Category: ARC

Mr. Nice Guy by Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer

Mr. Nice Guy

2 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: October 16th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Mr. Nice Guy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lucas Callahan gave up his law degree, fiancée and small-town future for a shot at making it in the Big Apple. He snags an entry-level job at Empire magazine, believing it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a famous writer. And then late one night in a downtown bar he meets a gorgeous brunette who takes him home…

Carmen Kelly wanted to be a hard-hitting journalist, only to find herself cast in the role of Empire’s sex columnist thanks to the boys’ club mentality of Manhattan magazines. Her latest piece is about an unfortunate—and unsatisfying—encounter with an awkward and nerdy guy, who was nice enough to look at but horribly inexperienced in bed.

Lucas only discovers that he’s slept with the infamous Carmen Kelly—that is, his own magazine’s sex columnist!—when he reads her printed take-down. Humiliated and furious, he pens a rebuttal and signs it, “Nice Guy.” Empire publishes it, and the pair of columns go viral. Readers demand more. So the magazine makes an arrangement: Each week, Carmen and Lucas will sleep together… and write dueling accounts of their sexual exploits.

It’s the most provocative sexual relationship any couple has had, but the columnist-lovers are soon engaging in more than a war of words: They become seduced by the city’s rich and powerful, tempted by fame, and more attracted to each other than they’re willing to admit. In the end, they will have to choose between ambition, love, and the consequences of total honesty.

My Review:

So, the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the title of this book was the Alice Cooper song. I had this song running through my head the entire time I was reading the book. Too bad I didn’t like the book as much as I liked the song. Which was sad because I wanted to like this book.

I wanted to like Mr. Nice Guy. I thought the blurb was fantastic and described the book well. I was excited to read it. My excitement waned after the first chapter and was gone by the middle of the book. By the time I finished the book, I gave myself a mental high-five for getting through a book that was boring, unrelatable and unrealistic.

Mr. Nice Guy had a good plotline. Lucas is trying to make it big in NYC. Working as a fact checker in a popular magazine, he aspires to be a famous journalist one day. He needs his big break. One night, he picks up a gorgeous woman in a bar. Thinking it was an unremarkable one night stand, Lucas soon sees an article written by a sex columnist that describes their one night stand. Boring and inexperienced were the nicest thing that she wrote. That columnist is Carmen Kelly and she works at the same magazine as him. Lucas writes up a rebuttal signed Mr. Nice Guy and watches as it goes viral. Soon, Carmen and Lucas (who is still known as Mr. Nice Guy) are writing a dueling column. Once a week, they get together, have sex and then write about it. Nothing could go wrong, right?

When the book started off, I felt bad for Lucas. He was working his butt off checking facts but was getting nowhere. While enchanted with the City, he feels that he is getting nowhere. Then he meets and sleeps with Carmen. The article and his rebuttal launches his career into the stratosphere. Then I started seeing a side of Lucas that I didn’t like. He was selfish and self-centered. He gave little thought to his actions and how they would affect people. All he wanted to fame. And when he got it, he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Carmen tried to warn him but he didn’t listen to her. Towards the end of the book, my dislike turned to apathy. All his “good deeds” were done to ease his conscience. To be frank: Lucas was a huge jerk and I couldn’t stand him.

Not that Carmen was any better. She was bitter and it came across in her writing. She wanted to be so much more than a sex columnist and was frustrated that she wasn’t taken seriously. I thought her article slamming Lucas was awful. I did start to like her the more I read about her. She did care about Lucas, as much as she denied it the first few weeks they were doing the article. It was her interactions with Mira, her grandmother, that I saw a different side of her. A side that I liked. Towards the end of the book, I felt bad for her. She got the short end of the stick with what Lucas did. It cost her everything but she found her true calling.

I wouldn’t classify this book as a romance. To have a romance, you need chemistry. I saw none of that in this book. They had zero chemistry together. Zero. The lack of chemistry figured hugely in my review.

Going with the lack of chemistry, I thought the sex was bland and unoriginal. I also thought that them having sex for a magazine article was a mood killer for me. I like it when my characters spontaneous, unexpected sex. Not scheduled sex that was dissected in a magazine article. What also made me go “Eh” was that Lucas slept with two other women while sleeping with Carmen. One being a call girl and there was no mention of condoms being used. As soon as I realized this was happening while he was having sex with Carmen, all I could think of was “I hope he’s getting tested for STD’s” and “I hope Carmen is getting tested“. That wasn’t sexy or a turn on. It skeeved me out.

The secondary plotline with Lucas’s friend Nicolas was weird. I felt that it had no bearing on the story at all until the end. Nicholas was a rich friend who came in and out of Lucas’s life. Then, he started to figure more into it. Also, the same thing went for the storyline with Jays. Which tied into the storyline with Nicholas. It didn’t belong in the book and felt out-of-place.

The end of Mr. Nice Guy was meh. While I understood what happened, I was hoping, praying that there would be more. Instead, it was a lukewarm ending that halfheartedly wrapped up all the secondary storylines. While I understand not every book can have a happy ending, I was hoping for more of a resolution with Lucas and Carmen’s storyline.

What I liked about Mr. Nice Guy:

  1. The storyline. It has potential
  2. Carmen towards the end of the book
  3. That’s it

What I disliked about Mr. Nice Guy:

  1. Lucas. I didn’t like him
  2. Carmen the beginning of the book
  3. Lack of chemistry and sexual tension

I gave Mr. Nice Guy a 2-star rating. While I thought the storyline was interesting, I couldn’t get into the story. I didn’t like the main characters and couldn’t connect with them. I felt that there were zero chemistry and sexual attraction in the book. Also, Lucas having multiple sex partners at the same time didn’t do it for me. I was left feeling unfulfilled by the ending.

