Swagger (Milwaukee Dragons: Book 2) by Liz Lincoln

Swagger (Milwaukee Dragons, #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: September 18th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Milwaukee Dragons

On the Line—Book 1 (review here)

Swagger–Book 2

Where you can find Swagger: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

“Tight end,” noun: 1. a position in American football, 2. NFL star Marcus James, 3. what any hot-blooded woman can’t stop staring at every time Marcus walks by.

Bree Novak is so close to earning her Ph.D. she can taste it, but she’s supposed to be writing her dissertation, not giving lectures while her advisor slacks off. The semester gets even crazier when veteran tight end Marcus James—Bree’s celebrity crush—enrolls in her “Intro to Physics” class. The man’s even hotter in person than he looks on Sunday Night Football. So why is Bree hoping he drops out? Maybe it’s because Marcus, with his cocky smile and chiseled body, is the ultimate distraction. . . .

Drafted out of college years ago by the Milwaukee Dragons, Marcus is taking advantage of a season-ending knee injury to finish his bachelor’s degree. Plus, thanks to a required science credit, he’s also getting to know the geek goddess who teaches physics. With brains and beauty, Bree is living proof that opposites attract. She’s even kind enough to give Marcus extra help with the material, as if she didn’t have anything better to do. And the more time Marcus spends with her, the more he realizes he’s not just crushing on his teacher—he’s falling for her.

Don’t miss any of Liz Lincoln’s mouthwatering Milwaukee Dragons novels, which can be read together or separately:
ON THE LINE | SWAGGER

My review:

Let’s start this review by looking at the cover. Mmmmhmmm. That is a fine specimen of a man right there. Definitely caught my eye on NetGalley when I was browsing Loveswept’s page. My only issue with covers like this, they overshadow the book and they tweak my mental issue of the main male character. And I have the same issues when it is the female main character on the cover. But, the cover did not overshadow the book. Nope. My mental image of Marcus was as good as the cover.

I was thrilled with how the author wrote Bree’s character. To have her teaching physics classes while working on her dissertation was empowering. But, the author didn’t make it easy for Bree. She showed exactly how hard it is for a woman to break into male-dominated careers. The attitude that her advisor and father had is unfortunately commonplace everywhere. I admired Bree for the perseverance in going after her dream and achieving it. I also could relate to her.

Marcus, oh Marcus. Is it possible that he can be brought to life from the book? Because I need someone like him in my life, pronto. I loved him. I liked his restraint with Bree. Even though he was attracted to her, he was willing to be her friend. He let her call the shots in the bedroom. He realized that he loved Bree before she did, which is amazing for a romance novel. Usually, the woman has the revelation first. When he screwed up (which I didn’t think was that bad), he gave Bree space. He understood that she was under a lot of stress.

I loved the secondary characters in this book. Bree’s friends were awesome. I wish I had a friend like Reina. I loved her spunk and love of life. I was a little peeved with Bree’s male friends. They saw how she was being treated by her advisor and didn’t do anything. Well, Kevin did something and Bree reamed him a new one. I have always said that secondary were the lifeblood of the book. And these were. They added more depth and humor to the storyline.

The chemistry and sexual tension that Marcus and Bree had were insane. You could cut it with a knife. I normally don’t do cheerleader chants in my head but I did with this one. I kept chanting “Do it, do it, do it“. I wanted them to have sex so that sexual tension and chemistry could be spent. But, once they did, it surged back up. The author did a fantastic job of keeping it up and going.

The sex scenes were beyond hot. That first sex scene was insane. Marcus had Bree screaming in pleasure. I had to put my Kindle down a few times and fan myself, the sex scenes were that good.

I do want to add that I loved that CTE was discussed in this book. CTE is something serious that athletes should worry about. I loved that Matt and Cassie had a foundation set up to do research on it.

The end of the book was great. The author did a great job at ending all the secondary storylines except for the one that involved Bree and her family. I got no sense of closure. I also wish that there was an epilogue. While Marcus and Bree made up, I wanted to see if they had their HEA.

What I liked about Swagger:

A) The cover

B) Bree’s career

C) Marcus

What I disliked about Swagger:

A) Bree’s freak out

B) Bree’s advisor

C) Bree’s family

I gave Swagger a 4-star rating. This is a sexy, fun read with relatable characters. Be ready for some steamy sex scenes!!

I would give Swagger 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 would reread Swagger. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

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

All opinions stated in this review of Swagger are mine.

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

Drawn to the Marquess (Imperfect Lords: Book 2) by Bronwen Evans

Drawn to the Marquess (Imperfect Lords, #2)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: September 4th, 2018

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: Imperfect Lords

Addicted to the Duke – Book 1 (review here)

Drawn to the Marquess – Book 2

Attracted to the Earl – Book 3 (expected publication date: February 26th, 2019)

Where you can find Drawn to the Marquess: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Destined to go blind, a rake sets his sights on the toast of society, lighting a fire of passion that scorches the night, in this captivating novel from USA Today bestselling author Bronwen Evans.

