Tag: book 1

Unsuitable (Forbidden Cove: Book 1) by Lavinia Kent

Unsuitable: A Forbidden Cove Novel by [Kent, Lavinia]

2 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: May 28th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Forbidden Cove

Unsuitable—Book 1

Where you can find Unsuitable: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Cougar . . . MILF . . . Mrs. Robinson.

Jordan Robinson knows firsthand that when a woman marries a rich older man, people are going to talk. But now, with her husband gone, Jordan lives a quiet life of seclusion, managing her charities and staying away from the limelight. Then everything changes after an unexpected kiss leads to the best sex of her life—and a secret affair Jordan never wants to end.

A sexy young mogul who’s used to getting what he wants, Clay has wanted Jordan Robinson ever since he was seventeen and saw her emerge dripping from a swimming pool in a white bikini. But now he’s all grown up . . . and now she’s his. But when their relationship is exposed, the fallout is devastating. Yet Clay’s a man in his prime—and Jordan’s a woman worth fighting for. They may have started as a fling, but Jordan Robinson belongs in his bed, in his life . . . and forever in his heart.

My Review:

I have read books by Lavinia Kent before, and I have enjoyed them. So, when I saw that Unsuitable was available for review on NetGalley, I decided to request it. The blurb had caught my attention. A cougar romance? I’ll read it. To say I was disappointed was an understatement.

Unsuitable’s plot was almost non-existent. But it had promise. If the plot had been built up more than I would have liked the book more.

I did like the main characters. They started as one dimensional and did flesh out. But, they still felt flat and I had a hard time connecting with them.

The characters had insane chemistry and sexual tension. The sex scene were hot. Loved it. I also loved that Jordan was a cougar who was coming into her own in this book. She was rediscovering her sexuality after her husband had passed. Clay was on fire has someone who was going to have her no matter what.

The end of the book was confusing. I couldn’t tell if they ended up together in a relationship or if they were going to continue having a sex only relationship.

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

I would not reread Unsuitable.  I would not recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

A Safe Place (The Devereux Family: Book 1) by Margaret Watson

A Safe Place (The Devereux Family Book 1) by [Watson, Margaret]

4 Stars

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication date: February 19th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: The Devereux Family

A Safe Place—Book 1

The Woman He Knows—Book 2

Bending the Rules—Book 3

Where you can find A Safe Place: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Tough, tender-hearted Frankie Devereux doesn’t have time to babysit a smooth-talking football player who’s supposed to be doing community service at her after-school center for troubled teens. She’s dealing with serious stuff – gang problems, a homeless pregnant girl and scraping together enough money to keep her center open.

But when a dark secret from her past threatens Frankie and the existence of her program, Cal tries to step up and help. But with his career on the line, which will he choose? Football? Or Frankie and her vulnerable kids?–

My Review:

When I read the blurb for A Safe Place, my attention was caught. A football player was doing community service. A woman was running a center for troubled teens. That was enough for me to agree to review it. I am glad I did. A Safe Place was a fantastic read.

The plotline with Frankie, FreeZone, and the head of DCF was troubling but well written. I was troubled because I had no issue seeing what happened to Frankie in her teens happening to a girl in real life. I am not going to go off on a tangent but sometimes people in positions of power like that prey upon the very people they are supposed to protect. I cheered when Frankie took the power that man had over her and owned it. I also cheered when Frankie delivered on her promise.

Cal’s plotline wasn’t as extreme as Frankie’s, but he did have issues. He was dealing with a possible career ending injury and doing community service. His plotline didn’t go into his issues as deep as it did with Frankie, but they were there.

I didn’t like Cal. He was a self-absorbed jerk for about 90% of the book. Everything about that man irked me. The way he treated Frankie. The way he treated the kids, Ramon especially. He turned everything into about him or sex. He did get better as the book went on but still. I couldn’t bring myself to like him.