I would give Mr. Nice Guy an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is some mild violence. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I will not reread Mr. Nice Guy. I also will not recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Mr. Nice Guy.

All opinions stated in this review of Mr. Nice Guy are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Bright Ruin (Dark Gifts: Book 3) by Vic James

Bright Ruin (Dark Gifts #3)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Del Ray

Date of publication: October 9th, 2018

Genre: young adult, science fiction, dystopia

Series: Dark Gifts

Gilded Cage – Book 1 (review here)

Tarnished City – Book 2 (review here)

Bright Ruin – Book 3

Where you can find Bright Ruin: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Magically gifted aristocrats rule–and commoners are doomed to serve. But a rebellion threatens the old order. The dystopian trilogy that began with Gilded Cage and Tarnished City concludes.

In a world where the lower classes must endure ten years of forced service to unfairly advantaged, magically powered rulers, a teenage boy dreams of rebellion, his older sister yearns for love and knowledge, and a dangerous young aristocrat seeks to remake the world with his dark gifts. In Bright Ruin, the final book in the trilogy set in modern-day England, our heroes will lead a revolution that will transform–or destroy–the world.

My review:

This book. Has left me. Wordless. Talk about having everything turned upside down and inside out. I can’t even get my thoughts together to write a review that makes sense…lol. But I will try.

I was excited to read Bright Ruin. I had loved the previous two books in the Dark Gifts trilogy and I was expecting to feel the same about Bright Ruin. Which I did. But this book also left me with a what the heck feeling. Why? Because of the ending. But I will get to that later in the review.

Out of all the characters in the book, I thought Gavar shined in this book. His character development from Gilded Cage was amazing. He went from being a pawn of his father to someone who decided to shake off the yoke of oppression that he lived under. I did have my doubts about him while reading Bright Ruin. I had doubts about his allegiances. But, I came to realize that the only one he was loyal too was Libby and through association, Daisy. That everything he did in Bright Ruin was to safeguard them. Of course, he was doing it under duress but still.

Speaking about Gavar brings me to Silyen. I didn’t know what to make of him for most of the book. The author did a great job at keeping his true intentions under wraps until the end of the book. Even when Luke and he met the King, I still had doubts about his true intentions. I should have known after the King’s death scene that Silyen had something up his sleeve. I also should have known when he made that deal with Dog “A life and an escape“. Grrrr. I also should have known his true intentions towards Luke. Thinking back, there were enough hints, I didn’t add them up. I will say that the kiss was electric and I am glad it was left at that.

I didn’t like Abi as much as I did in the first two books. I don’t know why I didn’t. I do think that she saw something in Gavar that surprised her. She saw goodness and the potential to help instead of harm. Which is why she trusted him with the plans to help break her parents out of where they were being held. Which is why she didn’t blame him for what happened when she found out the truth. I did like the change in her from the first book. She went from someone who accepted what life was thrusting at her to someone who dared to change things. That change was electric. A big part of that change was Jenner’s betrayal at the Blood Festival. But the other half of that change happened when things went sideways when her parents were rescued. Those events shaped her into who she became at the end of the book.

I thought Luke was useless in this book. Until Silyen took him to Crovan’s island. Then I realized, hey he is useful. I thought his relationship with Silyen was one of master and slave. But, as I read Luke’s part of the book, I realized that Luke was providing Silyen with something. I didn’t know what. Like I mentioned above, I was shocked at the kiss between them. But, I was also shocked by what Luke did at Silyen’s request. That took more bravery than anyone in the entire book. But, like I said above, I should have known it was coming. That whole death scene with the King was a huge indicator of what was going to happen. I failed to see it.

I want to mention how much I liked Dog in this book. I loved that the author gave him a voice and a purpose in this book. I also liked that his humanity was showing more and more. It counteracted nicely with what I knew about him.

It was the last chapter that bothered me. Luke’s storyline was not resolved. As was Coira’s, the King’s and Silyen’s. To end the book the way it did make me go “WHHHHHYYYYYY????” I can only hope that the author is going to do some sort of sequel to Bright Ruin. Something that explained what happened.

What I liked about Bright Ruin:

A) Gavar.

B) The kiss between Luke and Silyen

C) Dog

What I disliked about Bright Ruin:

A) What Silyen asked Luke to do

B) The end of the book

C) Abi. Just didn’t like her

I gave Bright Ruin a 4-star rating. This is a fantastic dystopian book. The characters were well fleshed out and the world building was amazing. I did have an issue with the ending. Other than that, loved the book.

I would give Bright Ruin an Older Teen rating. There is no sex (other than that amazing kiss between Silyen and Luke). There is violence. There is mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Bright Ruin. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Book-Ballantine, Del Ray, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Bright Ruin.

All opinions stated in this review of Bright Ruin are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I Hate You, I Love You by Elizabeth Hayley

I Hate You, I Love You by [Hayley, Elizabeth]

3  Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 9th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find I Hate You, I love You: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

There’s a fine line between love and hate. And these two can’t decide which side they’re really on. . . .

Poetry professor Naomi Price is loved by her students, happily works around the clock, and has credentials no one could deny. Except, it seems, for her arch-nemesis at Hainamor University. The man never has anything polite to say, and now the two of them are competing for a prestigious honor that just so happens to come with a cash award. With every move Naomi makes to impress her colleagues, her rival is right there beside her, elbow to elbow, making it impossible to ignore how devastatingly hot he is—even if he is a total bastard.

Sebastian Blake knows what Naomi thinks of him, and he’s trying hard not to care. Maybe he’s been grouchy with her in the past, but she isn’t making his life any easier with her crusade to win over the Personnel Committee and earn an honor that is rightfully his. Naomi just doesn’t quit, and though he’d never admit it, there’s something sexy about her. Something that has him tied up in knots. Something that makes him want to move beyond his painful past and take a chance—at least for as long as it takes to kiss her silly and see what happens next.