Stephen Hornsby, the Marquess of Clevedon, has one goal: to see every exquisite thing he can before he goes blind. His greatest joy, watching a woman shuddering in the throes of passion, will be gone. But before the darkness descends, he is determined to seduce a magnificent widow, Lady Penelope Fisherton. Unfortunately, his rakish reputation has preceded him; Lady Penelope spurns his advances. Being a man who relishes a challenge, however, her reluctance adds only luster to his desire for the last beautiful sight he’ll ever see.

Considered the belle of London society, Lady Penelope was married to a scoundrel who cared for no one but himself. Now that she’s free, she wants nothing to do with love, passion, or desire—emotions that abandoned her with a cruel husband. So why does her body react when Stephen smiles? As much as she’d like to avoid the rogue, her brother-in-law wants her fortune, and he’ll kill to get it. Stephen is willing to help, but he’ll take only one thing in return: Her. In his bed.

My Review:

I love historical romance. Something about reading about love in Regency/Victorian England gets to me. I love reading about the ton and its many rules about how a woman in Society must act. I love reading about how some women chose to either toe the line or ignore the strict rules that were set in place. I love reading about rakes and how they become reformed. I loved everything about them. Of course, there are some historical romances that I don’t like. But for the most part, they are some of my favorite books to read.

I enjoyed reading Drawn to the Marquess. What I liked the most about this book was that the characters were damaged. Stephen was going blind. Penelope was a battered wife. The author was able to take what happened to these characters and turn them into strengths. This book was nowhere as dark as the earlier book, Addicted to the Duke but it was dark enough for me.

There were things that I didn’t like about Drawn to the Marquess. I didn’t like how no one knew that Stephen had issues with his eyes. He couldn’t see anything off to the side and couldn’t see in low light. Wouldn’t that have been an issue when he was at balls? Because electricity hadn’t been invented yet and candlelight is dim. But, Penelope figured it out soon after meeting him? Didn’t make sense to me. I am sure that his mother and sisters would have noticed something. Because of what their father went through years ago. The other main thing was Penelope not telling Stephen about her husband’s death until after the Frenchman hinted about it. While I could understand her reluctance and embarrassment. But still. Stephen was working to clear her name and he finds that out. I would have been furious too.

I did connect with Penelope. I understood what she went through after her husband died. I also understood her absolute horror and disgust when she found out what he was doing. I wouldn’t have been so….restrained….in my response to that. I wanted to hug her and tell her that it wasn’t her fault. That he hid it well. But, she also annoyed me a little. As I stated above, I thought she should have been more upfront about her husband’s death to Stephen.

I liked Stephen but I also pitied him. I couldn’t imagine knowing that I was going to go blind and seeing my vision go. I understood why he wanted to experience everything. He wanted those memories of what a sunset was like before he went blind. I even understood why he didn’t tell his family about going blind. He didn’t want to put his mother or sisters through that again.

While I figured out what role Penelope had in her husband’s death about halfway through, I was still surprised by it. It wasn’t exactly what I thought. As soon as she realized what a monster her husband was, she went out to take care of it. As she should have. Those people were her responsibility and she lived for 6 years without knowing what was going on. To me, that made her a hero.

The sex scenes were fantastic. Penelope was a wildcat in bed, once she realized that she could get pleasure from it. I loved the scene where she started describing what was going on while Stephen and she were having sex. That upped the hotness factor for me (and them).

The chemistry and sexual attraction between Penelope and Stephen didn’t go away after the first time. The author kept that amped up for the entire book. Even in the epilogue, all he had to do was look at her in a certain way and her toes curled. Loved it!!!

The end of the book was great. Stephen showed such courage when he went after Penelope. I thought the scenes after everything had happened was awesome. The author did a fantastic job at ending all the storylines. One storyline, which was a minor one, got wrapped up in the epilogue. I had tears in my eyes when I realized that both Penelope and Stephen had their HEA. I am also looking forward to book 3!!

What I liked about Drawn to the Marquess:

A) Characters were relatable

B) The connection I felt with both Stephen and Penelope

C) The sex scenes!!!

What I disliked about Drawn to the Marquess:

A) Stephen not letting people sooner about his eyesight issues

B) Penelope not being truthful about her role in her husband’s death

C) Penelope’s husband (what she found out he did).

I gave Drawn to the Marquess a 4-star rating. I enjoyed reading this book. I felt a strong connection to both characters. The storyline was great and easy to follow. I did have some issues with Penelope and Stephen but that didn’t factor into my rating.

I would give Drawn to the Marquess an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Drawn to the Marquess. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Drawn to the Marquess.

All opinions stated in this review of Drawn to the Marquess are mine.

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

Lies by T. M. Logan

Lies

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: September 11th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find Lies: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS BASED ON LIES?

When Joe Lynch stumbles across his wife driving into a hotel car park while she’s supposed to be at work, he’s intrigued enough to follow her in.

And when he witnesses her in an angry altercation with family friend Ben, he knows he ought to intervene.

But just as the confrontation between the two men turns violent, and Ben is knocked unconscious, Joe’s young son has an asthma attack – and Joe must flee in order to help him.

When he returns, desperate to make sure Ben is OK, Joe is horrified to find that Ben has disappeared.

And that’s when Joe receives the first message…

My review:

I can’t even begin to explain how much I liked this book. Can’t even begin. I will admit that I went into reading Lies, thinking that this book was going to be an ordinary mystery. Then I started reading the book and well, I was proven wrong, This book is anything but ordinary.