I thought that Frankie was a strong woman. She overcame some horrific things in her early teens. She turned that pain into something positive. Her determination to help the teens in her center was admirable. I also liked the strength that it took to confront the man that hurt her. Like I said above, she owned it.

As much as I didn’t like Cal, he and Frankie had some serious heat together. Their sexual chemistry was off the wall. When they finally did have sex, it was hot.

I didn’t get much of a romance vibe from Cal and Frankie. It was more of a sex thing for me. So what happened at the end of the book didn’t jive with me. Don’t get me wrong; I was happy about it. But it was something that I couldn’t even picture.

The end of A Safe Place was satisfying. I can’t get into why but I ended the book with a huge grin on my face. I can’t wait to read book 2!!

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

I would reread A Safe Place. I would also recommend this book to family and friends

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read A Safe Place?

What are your thoughts on it?

Let me know!!

Getting Hot with the Scot (Sometimes in Love: Book 1) by Melonie Johnson

4 Stars

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

Date of publication: August 30th, 2019

Series: Sometimes in Love

Getting Hot with the Scot—Book 1

Smitten by the Brit—Book 2 (expected publication date: May 28th, 2019)

Once Upon a Bad Boy—Book 3 (expected publication date: June 25th, 2019)

Where to find Getting Hot with the Scot: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookbub

Synopsis:

IT’S TIME TO FLIRT WITH A MAN IN A KILT 

Cassie Crow, a pop-culture reporter for a TV talk show, is focused on becoming a “serious” journalist. But when she stumbles into a kilted Highlander with a killer accent, Cassie decides that taking one night off from work and spending it with a sexy Scot couldn’t hurt. . .

Logan Reid has built a career on his charm, hosting a series of off-the-wall hijinks on the Web. But when the Scottish prankster meets the all-American, equal parts intelligent and irresistible Cassie, Logan realizes that one night of fun won’t be enough. Could it be that this career-focused, commitment-phobic couple is finally ready to take a chance at true and lasting love?

My review:

When I first saw the title of Getting Hot with the Scot, I was in love. I am a complete Anglophile. I love anything (and everything) that comes from England, Ireland or Scotland. I figured I was in for a treat. For the most part, I was. There were a few things that I didn’t like about the book. But other than that, I thought Getting Hot with the Scot was a delight to read.

I liked Cassie, even though she gave off some desperate vibes at the beginning of the book. She went on her dream trip expecting to have a fling. I don’t know about you, but that is not something I expect when I go on vacation. Flings, well, they happen. You can’t force them. I did like that she brought an industrial size box of condoms with her. While I agreed with her about being filmed, I also didn’t see the harm in letting them do it. I also understood her freak out seeing the release form in Logan’s jacket pocket. If I had spent 2 days with a guy and found that out, I would have reacted the same way.

I liked Chicago Cassie better than Trip Cassie. She was more real and relatable. She seemed more in control than when she was on the trip. Saying that I did think her reaction to seeing the video online was overboard. She signed a release. You would think that working on TV would have prepared her for that. It irritated me a little bit. But, I got over it. By the end of the book, Cassie was the most real that she was the entire book. I was able to connect to her the most at that point.

Logan, I didn’t care for. Imagine that, not caring for a hot Scottish man. It killed me inside to realize that. He came across as an immature prankster who only cared about his gratification. I also got some major stalker vibes through the book. He followed Cassie to her hotel. Got Theo to find out that they were staying there and booked a room. Then pretended to run into her. Then, he tracked her down in Chicago. When I say tracked her down, he called her. But still, he googled where she worked and found that where he was going was in the same building. Then debated showing up at her job!! No thank you. His immaturity shown through when he released the video of him and Cassie kissing in the castle. He was so wasted he couldn’t remember it. Drove me nuts. I wanted to smack him upside the head and say “Why, why did you do it?“

The sexual tension was high in this book. From the first kiss, Cassie and Logan had it going on. The author was able to keep the spark going throughout the book. Intense sexual tension leads to some pretty awesome sex scenes. Even the makeup sex was hot!!