Warning: Intense bickering leads to intense sexual chemistry!

My review:

Ever read a book and think “Wow, I am going to like this” but reading the blurb? That’s what I thought when I first read the blurb for I Hate You, I Love You. I had this book built up in my mind. I started thinking to myself “Wouldn’t it be cool if this book was like 10 Things I Hate About You“. So, yeah, I was pumped up for this book. It was a disappointment when I started reading this book and realized that it was not what I thought it was going to be.

The first half of the book was a huge disappointment. I thought Naomi and Sebastian’s rivalry was immature. While Sebastian did start it (he could have handled Naomi’s gift a bit better), Naomi didn’t let it go. Instead of being the bigger person, she started acting childishly. Misplacing mail and messing stuff up on his desk? Really? I thought that she was an adult, not a vengeful teenager. What got me was that she thought she was justified in doing what she did. Sebastian was just as bad. The only thing was that he was verbal with his childishness. I kept shaking my head while reading those scenes. I said to myself during one scene “Are you freaking kidding me???” Then to have them competing against each other for a prize? Like my 12-year-old, my eye rolls were constant.

The second half of the book was a bit better but still. Naomi and Sebastian still were taking pot shots at each other.  But it was alright because they were dating. Uggggh. Then that whole debacle in front of the Personnel Committee. They both should have been fired for acting the way that they did.

There was zero chemistry between Naomi and Sebastian. Zero. So when they started having sex, it didn’t jive for me. Don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes were hot but I couldn’t get past Naomi and Sebastian’s dislike of one another. I guess I should have looked past it because you can love someone you hated but I couldn’t.

I didn’t like Naomi. She rubbed me the wrong way. While I felt bad for what happened when she was in college, she should have told Sebastian what she was going to do with the money up front. It would have saved her a lot of heartache down the road. I wish more attention had been put on her teaching. I thought what she taught was interesting. Once her and Sebastian were an item, I did think that she had a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. I wish that I could have liked her more.

I felt awful for Sebastian. I could never imagine something like that happening to me. No wonder he was so grouchy. But, I do wish that his past had been explained earlier in the book. Instead of being dragged out the way it was. I also liked that he didn’t stoop down to Naomi’s level when she was being petty. I did like his zingers but I felt that he crossed a line a couple of times with what he said to Naomi. I felt that his issues with what she was going to do with the prize money should have been addressed before they went before the Personnel Committee. But, I did like that he was able to accept that he was wrong. And that he tried to make it up to Naomi. What he did at the end of the book made me cry.

The end of the book was the best part of the book. The author was able to end it on a HEA. As much as I disliked Naomi, I felt that she needed to be supported by her decision. I also felt the Sebastian needed to have a happy ending too. I do wish that there was an epilogue. I would have loved to see them in a year or two from the ending.

What I liked about I Hate You, I Love You:

A) The location. I love Vermont.

B) What Naomi taught

C) The end of the book

What I disliked about I Hate You, I Love You:

A) Naomi. Felt she was childish

B) Zero chemistry between Naomi and Sebastian

C) Sebastian’s backstory

I gave I Hate You, I Love You a 3-star rating. I was disappointed by this book. I felt that the main characters had zero chemistry. I also felt that they acted like spoiled teenagers for 90% of the book. What saved the book for me was the location and the end of the book.

I gave I Hate You, I Love You an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence about if I would reread I Hate You, I Love You. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review I Hate You, I Love You.

All opinions stated in this review of I Hate You, I Love You are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk: Book 4) by Dean Koontz

The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk, #4)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam

Date of publication: September 11th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Jane Hawk

The Bone Farm—Book 0.5

The Silent Corner—Book 1 (review here)

The Whispering Room—Book 2 (review here)

The Crooked Staircase—Book 3 (review here)

The Forbidden Door—Book 4

The Night Window—Book 5 (expected publication date: May 14th, 2019)

Where you can find The Forbidden Door: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

When this relentless rogue FBI agent comes knocking, her adversaries will have to answer—with their lives—in the latest thrilling Jane Hawk novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Corner.

“We’re rewriting the play, and the play is this country, the world, the future. We break Jane’s heart, we’ll also break her will.”

She was one of the FBI’s top agents until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills—and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice—Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal.

But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there’s no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden . . . for now.

As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives—against the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door.

Don’t miss any of Dean Koontz’s gripping Jane Hawk thrillers:
THE SILENT CORNER • THE WHISPERING ROOM • THE CROOKED STAIRCASE • THE FORBIDDEN DOOR • THE NIGHT WINDOW

My review:

I am not going to go on a crazy fangirl but I love me some Dean Koontz. I have fangirled in earlier reviews and in hindsight, it made me look like a nerd. So, yes I love Dean Koontz. And yes, I have read almost every single book that he has written. That includes what he was written under his pseudonym and excludes any books written from 2007-2017.  I have enjoyed reading the Jane Hawk series. So when I saw that The Forbidden Door was up for review, I jumped on it. And did a happy dance when I got accepted.

The Forbidden Door is the 4th book in the Jane Hawk series. Jane is trying to get to her son after learning that her friends died protecting him. Her son is safe with an autistic genius. A genius who is nervous about being in charge of a child but determined to protect him as much as he can. While she is traveling to get her son, the Arcadians are searching for her in-laws. They want to adjust Nick’s parents and use them to find out where Jane’s son is. They think that if they have the son, then they will be able to bring Jane to her knees. But, that is not the case. Nick’s parents have become ghosts and force the Arcadians to search for them. The Arcadians also have another huge issue, besides Jane trying to take them down. Recently adjusted people are being driven insane. They are committing heinous crimes. Can Jane reach her son before the Arcadians? Can the Arcadians contain the epidemic of adjusted people going insane? Will the Arcadians find Nick’s parents?