Lies had a simple plot. Joe sees his wife going into a hotel parking lot. Seeing that she is supposed to be at work, he follows her. He ends up witnessing her arguing with a family friend. Breaking them up, the friend turns on Joe and tries to start a fight. Forced to defend himself, Joe knocks the friend unconscious. Before he could get help for him, Joe’s son has an asthma attack…which requires Joe to go home to get his inhaler. Returning, he finds that his friend has disappeared. Strange things start happening that culminate with the police charging Joe with murder. But everything is not what it seems. The truth is more sinister than what Joe expected.

I felt awful for Joe. His life was destroyed within a week. I did think that his reaction to what was going on was pretty dead on for an ordinary guy. His confusion over everything came off the pages. Even his actions started showing how erratic he was becoming. I love it that the author took him to the edge and then pulled him back. I won’t say what pulled him back. But I will say that it was brilliant.

The mystery angle of the book was excellently written. I did figure out part of what was going on. I thought it was the whole thing. But, then the major plot twist happened and it seemed like it came out of left field. There is a smaller, minor plot twist that happens almost after the major one. It only added to the story. It was also sad.

The suspense angle of the book was awesome. I was with Joe, wondering who was tormenting him.

The end of the book was insane. Like I mentioned above, there was a plot twist that blew my mind. I didn’t see it coming. But, the author also touched on what happened afterward. Which is something that I don’t see too often in books like these. I was glad that the author chose to do that. It gave me the closure that I needed.

What I liked about Lies:

A) How intense the book was

B) Joe.

C) The plot twist

What I disliked about Lies:

A) Nothing, the book was very well written

I would give Lies an Adult rating. There is no sex. But there are sexually explicit pictures and talk. There is violence. There is language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are trigger warnings for Lies. They are stalking and death.

I would reread Lies. 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 Lies.

All opinions stated in this review of Lies are mine

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

Carbon Replacements (McAllister Brothers: Book 4) by Reily Garrett

Carbon Replacements (The McAllister Justice Series #4)

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: September 9th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery

Series: McAllister Justice

Tender Echoes – Book 0.5

Digital Velocity – Book 1

Bound by Shadows – Book 2

Inconclusive Evidence – Book 3 (review here)

Carbon Replacements – Book 4

Where you can find Carbon Replacements: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The killer held a knife to her throat—the ultimate decision locked within a dark and deviant gaze.

Determined and dedicated, forensic pathologist Remie Tallin validates her talent by discerning a victim’s last moments of life. Returning to Portland signified her new beginning where a psychopathic stalker designates her a pawn in a seductive game of intrigue.

The lines between predator and prey blur in hunting a medical genius bent on resetting the laws of nature. Evidence has never failed to point Remie in the right direction, yet conflicting discoveries mock the legal system and defy the scientific arena for clarification.

Detective McAllister’s return from leave includes a new assignment along with a partner well versed in subtle sarcasm and innuendos. Discovering the new medical examiner unconscious at the scene of a grisly murder forces him to unite with his brothers against a world of chaos where reality shifts according to a psychopath’s desire.

My review:

Romantic thrillers are a favorite of mine to read. So when Reily approached me to read Carbon Replacements, I jumped on it. Not only because it is a romantic thriller but also because it is the next book in the McAllister Justice series.

Carbon Replacements takes place sometime after the ending of Inconclusive Evidence. Remi Tallin is a forensic pathologist that had moved back to Seattle after the death of her mother. When her next door neighbor comes to her after being attacked by a John, Remi is drawn into a game where her every move is watched and reported. Billy McAllister is back from leave. He comes into Remi’s world when he is the one to find her after she was attacked by the same John who murdered her neighbor. But not everything is what it seems. Billy and Remi are drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a psychopath called The Sandman. The secret that he is hiding could change the world. Can Billy and Remi outthink him or will they become his victims?

I loved the storyline. From the beginning, when Remi was sitting in the car with Gena, I was drawn in. The author did a fantastic job of keeping me interested in the story. The side storylines of Royden/Abby and Katt/Matt were a welcome distraction when Billy/Remi’s storyline got too much. The author did a wonderful of tying them all to the main storyline at the end of the book.

The thriller angle of the book was very well written. This book did a great job of taking sudden twists and turns. Just when I thought I had the bad guy figured out, the author threw a wrench in it. I also liked the idea that was behind everything. I have never heard of bioprinting organs before and I was unaware of the controversy surrounding it. The role that it played in this book was frightening. I had no issue imagining someone wanting to do what The Sandman wanted to do with a bioprinter.

I loved how the relationship between Remi and Billy evolved. It went from a typical police/victim relationship to one where they had feelings for each other but refused to act. So no Instalove. The chemistry between them was amazing. With every glance they shared, the chemistry became more charged. There was a point in the book where I was like “Just DO IT, already“.

Speaking of sex, there wasn’t a lot in this book. Which was refreshing because I could focus on the storyline without wondering when they were going to have sex. The sex that Billy and Remi had was amazing because of the chemistry.

The end of the book was amazing. Who The Sandman was a surprise. A surprise because of why The Sandman did what he did. Talk about frightening and twisted. I also liked how the author lined up the next romance. I wasn’t surprised at who it was because you could see it going there the entire book.

