl.

Little did I know, this girl has a secret...and it’s the dirtiest curve yet.

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Review ~ A Dance with the Fae Prince by Elise Kova

A Dance with the Fae Prince by Elise Kova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading A Deal with the Elf King, I had to dive into A Dance with the Fae Prince immediately. These characters are not the same as the ones in the first book and I enjoyed seeing this new couple. Katria’s hand in marriage was sold off to Lord Fenwood and she was swept away to a castle, where she spent most of her time alone. However, her curiosity got the better of her and she started breaking the rules set out for her. Soon she was caught up in the middle of magic and was taken into the Midscape.

I enjoyed meeting all the secondary characters and seeing Katria fight for herself, and eventually for the friends that she made. I liked watching the story unfold and all the twists along the way. I enjoyed the magical aspect and watching the relationships grow. This was another great book in the series, and I cannot wait for A Duel With The Vampire Lord!!

Title: A Dance with the Fae Prince

Author: Elise Kova

Series: Married to Magic #2

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Published: August 19, 2021

She knew her hand in marriage would be sold. She had no idea a fae prince was the buyer.

Katria swore she'd never fall in love. She's seen what "love" means through the cruelty of her family. So when she's married off to the mysterious Lord Fenwood for a handsome price, all Katria wants is a better life than the one she's leaving. Feelings are off the table.

But her new husband makes not falling in love difficult.

As their attraction begins to grow, so too do the oddities within her new life: strange rules, screams in the night, and attacks by fae that Katria never thought were real. When she witnesses a ritual not meant for human eyes, Katria finds herself spirited away to the land of Midscape.

Surviving the fae wilds as a human is hard enough. Katria must survive as a human who accidently pilfered the magic of ancient kings - magic a bloodthirsty king is ready to kill her for in order to keep his stolen throne - and her new husband is the rightful heir in hiding.

The power to save the fae is in her hands. But who will save her from a love she vowed never to feel?

A Dance with the Fae Prince is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Psyche and Eros, as well as Cinderella, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.

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Review ~ A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova

A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been a while since I’ve read a good fantasy read and I am so glad that I picked up A Deal with the Elf King! I quickly was swept away in this charming world and the amazing characters!

Luella was a well-respected healer in her town and was shocked that she was chosen to become the next Human Queen. Eldas, the Elf King appeared quite cold, but I loved seeing him back in his world. He really tried to make Luella comfortable.

I just loved how this story unfolded, how the characters fell for one another and how Luella began to love the new world she was in. I could see that there was going to be a twist and I loved how it all fell into place! You can be certain I am going to continue in this series!

Title: A Deal with the Elf King

Author: Elise Kova

Series: Married to Magic #1

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Published: November 6, 2020

The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella's village to be their Human Queen.

To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she's dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town's only healer.

That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives... for her.

Everything Luella had thought she'd known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another... but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

A Deal with the Elf King is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Hades and Persephone, as well as Beauty and the Beast, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.

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