What I liked about The Forbidden Door:

I loved Jane. She was as fresh and as complex as she was in the first 3 books. I like that the author chose to highlight her maternal instinct. I also liked how he balanced it with her need to find justice for Nick’s and all the other adjusted people’s deaths. Her interactions with Luther, Bernie, Travis, and Cornell were awesome. Plus, I liked seeing a heroine that wasn’t afraid to use shady connections to help her.

I was so happy to see Luther make an appearance in the book. I had missed him in book 3. I was wondering what happened to Rebecca, Jolie, and Twyla (and yes, I am still tickled that I see my name in a book!!). My wondering about them wasn’t answered. I was glad to see that Jolie was safe. It was Rebecca and Twyla that was my concern. I wanted to know where they were. I am hoping that my questions are answered in book 5.

I loved that Cornell was in this book. I liked that the author went more into his background and his autistic tendencies. I liked, that in spite of his limitations, that he was able to hide Travis for as long as he did. His terror at taking care of Travis made me sad for him. He was afraid that he was going to fail him. He was a gentle giant.

Travis was a remarkable kid. It didn’t seem like all the upheavals that went on in his life affected him. The only sign I saw was when he called Jane “Mommy” instead of “Mom“. I am wondering if his character will be in book 5 and what will happen to him.

As with all books, the secondary characters are key to keeping the book flowing. The author did a great job at introducing various characters and keeping them constant for the entire time they are in the book. He also brought in secondary characters that were in the other books. Techno Arcadians and good guys.

There were 3 major plotlines in The Forbidden Door. What I enjoyed was that the author was able to bring them all together at the end of the book. I also liked that none of them were resolved. None. It made me very excited about book 5!!

The first plotline is the one involving Jane and her trek to get Travis. She revisited some familiar people. She also made some new allies. Ferrante was a remarkable one. His obsession with blood skeeved me out. What he asked Jane to do got me even more skeeved.

The second plotline involved the Arcadians and their search for Nick’s parents. I loved it because I had no clue where they went. That ending chapter, when all was revealed, was interesting. I am hoping that this plotline is revisited. I want to know what happens to Egon.

The third plotline involved the Arcadians and the people that they adjusted going insane. This plotline was introduced late in the book. I am curious to see what is going to happen with that. Will all the adjusted people start going insane? Or just the ones recently infected?

What I disliked about The Forbidden Door:

There were a few things that I didn’t like about The Forbidden Door.

I did not like the Arcadians. The single-mindedness that they showed to their cause. They kept using the brain-altering drug even though they knew that it was driving people insane. They turned almost a whole town to track Travis down. And how did that turn out? Not so great for their cause. I also didn’t like how Laurie was treated by Janis. And man, Janis’s psychotic break. It was awful.

I did think that the storyline with the Arcadians hunting down Nick’s parents was a bit drawn out. While I understand why it went on for so long, I started to get bored by it.

The end of The Forbidden Door was great. None of the storylines were ended. Instead, they were all left up in the air. Normally, I would be complaining about this. But because there is going to be a book 5, I know that the storylines will be ended in that book. So, it is fine with me.

I gave The Forbidden Door a 4-star rating. I liked the plotlines and the characters. The only thing that I didn’t like about The Forbidden Door were the Arcadians. I also thought that storyline about them hunting down Nick’s parents dragged on for longer than it needed to.

I would give The Forbidden Door an Adult rating. There is no sex. But there are scenes that discuss child sexual abuse and one man contemplating raping a child. There is violence. There is a disturbing scene where a man is attacked and his chin is almost bitten off. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Forbidden Door. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a warning about possible triggers (see above).

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Forbidden Door.

All opinions stated in this review of The Forbidden Door are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

America’s Sweetheart (Real Love: Book 5) by Jessica Lemmon

America's Sweetheart (Real Love, #5)

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 2nd, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Real Love

Eye Candy—Book 1 (review here)

Arm Candy—Book 2 (review here)

Man Candy—Book 3 (review here)

Rumor Has It—Book 4 (review here)

America’s Sweetheart—Book 5

Where you can find America’s Sweetheart: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Old flames burn bright. When a disgraced starlet returns home to lick her wounds, she discovers that her high school sweetheart is just as tempting as ever.

“No one writes big-hearted bad boys like Jessica Lemmon!”—New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

Allison: When I left for California, I gave myself a new name and never looked back. Now my carefully crafted good-girl image is getting torn to shreds in the press thanks to my Oscar-winning A-hole of an ex-boyfriend. So I escape to the only safe haven I know and trust—my hometown—to take a breather while I plot my triumphant Hollywood comeback. However, when I arrive at my parents’ house, Jackson Burke answers the door instead. And suddenly the past comes rushing back. . . .

Jackson: First kiss. First time. First love. Yep, Allison Murphy and I shared many firsts back in the day. When she left, she took half my heart with her. Now she’s back in town, and even though I swore I’d keep my distance, her parents hired me to remodel their house, and I’m going to finish the job. But one hot kiss later, suddenly the press is calling us the next big celebrity couple. Sure, I’ll play the part, for Allison’s sake—but I refuse to let her close enough to break my heart all over again. . . .

My review:

I was excited to read America’s Sweetheart. For the most part, I was happy with what I read. It was a sexy, original second chance romance. But, I was left feeling “meh” about the characters, how a certain character’s backstory was explained, and the romance was boring. Not the sex, the romance.