What I liked about Carbon Replacements:

A) the storyline

B) the side storylines

C) The relationship between Remi and Billy

What I disliked about Carbon Replacements:

A) The Sandman

B) What happened to Abby (not mentioned in the review so read the book!!)

C) Remi’s stalker (again, not mentioned in the review. See above)

I gave Carbon Replacements a 4-star rating. This book is a thrilling read. I didn’t know when or where the plot would twist and go in a totally different direction. The Sandman was a truly despicable villain.

I would give Carbon Replacements an Adult rating. There is sex. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Carbon Replacements. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Reily Garrett for allowing me to read and review Carbon Replacements.

All opinions stated in this review of Carbon Replacements are mine.

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

Sadie by Courtney Summers

4.5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Day of publication: September 4th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Sadie: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

My review:

I had seen reviews for Sadie on various blogs that I follow. All them good. I thought to myself “This book can’t be THAT good.” I had gotten Sadie as an ARC a few months back but due to school vacation, I fell behind on my reviews. So I went into reading this book with a fair amount of skepticism. Well, let me take back everything I thought to myself. Sadie was amazing. There are very few books that I will get completely immersed in and Sadie was one.

I loved the way it was written. It was split between being told as a podcast and from Sadie’s POV. Not only did I get to see the effect of Sadie’s leaving had on people. But I also got to read about what Sadie was thinking when she started off on her journey to find Keith.

I loved how the author dangled parts of the plotline. Instead of giving everything all at once, she broke things up into little pieces. You know that Mattie, Sadie’s younger sister, was killed. You know that Sadie didn’t deal with it well. It’s the underneath that the author takes her time revealing. It was drawn out. Sadie would reveal something then it would switch to McCray as he is doing this podcast. What was revealed was explained after the fact, by the people affected. It was interesting because not everything was told to McCray.

McCray was trying to do good with his podcast but it seemed like he was always 3 steps behind Sadie. At one point, I got mad because he kept running into dead ends. But, Sadie did make it easy for him to follow her. She left clues. I could see McCray getting more and more involved in this case the more time he spent on it. He went from an impersonal radio host to a human being trying his best to find a missing girl. It was interesting to see that transformation.

I should have seen what Keith did to Sadie coming. It wasn’t addressed until after Sadie found those pictures. Then, I understood while she was doing this for Mattie, she was also doing it for herself and the other girls that Keith victimized. If Keith had stayed away, Sadie would have gone on with her life, caring for Mattie. But he came back and bad things happened. That broke Sadie. So yes, I wasn’t surprised that she decided to go after him.

I was angry with Sadie’s mother. She was the catalyst for everything. Either she didn’t know or she turned a blind eye to what was going on. But, when he dared to attempt something on Mattie, she threw him out. Even with Mattie dead and Sadie gone, her mother mourned only for Mattie. I don’t think she had it in her to love Sadie (even though she said she did). May Beth, the surrogate grandmother, shed more tears for Sadie than her own mother. That showed how empty Sadie’s life was.

I couldn’t believe the ending. I tried to flip to the next page because I refused to believe that the author ended it that way. I might have shouted “Seriously!!!” Talking about frustrating. But genius of the author. Because it made you think. And, unfortunately, it ended as it would have in real life. With more questions than answers.

What I liked about Sadie:

A) Relatable characters

B) How it was written

C) Was able to get completely immersed in it.

What I disliked about Sadie:

A) Keith

B) Sadie’s mother

C) The ending

I gave Sadie a 4.5-star rating. I was completely immersed in this book from page 1. This was a fantastic book to read. The only downside to it was the ending. Other than that, a great book to read.

I gave Sadie an Older Teen rating. There are sex and sexual references. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

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

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sadie

All opinions stated in this review of Sadie are mine.

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

The Breakup (The Jordan Brothers: Book 2) by Erin McCarthy

The Breakup (The Jordan Brothers)

3.5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: August 28th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: The Jordan Brothers

The Hookup – Book 1 (review here)

The Breakup – Book 2

Where you can find The Breakup: Amazon | Barnes, and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Can two wrongs feel oh-so-right? This bride is about to find out—with the bad boy who makes an epic breakup worth her while.

Bella: I know I’m a princess. I’m used to getting what I want. But all I ever really wanted was a husband and a family. Unlike my sister, Sophie, I’ll never have a brilliant career to fall back on. So what’s a bride to do when she learns that Prince Charming is a cheating snake just a few days before her fairy-tale wedding? With my fiancé begging for another chance, the only way to save the wedding is to even things out with a little revenge sex—and local bartender Christian Jordan seems like the right man for the job.

Christian: If gorgeous Bella Bigelow thinks sleeping with me will somehow lead to happily ever after, I’m not going to turn her down. The guy she wants to marry is a jerk, and her sister is fooling around with my estranged twin brother, Cain. So what’s the problem? Besides falling for a woman who doesn’t know what she wants out of life? All I want to do is whisk her away from that church, take her to a cabin in the woods, and act out all our naughtiest fantasies. And I may just get the chance. . . .

My Review:

I enjoyed reading The Breakup. It was a book that was straight to the point. It had an easy plot to follow, likable characters and some steaming hot sex scenes. I needed to read a book like The Breakup. After some of the books I have read, it was a welcome turn of pace for me.