I had a love/hate relationship with the Scottish part of the book. I loved that it was set in the Highlands. I loved that the author had Logan, Janet and Mam speak like they were from there. I tend to read with accents, so that helped with me a lot. I loved that the Scottish traditions were detailed. But, I didn’t like having to google/look up words and holidays. Like clooties. I had no flipping idea what they were. I had to look them up. And so you guys don’t have too, click here for the link. I wish that there was a glossary or something at the end of the book. It would have helped.

The end of the book was sweet. I loved the talk that Mam gave Logan. He needed it. He needed to be told what she told him. I couldn’t stand Tiffany after what she did to Cassie. I was hoping that she got fired. The direction that Cassie’s career went was impressive!! What I loved, even more, was what Logan did during the New Years celebration. My heart melted.

My final impression of Getting Hot with the Scot is this. It is a cute romance. The chemistry between Logan and Cassie was electric. I did find that Logan was immature. He also gave off stalkerish vibes. I also noticed that Cassie tended to react and then think about what she did after the fact. But, this was a good read.

I would give Getting Hot with the Scot an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be the loss of a parent. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Getting Hot with the Scot. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Getting Hot with the Scot.

All opinions stated in this review of Getting Hot with the Scot are mine.

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Extinction Of All Children (Extinction Of All Children: Book 1) by L.J. Epps

Extinction Of All Children (Book 1) by [Epps, L.J.]

4 Stars

Publisher: L.J. Epps

Date of publication: June 3rd 2016

Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult

Series: Extinction Of All Children

Extinction Of All Children—Book 1

Journey to Territory M—Book 2

Journey to Territory U—Book 3

Where you can find Extinction Of All Children: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

A young adult, fantasy novel about a teenager who is the last eighteen-year-old in her territory. There will never be another child; every baby born after her has been taken away. Everyone wonders why she survived.

Emma Whisperer was born in 2080, in the small futuristic world of Craigluy. President Esther, in charge for the last twenty-two years, has divided their world into three territories, separated by classes—the rich, the working class, and the poor—because she believes the poor should not mingle with the others. And, the poor are no longer allowed to have children, since they do not have the means to take care of them.

Any babies born, accidentally or willfully, are killed. Emma is the last eighteen-year-old in her territory; every baby born after her has died. Somehow, she survived this fate.

During the president’s Monday night speech, she announces a party will be held to honor the last child in the territory, Emma Whisperer. Emma must read a speech, expressing how happy she is to be the last eighteen-year-old.

Emma doesn’t like the rules; she doesn’t believe in them. So, she feels she must rebel against them. Her family doesn’t agree with her rebellion, since they are hiding a big secret. If this secret gets out, it will be disastrous, and deadly, for her family.

During Emma’s journey, she meets—and becomes friends with—Eric. He is one of the guards for the president. She also befriends Samuel, another guard for the president, who is summoned to watch over her. As Emma meets new people, she doesn’t know who she can trust. Yet, she finds herself falling for a guy, something which has never happened before.

After doing what she feels is right, Emma finds herself in imminent danger. In the end, she must make one gut-wrenching decision, a decision that may be disastrous for them all.

My Review:

Again, another review where I have to post a trigger warning. In this world, the babies born to the people in Territory L are killed. It is not mentioned in what manner they were killed. The author left enough unsaid for my imagination to go overboard. So, it is safe to say that if you are triggered by infanticide, then do not read the book or the review.

When I saw this series turn up in NetGalley’s Read Now email, I was immediately intrigued. A world where society was divided up by classes? A world where the lower class was not allowed to have children? A heroine who was upset at the restrictions that were in place. Who was willing to do whatever it takes to make sure those sanctions were lifted? Yeah, you could say that my interest was caught.