America’s Sweetheart is a second-hand romance featuring Jackson and Allison. Jackson and Allison were high school sweethearts who broke up in college when their lives went in different directions. Allison became a famous TV star and Jackson is a successful business owner. 10 years after they broke up, they are reunited. After taking the fall for something her famous ex-boyfriend did, Allison came home to figure out what her next move would be. Jackson, a successful contractor, is remodeling Allison’s parents’ house when she waltzes back into his life. Soon, Jackson and Allison are thrown together into a “faux” relationship to throw off the paparazzi. But, what is supposed to be fake soon becomes real. Can Jackson and Allison get through that without breaking their hearts again?

I am a huge fan of second chance romances. I like them because it is awesome seeing two people separated by years fall back in love. But, in the case of America’s Sweetheart, I felt that the romance was boring. There needs to be a rekindling of the romance between those people. Not walking into their lives and falling back into the same relationship. Which is what happened to Jackson and Allison. Plus, I didn’t know what Allison felt from one day to the next about Jackson. Did she want to be with him? Was she using him? In the back of my head, I was going “What the heck is going on!!!“

If I thought the romance was lacking in this book, sex definitely wasn’t. The sexual attraction and chemistry that they had were intense. Which in turn made the sex scenes powerful. I did have an issue with Jackson going bareback with Allison after making sure she was clean. Sorry, but if I were having sex with someone after 10 years of not being with them, I would sure as hell make sure to have a box of condoms there. I know it is nitpicking and weird but I get skeeved out over that. Other than that, the sex was insane.

I thought that the storyline was different. I liked that the author had Allison’s ex-boyfriend steal the Oscar and then frame Allison for it. But what I didn’t like, and what confused the heck out of me, was that Allison’s POV about the Oscar theft was brought up in the middle of the book. Put it this way. I ended one chapter and began the next one with Allison at that party. I was like “What the heck. Shouldn’t that have been at the beginning of the book? Maybe as a prologue????” It made zero sense to have it added in the middle of the book. While it helped me with understanding Allison better, it interrupted the flow of the story.

I couldn’t connect with Allison. It’s not that I didn’t like her, I didn’t understand where her character was going from one chapter to the next. I was also bothered that I couldn’t tell what she felt for Jackson. I couldn’t figure out if it was for sex or if she loved Jackson. She also came across as a little spoiled. Which I expected because she had spent 10 years on a successful show. But still. I wish that I had seen more of the Allison that Jackson knew.

I did like Jackson. I could understand why he was wary of getting involved in any way with Allison. She destroyed him when they broke up. I got it. I even understood why he got involved with Allison’s dating scheme. Unlike Allison, he was pretty good to read. I could tell that he was falling for Allison. Everyone could. Because I couldn’t get a hold on her feelings for him, I was hoping that she wouldn’t stomp all over his feelings again.

The end of the book fell flat for me also. The author did a great job of wrapping up all the storylines. She also did a great job at giving Allison and Jackson their happy ending. It didn’t do it for me. I didn’t think that the ending scene and what Jackson did was romantic. If anything, it stoked Allison’s ego. Call me unromantic, but “eh“.

What I liked about America’s Sweetheart:

  1. Original storyline
  2. Second chance romance
  3. The sex

What I disliked about America’s Sweetheart:

  1. Couldn’t tell how Allison felt about Jackson for 90% of the book
  2. Allison’s side of the story thrown in the middle of the book.
  3. End of the book

I gave America’s Sweetheart a 3-star rating. I did like the storyline. I also liked that it was a second chance romance. Plus, the sex was hot. But, I didn’t like how Allison’s side of why she went home was put in the middle of the book. Which factored in my rating. Everything else that I didn’t like was just me. I couldn’t tell how Allison felt about Jackson. Also, the end of the book fell flat for me.

I would give America’s Sweetheart an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence about rereading America’s Sweetheart. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Loveswept, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review America’s Sweetheart.

All opinions stated in this review of America’s Sweetheart are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

A Spark of Light

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: October 2nd, 2018

Genre: General Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Where you can find A Spark of Light: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the crosshairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.

Jodi Picoult—one of the most fearless writers of our time—tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.

My review:

I went into reading A Spark of Light with an open mind. I am not a person who likes to read things that can start debates and cause strife in real life. Which is why I stick to romance/fantasy/horror..etc. So reading A Spark of Light for review is not something I would do. But I liked the blurb. I wanted to see what the author had to say about the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate. I wanted to see where this book would go. I will tell you all this. I was not expecting such a well-written book that explored both sides of the debate.

What I liked about this book was how it was written. It started at the end and ended at the beginning. This is a different written style then what I am used to and it could have failed. But, for me, it didn’t. I felt that it revealed everything at the right time. It wasn’t without its faults. There were times, at the beginning of the chapters, where I was confused by what was going on. But that cleared up after the first paragraph. Other than that, this writing style worked for me.

I also liked how the characters were portrayed. Instead of having a clear line between good and bad, the author blurred it. Which I thought was fantastic. Because of the topic she chose to write about, those lines should be blurred. The only one whose line wasn’t blurred was the shooter, George. But even then, I couldn’t help but have some pity for him.

I did like how the author handled the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate. She explored both sides and why the people felt the way they did. Take, for instance, the Dr. His decision to do abortions came from his mother dying of one in a backroom one when he was younger. He was deeply faithful but he also understood that women needed the correct medical help if they wanted to end a pregnancy. Or the undercover pro-choicer. She was trying to ease the guilt for an abortion she had when she was a teenager. She felt by being a fanatic about it, she would be absolved of sin. The author made me think about what each of those people was going through. What brought them to that clinic at that exact point in time.

The end of the book was good but I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to know how the other storylines ended. The only one that was mentioned was Wren and we knew what happened to the other people who were within the clinic. Also, I wanted to know what happened to Beth. My frustration level with the ending was through the roof.