What is interesting about The Breakup is that it starts halfway through The Hookup. That was interesting to me because I haven’t seen too many books written that way. I got to see everything from the bar scene from Christian and Bella’s POV. It added an extra insight not only to the stress that Bella was going through but to Christian and Cain’s complex relationship.

I could not stand Bella’s fiancée. I wanted to kick him in the nads and punch him in the face. I couldn’t believe the stuff he put Bella through. The things he said to her. I felt so bad for her when she found the text messages and told Sophie why he did what he did. He tried to justify his actions to her. “Baby, you made me do it. You are boring in bed“. What the actual frick frack???? No wonder she was so insecure about sex. Then to get her parents involved? W.T.F. So, yeah, I was happy when she left him at the altar. He deserved it.

Bella and Christian had insane chemistry. Every scene that they were in was through the roof. I found myself chanting “Do it! Do it!” What made it even hotter was that Christian refused to do anything with Bella until she was single. She came to him for a “revenge screw” and he turned her down. What guy does that?? A guy who has morals. Loved it!!

When Bella and Christian finally had sex, it was explosive. I knew that certain things were coming since Bella had told Christian that she didn’t like oral sex or butt play. Him teaching her to like oral was a no-brainer. But, I was surprised that anal wasn’t touched. Maybe because it was a line that she didn’t want to cross. Who knows. What I also liked is that the sexual tension continued. It wasn’t as red-hot as the first time but it was still there.

I liked that Christian was a bit of a straight arrow. He carried incredible guilt over what happened with his brother. He felt that he was the blame for Cain’s drinking. At the same time, though, he also stood up and took responsibility for his son. I did find it interesting that they wouldn’t know if Cain or Christian was the little guy’s father. Because they were identical twins, they have identical DNA. But he decided to take the responsibility. I loved how he handled baby mama drama. He wasn’t willing to rock the boat because he was afraid that she would go for full custody.

Bella was awesome in this book. I got a strong Runaway Bride vibe from her at the beginning of the book. I understood what she was going through, relationship-wise. She didn’t want to stay because he was a jerk but he was also familiar. Her taking off right before the wedding made me go “Oh yeah” and do a fist pump. The same thing when she let loose on Christian’s baby mama. I thought she was a little innocent for Christian, as weird as that sounds. Some of her phrases made me think “Is she from the ’50s?“.

I was disappointed by the last half of The Breakup. I had a feeling something like what happened was going to happen. I did an “ugggh” when it came around. A typical romance theme that I was hoping wouldn’t be in the book.

The ending of The Breakup was your typical HEA. I liked seeing what happened with Sophie and Cain. I also wonder if there is going to be a book 3. There are a brother and a sister that need romance!!!

What I liked about The Breakup:

A) Easy to follow the plot

B) likable characters

C) steamy sex scenes

What I disliked about The Breakup:

A) Bella’s ex

B) Christian’s baby mama drama

C) The last half of the book.

I gave The Breakup a 3.5–star rating. This book was a great read. It had an easy plot to follow. It had likable characters and some steamy sex scenes. I didn’t like Bella’s ex or Christian’s baby mama. I also didn’t like the last half of the book. But, overall, a good read.

I gave The Breakup 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 would reread The Breakup. I would also 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 The Breakup.

All opinions stated in this review of The Breakup are mine.

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

Dagger’s Edge (Brute Force: Book 2) by Lora Leigh

Dagger's Edge (Brute Force #2)

2 Stars

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

Date of publication: August 28th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Series: Brute Force

Collison Point – Book 1

Dagger’s Edge – Book 2

Where you can find Dagger’s Edge: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

#1 bestselling author Lora Leigh is back–with a vengeance–in her latest novel of passion and intrigue, Dagger’s Edge, featuring the men of Brute Force.

Ivan Resnova wants nothing more than to escape his hard, brutal past. Starting over is not so easy once you’ve been a powerful crime boss but now, instead of being punished for his alleged crimes, Ivan fears that the one woman he can’t forget is in danger of paying the price.

Crimsyn “Syn” Delaney thought the danger she’d faced was over, and that she could resume her life. She never imagined it would return with a vengeance and throw her back into Ivan’s world. But when an attempt is made on her life, she needs Ivan more than ever to keep her safe–even if she is in danger of falling deeply and dangerously in love. . .

My review:

I have a personal goal of not DNFing any book. I like to give books a chance. Sometimes a book will start rocky and then morph into a great book. I have never been challenged to finish a book until Dagger’s Edge. I had to talk myself out of deleting this book and sending a DNF to the publishers. I had to force myself to finish this book.

Dagger’s Edge is the 2nd book in the Brute Force series. Journey (aka Crimsyn “Syn“) is on the run from her family. Being pressured to married Beauregard and to restore favor to the Queen Mother, she leaves. She runs into Ivan, who she has always had a thing for. Besides being her best friend’s father, Ivan is the one man she wanted to run to. But can she trust this dangerous man? Will he be able to protect her?

When a book leaves me confused after the prologue, I know that it isn’t going to be good. That is what Dagger’s Edge did to me. Left me confused and going “What the heck is happening here” I reread the prologue to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I paged back to see if there was something before the prologue. Nothing. So I was left confused. And I stayed confused the entire book. I have a feeling that if I read book 1, then I would have a better understanding of what was going on. But I didn’t….so yeah.