Emma Whisperer was the last child born in Territory L. All babies born after her were killed. Why she was spared that fate, she didn’t know. She knew that President Esther was wrong in not letting the people in Territory L keep their children. So, the night of the party celebrating her 18th birthday, Emma took a stand. That stand ended up landing her in jail. But, it is in prison where she makes her most dangerous decisions and discoveries. Is standing for what she believes in the right thing? What will be the consequences for her actions? What did she discover?

Like I mentioned above, the plotline caught my interest. How could it not have been? I was a massive fan of the Mockingjay and Divergent series. I figured that the Extinction of All Children would be the same. In a way it was. But it was also different. Emma wanted to change things, and she didn’t let anyone stop her. She made her case in the Extinction of All Children at the beginning of the book. She kept making it every time she got a chance.

I did like Emma. She stood up for what she thought was right. She did try me nuts, though. Even though she was 18, she acted like she was so much younger at points in the book. Her eyes rolled so much in this book; it wasn’t funny.

Let’s talk about President Esther. She made my skin crawl. I couldn’t understand how one bitter woman could decide that a class of people didn’t deserve to have their children. I got why she felt that way. Growing up poor will leave scars. But to punish people for what her mother went through. That screamed deeper issues. How deep, though, wasn’t revealed until the end of the book.

The Extinction of All Children fit in well with the dystopia genre. The author did a fantastic job of building up a world where a country was divided into classes and walls.

This book also fits in well in the Young Adult genre. If the characters had been older, the book wouldn’t have worked. It needed young people. It required that energy that Emma had and projected.

The end of the Extinction of All Children left me with more questions than answers.. I wondered why certain people had grudges. I wondered who the head of Territory M was. It was well written, but nothing was ended. The storylines were not completed. Which is fine because that is a lead in to book 2.

I would give Extinction of All Children an Older Teen rating. There is no sex (there is a threat of rape). There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Extinction of All Children. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Extinction of All Children.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Third Eye (The Four: Book 1) by Margaret Watson

The Third Eye (The Four Book 1) by [Watson, Margaret]

4 Stars

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication: April 9th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Paranormal

Series: The Four

The Third Eye-–Book 1

Where you can find The Third Eye: Amazon | Barnes and Noble| BookBub

Book Synopsis:

When evil invades her office building, Dr. Rowan Burke discovers her ‘gifts’ in the nick of time. After Detective Jack Murphy helps her avert a massacre, it’s clear he’s another ‘gift’ — one that draws her deeper into a new reality of darkness and magic.

While working together to defeat a powerful foe, Rowan and Jack become targets as they uncover a sinister conspiracy to create soldiers with extraordinary abilities. Struggling to stay one step ahead of an enemy who grows more terrifying by the moment, they must learn to see all the possibilities in each other’s gifts — if they’re going to survive. 

My review

I have been reading a ton of PNR lately. I’m not complaining about it – actually, the opposite. I am loving reading them. When I read the blurb for The Third Eye, I was intrigued by it. I am glad that I read it. This was a fantastic PNR!!

The Third Eye starts with Rowan waking up to her grandmother screaming in her bedroom. After waking her up, Rowan is told that she has a gift. She can see in the future and past. She is hit with the news that there is a whole subculture of people like Rowan. Rowan didn’t believe it until she started seeing visions. While she was picking up her possessions from a job that she was fired from. These visions helped save people’s lives, along with her own. But, she makes a powerful enemy. Someone who wants her dead. Can Rowan stay one step ahead of this group? Or will she become a victim?

The main plotline of The Third Eye is Rowan and her dance with her dangerous enemy. I thought that it was well written. The author did a great job of keeping who the bad guy was until the end.

There were a few secondary plotlines. I liked how they added to the plotline. Sometimes the secondary plotlines will take over the main one. Not in this case. These were kept in the background until the author decided to merge them with the main plotline.