What I liked about A Spark of Light:

  1. Well written book
  2. The writing style
  3. How the author handled the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate.

What I disliked about A Spark of Light:

  1. The shooter
  2. How Beth was treated in the hospital
  3. The ending

I gave A Spark of Light a 4-star review. This is a well-written book that will make you think about the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate. I did have an issue with storylines not being ended and that did figure into my review. Other than that, I enjoyed reading this book.

I would give A Spark of Light an Adult rating. There is sex, but it is not graphic. There is language. There is violence. There are also scenes where abortions are done (both at home and at the clinic). I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread A Spark of Light. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. But I would throw in a warning about the abortion scenes.

I would like to thank Ballantine Books, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review A Spark of Light.

All opinions stated in this review of A Spark of Light are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

In the Mood Fur Love by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, Kate Baxter

In the Mood Fur Love

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: October 2nd, 2018

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal

Where you can find In the Mood Fur Love: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Three hot stories about sexy shifters from a trio of today’s hottest paranormal romance authors, headlined by bestselling authors Eve Langlais and Milly Taiden!

Bearing His Touch by Eve Langlais
When Becka manages to escape her kidnapper, she finds herself asking help of the man with the nice brown eyes. Stavros can’t say no, not when he knows Becka is his mate, but he does have one dilemma when it comes to claiming her. He’ll have to find a way for her to bear his touch.

Fake Mated to the Wolf by Milly Taiden
Looking for a mate to bring to a party? Wedding? Holiday gathering? Mates Fur Hire is right for you? But what happens when your fake mate ends up being your real one, from New York Times bestselling author Milly Taiden!

The Witch, The Werewolf and The Waitress by Kate Baxter
For centuries, Lowman, Idaho has been Ellie Curtis’s prison. A vengeful witch cursed her with immortality and locked her within the confines of Lowman’s borders, sealing Ellie off from most of civilization for eternity. She’s learned to make the most of it. But when she meets a cocky werewolf who’s part of the élite supernatural law enforcement group, all bets are off…

Colin instantly knew that Ellie was his mate, but when he discovers her secret, he’s determined to help set her free. But in doing so, he might just lose the one thing he knows he can’t live without…

My review:

I know that I have mentioned in another review that I don’t like reviewing anthologies. Doesn’t mean that I like reading them. I find reviewing anthologies difficult. Depending on how long the stories are in the book, my review could go on forever. So, this review is going to be short and sweet.

Bearing His Touch

While I enjoyed this book, it did rub me the wrong way in certain parts. I didn’t like that it took so long for Becka to tell Stavros why she had been kidnapped and beaten. That frustrated me. But,  that was the only thing that annoyed me about the book. Everything else I loved. Stavros was such a goof. I had a laugh over the pot brownies incident. I liked how everything was wrapped up. I did like the twist with Becka’s Poppa. Didn’t see that coming.

Fake Mated to the Wolf

I enjoyed reading this story. I did have an issue with Hawke not knowing what went on in his company. Including what was happening to his mate. I kinda went “Ummmm, ok” when I read that part. But, after that was resolved, I loved the story. I wanted to know more about Robbie and I hope that he is featured in more books. He deserves his happy ending. I did think that Shawna was kind of a jerk to Hawke for 90% of the book. I mean, she knew about how they found their mate. But, she still thought Hawke was two-timing his mate with her? Hello, use your brains girlfriend. I liked the HEA that the author gave to everyone at the end of the story.

The Witch, The Werewolf, and The Waitress

This was my favorite story. Ellie and Colin were such jerks to each other when they first met. I enjoyed watching them fight over that cinnamon roll. Gave me a fit of the giggles. I did feel bad for Ellie. I couldn’t imagine being cursed how she was. Talk about being restricted and lonely. I thought the whole quest to set Ellie free of her curse was great. Including the ending. I will never look at timber wolves, cougars, elk, and coyotes the same again. Shudder. Again, loved the HEA for Colin and Ellie.

There is Instalove in this book but, and I stress this, it worked. Werewolves and werebears are able to find their mates by smelling them. So, I didn’t mind the Instalove at all. Because it fits in with the lore.

The sex in all three stories were hot. I had to fan myself after a couple of scenes because they were that good. If I had to pick the hottest couple, it would be Colin and Ellie. Talk about some steamy sex scenes.

I am not putting up a like/dislike section to this review. If I did that, it would go on forever.

I gave In the Mood Fur Love a 4-star rating. If you like shifter romances with steamy sex scenes, this is the book for you. I will give a trigger warning for Bearing His Touch and Fake Mated to the Wolf. Bearing His Touch has a pretty graphic beginning scene where Becka is being beaten. Fake Mated to the Wolf has a sexist boss and a scene where Shawna is being held hostage in her bedroom by some not so nice guys. Other than that, this book was a great read.

I gave In the Mood Fur Love an Adult rating. There is graphic sex. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread In the Mood Fur Love. I would also recommend it to family and friends with a warning about possible triggers.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review In the Mood Fur Love.

All opinions stated in this review of In the Mood Fur Love are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

The Dream Daughter

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: October 2nd, 2018

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Where you can find The Dream Daughter: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From bestselling author Diane Chamberlain comes an irresistible new novel. 

When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back. 

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby’s heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will need a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline’s part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother’s quest to save her child, unite her family and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.

My review:

This is another book that took my breath away while reading it. I went into reading The Dream Daughter with little expectations. From what I read in the blurb, I thought it was going to be your typical time travel book. While it was that, it was also so much more. That is what made me love this book. I would also warn, please read with tissues. You are going to need them.