That confusion trickled down to the characters and their relationships. I could not connect with Journey. At. All. She went between acting like a child and a mature woman for most of the book. She made life choices that had me questioning how she survived so long on her own. Seriously.

I respected Ivan but I didn’t like him. He rubbed me the wrong way. I did think at one point “He must have a lonely life.” So when he went all in with Journey, it didn’t fit in with the image that was projected.

There was sexual tension between Journey and Ivan. What I liked is that the author was able to keep the level of sexual tension for the entire book. There was no dip. It was thick in this book, which was one of the few enjoyable things in the book.

Let’s talk about sex. Journey and Ivan had a lot of sex. They were like freaking bunnies. In a van, in a plane, in a limo, the list could go on. One look and he was ripping her panties off. Which would have been great except, sex was related to pleasure/pain in every sex scene. I couldn’t get past it. Listen, I know a little pain is good during sex. I also know that there are people who get off on pain. But in this book, nothing was mentioned about that. It seemed like having sex was actually hurting her. To have it brought up all the time ruined the sex scenes for me.

The secondary plotline involving Journey’s family made me sick. The abuse she suffered at their hands was horrible. No wonder she took off. I don’t understand why she didn’t tell the Queen Mother?? Going with the plotline involving her family, I couldn’t understand why her cousin didn’t scoop her up like she said she could. Instead, she got bent over Ivan having her and got in his face. Which almost didn’t end too well for her.

The other storyline, which I won’t talk too much about, I saw coming from a mile away. Even with Ivan telling himself certain things, it still happened.

The end of the book was a cluster. Storylines were left wide open. I am hoping that is because the author is going to write a 3rd book. Minor things got resolved but all the major things didn’t. I was left scratching my head and going “OK” after the last chapter.

What I liked about Dagger’s Edge:

A) Ivan. Well, I respected him. Doesn’t equal to like

B) The sexual tension was kept up for the book

C) The ending. Because the book was over.

What I disliked about Dagger’s Edge:

A) Confusion while reading

B) The sex.

C) The secondary plotline

I gave Dagger’s Edge a 2-star rating. This book was a mess to read. I was confused for most of the book. Which is a turn off for me while reading. But, saving it from a 1-star review was that I respected Ivan. Also, the sexual tension was kept up for the entire book.

I gave Dagger’s Edge an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is explicit language. There is explicit violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would not reread Dagger’s Edge. I also would not recommend this book to family and friends. I also wouldn’t read any more of this series.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Dagger’s Edge.

All opinions stated in this review of Dagger’s Edge are mine.

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

Cowboy, Cross My Heart (Heart of Texas: Book 2) by Donna Grant

Cowboy, Cross My Heart (Heart of Texas, #2)

3 Stars

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

Date of publication: August 28, 2018

Genre: Romance, Suspense

Series: Heart of Texas

The Christmas Cowboy Hero – Book 1

Cowboy, Cross My Heart – Book 2

My Favorite Cowboy – Book 3 (expected publication date: February 26th, 2019)

Where you can find Cowboy, Cross My Heart: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant takes you deep inside the Texas rodeo scene, where danger and desire ride side by side. . .

Naomi Pierce isn’t the type to let a cowboy sweep her off feet. It’s not her first rodeo, after all. But when she returns to her Texas hometown, she can’t help but be swept up again in the rough-and-tumble world of hard-riding, bronco-busting good-ol’-boys she loved as a girl. She might be here to photograph her Rodeo Queen best friend. But it’s one fine-looking cowboy who really captures her eye…

Brice Harper is all man, all muscle, and all heart. From the moment he rides into the stadium, he can’t help but notice the beautiful stranger with a camera watching him from the stands. It doesn’t take a zoom lens to see the sparks of instant attraction. But things really heat up when he meets Naomi up-close–and he discovers that someone is stalking her friend. Brice wouldn’t be any kind of cowboy if he didn’t offer to help the ladies out. But can the rough-rider keep this spirited shutterbug out of danger–without risking his heart?

My review:

I am beginning to like country western romances. I wasn’t a huge fan of them when I started reading. I didn’t see the appeal in them. Then I started reading them and started to see exactly why women like these books. Something about a man in tight jeans who is an Alpha male is appealing to 90% of women. Me, included. So, yeah, I started liking them. And if I continue to get books like Cowboy, Cross My Heart, I might be completely won over by them.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart is Naomi and Brice’s story. Naomi is back in town after years of not being there. She still carries the guilt of a car crash that killed one of her best friends when she was a teenager. That guilt kept her away from her hometown. But she is back to support her other best friend as she competes in a Rodeo Queen competition. She catches the eye of Brice while he is competing. Naomi is attacked by the animal pens by a man who is trying to get her camera. Brice, hearing her screams, swoops in to help her. That isn’t the end of the attacks. Brice is attacked and is roping hand injured shortly afterward. After talking to her best friend, Naomi realizes that there is something sinister going on with the Rodeo Queen competition. Something that has put Naomi in the crosshairs of a ruthless group of men. Men who will do anything to silence her. The only thing standing between her and those men are Brice and his family. Can Brice protect Naomi? Will their new relationship hold up under the pressure? Or will everything come crumbling down?