The Dream Daughter starts off in Nag’s Head Island, North Carolina in 1970. Caroline is widowed and pregnant. She found out that her unborn daughter has a fatal heart defect (for that era). This is a devastating blow since her husband was killed in Vietnam 7 months earlier. Then her brother-in-law drops a bombshell. He tells her that he can save her baby. But to do it, he needs to send her forward in time. To the year 2001, where there is a new surgery that could save her baby. Desperate, Carly agrees. But things go sideways when the baby is born and needs to be in NICU longer than expected. A series of events forces Carly to jump back to 1970. Desperate to get her baby, she jumps back to the future. Except it is the year 2013, her daughter is a preteen and has been adopted by a well to do family. While there, Carly discovers something that shakes her to the core. Something that makes her chose between staying with her daughter or going back to 1970.

I liked Carly. First, she was determined to save her child. As any mother would be. I can’t imagine being told that my child had an incurable heart defect. Her disbelief when Hunter told her about the surgery and what she would have to do to get there came off the pages. I would have said the same thing if my brother-in-law told me that he was a time traveler from the future. I liked how she chose to believe Hunter. All because she wanted her baby to have a chance at life.

The scenes in the NICU broke my heart. My youngest daughter was sent to NICU shortly after she was born and spent a week there. A short visit compared to some of the babies but still, a stressful time in my life. Every emotion that I had been mirrored by Carly. My heart broke for her. The baby was the last tie to her husband, who was killed in Vietnam.

I liked how the author explained how time traveling was discovered and used. I thought it was interesting that the travelers had to step off of things to get to where they were going. Carly had to step off a pier, a stone bridge in Central Park and a tree house to reach the portals. I also loved the 5 times rule. The traveler could only travel 5 times. If they travel a 5th time, they disappear. No one knows where the traveler goes or if they are alive.

I should mention Hunter since he was a major part of getting Carly to the future. I thought he was great. What he did was out of love for Carly and her unborn baby. He didn’t take into consideration that so many things would go wrong with Joanna. His worry about when Carly would come back was palpable. He couldn’t go fetch Carly because that would be his 5th trip. So he was stuck and the worrying was taking a toll on him. I loved teenage him. I was giggling to myself as I read those scenes because I could picture it in my head. I have 2 sisters that would be his age and I remember how they were.

The last half of the book broke my heart. When Carly jumped to 2013 to find Joanna, I didn’t know what to expect. I was ready to find out that Joanna was in an awful home with parents who didn’t care about her. It would have made taking Joanna back to 1970 a lot easier. But, instead, she had parents that loved her. They gave her the world and then some. Of course, they were a little suspicious of Carly when she came into the scene but they soon warmed up to her. I did think, for a while, that Carly was going to stay in 2013. But that didn’t happen.

The end of the book was surprising. There was a twist to the plot line that I didn’t see coming. While it didn’t come out of left field, it still left me shocked. I also understood why Carly made the decision she did. The epilogue was the most surprising. Not going to say what but I will say that I love it when things come in full circle!!!

What I liked about The Dream Daughter:

A) Carly. She had an inner strength that I loved

B) Hunter. He did what he thought was best for Carly.

C) Joanna. OMG, I loved her. She was hilarious and reminded me of my daughter.

What I disliked about The Dream Daughter:

A) The NICU scenes. They brought back some unpleasant memories for me

B) Carly’s decision at the end of the book

C) Hunter’s mother. She was cold.

I would give The Dream Daughter an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is some mild violence. There is some mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

There are no triggers for The Dream Daughter.

I would reread The Dream Daughter. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Dream Daughter.

All opinions stated in this review of The Dream Daughter are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

After the Fire by Will Hill

After the Fire

4 Stars

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Date of publication: October 1st, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller

Where you can find After the Fire: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The things I’ve seen are burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade.

Before, she lived inside the fence. Before, she was never allowed to leave the property, never allowed to talk to Outsiders, never allowed to speak her mind. Because Father John controlled everything—and Father John liked rules. Disobeying Father John came with terrible consequences.

But there are lies behind Father John’s words. Outside, there are different truths.

Then came the fire.

My Review:

When I started reading After the Fire, I was thinking that this was going to be a run of the mill Young Adult book. You know, a book where the plucky heroine saves the day. She solves the mystery and gets the bad guy. When I started reading After the Fire last night, I thought that I would get to 30-40% before going to sleep. Yeah, that didn’t happen. Instead, I was up until almost 12am, devouring this book. I got emotionally invested. I needed to find out what lead up to the fire. I needed to know what would happen to Moonbeam.

After the Fire is Moonbeam’s story. Moonbeam is a survivor of a raid on her cult’s compound. Unlike the other children that were saved, she has secrets. Secrets that eat away at her soul. Secrets that need to come out. Recovering from the raid at a children’s psychiatric hospital, Moonbeam must tell what life was like inside the compound. She also needs to tell them the events that led up to the raid. But can she? Can she overcome everything that has been beaten into her? Or will Father John’s hold on her extend into this new life?

I wasn’t a fan of how the book was broken up at first. There was Before the fire and After the fire. Before detailed how life was at the compound. How Father John and his Centurions dealt out savage punishments. How everyone walked on eggshells because they didn’t want to be the next one in the box. It was a frightening and oppressive existence. After detailed, Moonbeam’s time in the hospital, recovering from wounds attained in the raid. But more importantly, she is being helped mentally to adjust to being Outside. They also want her to tell them about what led up to the raid and what happened when she went into The Big House while it was going on. Like I said earlier, I wasn’t a huge fan of it at first but as I read the book, I realized that there was a flow to the book. All Before scenes were told in therapy sessions. After I realized that, the book flowed nicely for me.

The characters in this book were layered. I like that in a character. I like being able to peel back the layers to see what made that character up. Take Luke for instance. When he is introduced, I thought that he was an innocent victim. But as the book went on and more of Luke’s personality was revealed, I realized that he had been 100% indoctrinated. That began when Father John took over. By the end of the book, I felt bad for him. Even though he did some atrocious things Before and After, he was still a child that had been abused.