I am going to be honest, I didn’t feel that much of a connection to both Naomi and Brice. While I liked both of their characters, there was nothing there to make me think “Hey, they would be cool to hang out with” or “I would date him“. They weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been. They didn’t feel real life to me. I couldn’t imagine them in my world, interacting with people. Which disappointed me because I wanted them to be more fleshed out. I didn’t want them to be so blah. That had a huge effect on my rating for this review too.

There is Instalove in Cowboy, Cross My Heart. My stance on Instalove has become more forgiving but I still don’t care for it. The connection that Naomi and Brice was wonderful, though. I wish that the author spent more time exploring that connection instead of having them fall in love with each other after a week.

While the sex scenes were hot, I had a disconnect with them. Mainly because I was disappointed that they slept with each other so soon after they met. Don’t get me wrong, they were wonderfully written. I couldn’t picture Naomi and Brice going at it like rabbits.

The whole suspense angle of the book was great. The author didn’t hide who was behind the attacks on Naomi and Brice. You knew who was doing all the ordering. What wasn’t clear was why those men started doing what they did. I also was expecting them to be more dangerous than what they were. Other than that, I liked it.

The secondary characters were great. I did think that Whitney acted like a witch with a b towards Naomi. But when it was revealed what happened, I felt awful for her. I also loved Abby. Having had 2 high-risk pregnancies myself, I understood how irritated she was. Ms. Biermann, I didn’t like from the beginning. So I wasn’t surprised when it was revealed that she was involved with everything that went down.

The author did a wonderful job of combining all the main and secondary plotlines at the end of the book. I will say that I thought something different was going to happen. There was no twist either.

The end of the book was fantastic. I was happy with how the author ended the story. There is a surprise in store for the readers. Not going to say what but I had a huge smile on my face at the ending.

What I liked about Cowboy, Cross My Heart:

A) The suspense angle

B) The secondary characters

C) The storyline

What I didn’t like about Cowboy, Cross My Heart:

A) Little connection with the main characters

B) Instalove

C) Sex scenes didn’t do it for me

I gave Cowboy, Cross My Heart a 3-star rating. While I liked the book, I had almost zero connection with both Naomi and Brice. Because of that, I felt that the scenes were off. And there was Instalove. What kept me from giving this book a lower rating was that I enjoyed the suspense angle, the secondary characters, and the storyline.

I gave Cowboy, Cross My Heart an Adult rating. There is sex. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Cowboy, Cross My Heart. I am also on the fence if I would reread this book. I would be willing to read other books by the author.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Cowboy, Cross My Heart.

All opinions stated in this review of Cowboy, Cross My Heart are mine.

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

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen by Sarah Bird

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: September 4th, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger Warning: war, attempted rape, child sexual abuse, and racism.

Where you can find Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Previously a slave, Cathy Williams rejected the life of servitude she would have had as a woman at the end of the Civil War, disguised herself as a man, and enlisted with the legendary Buffalo Soldiers.

My review

I don’t read historical fiction. I don’t like it. The few historical fiction novels that I have read bored me. I almost decided not to read Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen. But, seeing that it was about a woman who joins the Buffalo Soldiers, my interest was caught. I am glad that I decided to read this book because Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen was fantastic!!

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen starts with Cathy being taken from the plantation by the Union Army. Mistaken for a boy, Cathy is soon found out by the cook for General Philip Sheridan. After the Civil War, Cathy was ready to start a life with Solomon, the cook, when he was killed by ex-Confederates. Grief-stricken, she joins the Buffalo Soldiers as a man. But fate has a funny way of throwing wrenches into the best-laid plans. Cathy is confronted by a past love that she thought was long dead. What will happen if she is found out? Does her story end with the Buffalo Soldiers? Or does she get the happily ever after that she deserves?

I liked Cathy. She was able to adapt to any situation that was thrown at her. She deeply respected her mother and father. She took all the lessons that her mother taught her and used them during her time with Sheridan’s army and the Buffalo Soldiers. I did feel bad for her when she realized who Wager was. Even more so when she couldn’t tell him who she was because she was masquerading as a man.

I thought the way Cathy dealt with her enemies in the book was great. Except for Old Mister, she didn’t have to resort to violence to deal with them. Old Mister, though, was a special case. He was sexually abusing her younger sister. She did what she felt was right to protect her sister.

I loved reading about Cathy’s time with the Buffalo Soldiers. It was informative and eye-opening at how released slaves were treated after the war. The soldiers were used as free labor at the Army base. They were treated horribly. I also thought it was eye-opening at how long Cathy went without being discovered. It was a long time.

There was a twist at the end of the book that I wasn’t expecting. I did have to reread the last chapter a few times to get it through my head that what was being implied was true. That twist was something that I didn’t see coming and made me think about what happened after the book ended.

The author did include a historical note about General Sheridan and Cathy. Up until the note, I didn’t think she was real. Then I googled and oh, boy did I feel silly. I am not going to say much, google the name. There is a lot of information there.

What I liked about Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen:

A) well-researched book

B) 3D characters

C) excellent world building.

What I disliked about Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen:

A) Cathy’s enemies. They just didn’t leave her alone

B) How the ex-slaves were treated after the end of the Civil War

C) Old Mister.

I would give Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen an Older Teen rating. There is sex but nothing graphic. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book. I will add that I went back and forth about the rating of this book. But, I feel that older teens should read this.

There are triggers in Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen. They would be war, attempted rape, child sexual abuse, and racism. If you are triggered by any of those than I recommend not reading the book.

I would reread Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen. 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 Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen.

All opinions stated in this review of Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen.

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

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

Sold on a Monday

4 Stars

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Landmark

Date of publication: August 28th, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Where you can find Sold on a Monday: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The scrawled sign, peddling young siblings on a farmhouse porch, captures the desperation sweeping the country in 1931. It’s an era of breadlines, bank runs, and impossible choices.

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when the image leads to his big break, the consequences are devastating in ways he never imagined.

Haunted by secrets of her own, secretary Lillian Palmer sees more in the picture than a good story and is soon drawn into the fray. Together, the two set out to right a wrongdoing and mend a fractured family, at the risk of everything they value.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photo that stunned readers across the nation, this touching novel explores the tale within the frame and behind the lens—a journey of ambition, love, and the far-reaching effects of our actions.

My Review:

I know I have mentioned this before but I tend to stay away from reading historical fiction. I don’t have anything against historical fiction, I don’t like to read it. In my experience, I have found that fictional retellings of famous events aren’t as good as I want them to be. There is always something left out. I liken it to books made into movies/TV series. 99% of them do not follow the book but there’s that 1% that not only follows it but is fantastic. Sold on a Monday is that 1% for me.

Sold on a Monday is based on a real-life photograph that was taken during the Great Depression. If you have followed the story of the 4 children in that photograph, you know that they didn’t have a happy ending. That they were abused by the people who bought them. The author played the “what if” angle of that photograph. What if the mother had second thoughts? What if the photographer had remorse over publishing the picture? She also explored the reasons why a parent would choose to do something like that. The story that she created out of that photograph was heartbreaking.

What I liked about this book is that the main characters, Ellis and Lilly, were not perfect. Ellis had a strained relationship with his parents. His father was disappointed with the career choice that Ellis chose. Ellis believed that his father didn’t love him. That it should have been Ellis that died instead of his brother. Lilly was an unwed mother. If you know anything from that time, unwed mothers were not accepted by society. Jobs were not made available to them. Those women and their children were shunned, by family and strangers alike. Lilly couldn’t mention her son. If her boss found out, he would have fired her.

The main storyline was fantastic. That picture was not supposed to be published. When Lilly (yes, Lilly) saw it in the darkroom, she knew that it was something. She turned it into her boss, who in turn told Ellis to write the story about it. I was a little miffed at Lilly at that point. I was thinking to myself “Why can’t she mind her own business!!“. But, she knew it was something and that could push Ellis’s career into the spotlight.

I felt awful that Ellis had so much guilt over the children being bought. So much guilt that he tracked them down to make sure that they were alright. He earned hero status in my eyes when he rescued Calvin from that farm. It made me angry to think that children were treated like that back then. But in hindsight, they were considered property….like the women were. So, I shouldn’t have been so surprised.

The storyline with Lilly, her parents and Samuel were sweet. It was refreshing to read a book where the daughter was loved regardless of what she did. I liked that her parents 100% stood behind her with keeping Samuel. For that era, they were an anomaly. How Lilly was with Samuel touched my heart also. She loved her son and would do anything for him. That meant weeks working in the city and weekends home with him. Everything she did was for him.

The storyline with Ellis and his family annoyed me, to be honest. Ellis came across as a petulant little boy, not a grown man. The whole dinner scene left a bad taste in my mouth. Instead of reaching out, Ellis thought it was because his father thought Ellis should be dead instead of his brother. When his father finally told Ellis the true reason why he didn’t like his career choice, Ellis was like “Oh, ok“. He did apologize but it came across as insincere.

I was surprised that there was romance in this book. I was even more surprised when there was an implied love triangle. I thought the book could have done without romance. While it did add some depth to the plotline, I didn’t see the need for it.

The end of Sold on a Monday is heartbreaking. There is a twist in the plot that I saw coming. I was still surprised by the outcome. It forced a reconciliation between Ellis and his parents. I wouldn’t say that it was a happy ending because of what happened to Ruby’s “adoptive” mother. I also didn’t see Lilly making the choice that she did.

I enjoyed the afterward that the author note at the end of the book. I agreed with everything that she wrote.

What I liked about Sold on a Monday:

A) Main characters were not perfect

B) The main storyline

C) Lilly’s parents

What I disliked about Sold on a Monday:

A) Ellis. He annoyed me

B) Lilly showing the photo to the chief

C) The romance angle of the book

I gave Sold on a Monday a 4-star rating. This was a great book that was set during the Great Depression. This book was historically accurate. I did get annoyed with Ellis during the book. I also got annoyed with Lily. But overall a great book.

I gave Sold on a Monday an Older Teen rating. There is no sex (some kissing, though). There is no language. There is some mild violence. I would suggest that no one under 16 read this book.

I would reread Sold on a Monday. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Sourcebooks, Landmark, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sold on a Monday.

All opinions stated in this review of Sold on a Monday are mine.

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

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