I despised Father John. He was the epitome of evil. He took child brides (which disgusted me). He turned Luke into a fanatic that about flipped his wig when he wasn’t accepted into being a Centurion. I thought he got what was coming to him during the fire.

The secondary characters made this book what it was. They were very well-developed. I will say that I was upset with what happened to Nate. I actually groaned and said “Nooooo” when it was revealed what happened.

The end of the book filled me with hope. The author did a great job of wrapping up all the storylines. He did a fantastic job at letting the reader know that deprogramming from a cult takes months, not weeks. He showed me that those kids could go on to live normal lives. But most of all, he showed me what happened to Moonbeam. The afterword was worth the read.

What I liked about After the Fire:

  1. Not your typical YA book
  2. Layered characters
  3. The end of the book

What I disliked about After the Fire:

  1. How the book was broken up at first
  2. Luke (even though I pitied him)
  3. Father John

I gave After the Fire a 4-star rating. This is not your typical YA book and I liked that. It had layered characters (main and secondary). I loved the end of the book. What I disliked about the book didn’t have a huge impact on my rating. They were personal feelings. I didn’t like how the book was broken up when I started reading it. I didn’t like Luke or Father John.

I would give After the Fire an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. The scene of the raid and of a man being almost starved to death in a box can be triggers. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 16.

I would reread After the Fire. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review After the Fire.

All opinions stated in this review of After the Fire are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane

4 Stars

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Date of publication: September 25th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Christmas on Mistletoe Lane: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

This USA Today bestselling author invites you to the delightful small town of Sweetwater Springs where the magic of Christmas brings to strangers together in this “story you won’t forget” (RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author).

Christmas is coming to the North Carolina mountains, and the air is fresh and crisp and filled with promise. After the devastating loss of her job in the big city, the small town of Sweetwater Springs feels like heaven to Kaitlyn Russo. She’s inherited her grandparents’ charming (if a little rundown) bed and breakfast, and it’s just the new lease on life she needs. Only “heaven” comes with a catch-and a handsome and completely infuriating one at that. 

After what he hopes will be a quick trip, Mitch Hargrove wants nothing more than to put his hometown in the rearview mirror. But his plans get derailed when he learns he’s now half-owner of the Sweetwater B&B. The fact that he’s given only two months to make the inn a success is a huge problem, but it’s his pretty-and incredibly headstrong-partner who’s the real challenge. With the holiday fast approaching and a grand re-opening looming, will Mitch keep running from the ghosts of Christmas past . . . or will he realize the true gift he’s been given? 

My review:

When I saw that Annie Rains was coming out with a new book, I knew that I had to read it. But I wasn’t expecting to get approved for the review. So, when I saw the email from NetGalley stating that I got approved, I was happy and excited to read this book.

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane is one of those books that will make you smile while reading it. Kaitlyn’s enthusiasm for running her late grandmother’s bed and breakfast was catching. I found myself getting excited with her when Mitch said he would stick around for the terms of the will. I laughed when she was coming up with names for each room. It was a happy book.

There were some sad parts. There were also parts that made me mad. The reason Kaitlyn lost her job made me furious. I wanted to go smack that guy so bad. I kept thinking to myself “The Me Too movement would have a field day with that guy AND her ex-employer.” I also wanted to shake her mother when Kaitlyn finally told her what was going on. I did say out loud “Are you freaking serious!!!” The other sad part was the reason Mitch didn’t want to be anywhere near Sweetwater. When he explained to Kaitlyn what happened, I felt awful for him. But, when everything came out, I got mad. Talk about abuse of power.

The romance between Mitch and Kaitlyn was cute. I like how it played out as it would in real life. I have read too many romances where the problems of the main character went away as soon as they hooked up. Kaitlyn and Mitch had very real problems. It made the book so much more enjoyable to read for me.

Mitch and Kaitlyn had some serious sexual chemistry going on between them. Even the other characters noticed it. Which made for some pretty interesting conversations…lol. What I liked about this book is that while they had sex, it wasn’t the main focus of the book. The author didn’t waste any time on it. They went to bed at the end of one chapter and woke up rumpled the beginning of the other one. That meant I had to use my imagination for the sex scenes.

I had a connection to both Kaitlyn and Mitch. I understood why they acted the way they did. I understood why Kaitlyn needed to make this bed and breakfast work. I also understood why Mitch didn’t want to be in Sweetwater any longer than he had to be.

The secondary characters made this book shine. Each character had their own personality and brought a bit of oomph to the plotline. I enjoyed the antics of the first guests at the bed and breakfast. I liked Paris (and hope that he has a book soon!!). I also liked Chris and Nate. What Kaitlyn did for them was amazing. If only more people did that.

The end of the book is a tear-jerker. I will admit that I cried during it. Let’s say that everything was wrapped up in a way that I loved. And the epilogue. It was everything that I hoped for and more.

What I liked about Christmas on Mistletoe Lane:

A) Book made me smile

B) Kaitlyn and Mitch’s romance

C) The secondary characters

What I disliked about Christmas on Mistletoe Lane:

A) What happened to Kaitlyn

B) What happened to Mitch

C) How Kaitlyn’s mother responded to what Kaitlyn told her

I gave Christmas on Mistletoe Lane a 4-star rating. This was a well written, cute romance. I had a smile the entire time I read the book. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the book that would affect my rating.

I would give Christmas on Mistletoe Lane an Adult rating. There is sex, not explicit. There is some mild violence. There is mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Christmas on Mistletoe Lane. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Christmas on Mistletoe Lane.

All opinions stated in this review of Christmas on Mistletoe Lane are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**