I loved Rowan in The Third Eye. For someone who had a whole lot of crap dumped on her, she dealt with it pretty well. I mean, if I went through what she did, I would have been a basket case. I liked how she embraced her gifts. I also liked how she was willing to stand her ground and fight.

I liked Jack. His belief in Rowan was rock solid. I wasn’t surprised that he had powers. I was surprised at what they were. Sometimes, I wish I had those powers. While I understood his anger at Mason, I thought he went a little overboard. He also irritated me at the end of the book.

The secondary characters were awesome. I loved Aislinn, Flynn (I want to know her backstory!!), Gianna, Mason, and Cal. I cannot wait to see who the author pairs together. But, I have a feeling that I know. There were a couple of scenes in the book that made me go “Hmmmm.”

I thought that The Third Eye was a great fit in the paranormal genre. Rowan’s introduction to her second sight was interesting as was her bonding with her Moonstone. I am interested in seeing where this series goes.

I also thought that The Third Eye was a great fit in the romance genre. I will warn everyone; this isn’t a “get to know you” romance. It is an Instalove romance. I am not a fan of Instalove, but but certain storylines need it. And The Third Eye’s is one. Jack and Rowan couldn’t have had a romance if it was any other way.

The sex scenes were steamy!! If it could have, my Kindle’s screen would have steamed up. Jack and Rowan also had significant sexual tension. I saw it right from the beginning. The author did a fantastic job of keeping it going, even after they had sex.

The end of The Third Eye was great. I liked how the author resolved Rowan’s issues. I did a fist pump and said “Yes” when that happened. But even more, I loved the last chapters. All I have to say is that Rowan was right and Jack was a fool. The epilogue has me interested. Because of who and what was introduced. It went well with what Rowan was experiencing. I am wondering how it is going to figure into the next book.

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

I would reread The Third Eye. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review The Third Eye.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Prince of Persuasion (The Novi Navarro Chronicles: Book 1) by Emigh Cannaday

Prince of Persuasion (The Novi Navarro Chronicles Book 1) by [Cannaday, Emigh]

4.5 Stars

Publisher: Silver Popular Press

Date of publication: March 5th, 2019

Series: The Novi Navarro Chronicles

Prince of Persuasion—Book 1

Crown of Contempt—Book 2 (expected publication date: June 3rd, 2019)

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Where you can find Prince of Persuasion: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

A dying king…
A dynasty in danger…
A prince with one duty: secure the succession!

Created when they intermingled with demons, the dark elves of Sinaryos have come to rely on humans to keep their race alive. The royal family is no exception, with a king on the verge of death, a court riddled with spies, and a broken line of succession. Despite everything working against him, Prince Fallon Blackwood has met all the demands of the crown for nearly a hundred years… except for one!

After avoiding this obligation for too long, the time has come for him to take a harem and prove that he’s capable of continuing his family’s bloodline and ensuring their control of the throne. But underneath his cool and calm exterior, Fallon secretly yearns for a much different life than the one he was born into…

Novi Navarro is a working-class barmaid who’s used to running her tavern and running her mouth. When she gets assigned to Prince Fallon’s harem by mistake, she thinks it’s a complete joke. She makes a deal with Fallon for them to both get what they want from this administrative oversight. But when members of the Blackwood Court discover her true identity, she quickly learns that she must beat them at their game… or die…

Can I tell you all how excited I was to read this book. I love fantasy. I love romance. When there is a book that brings the two genres’ together, I almost always pick it up to read. When I was approached to review Prince of Persuasion, I accepted immediately. I am glad I did because this book was fantastic.

I loved Novi in this book. She took nothing from anyone. Well, except her boss/landlord and that was because she had to. She did try to fix the administrative mistake, but no one would listen to her. Novi had a bit of snark to her as well. I was dying when she made eye contact with Fallon while thinking about him. She didn’t know that he could read her mind, which made the dance that happened right afterward even more amusing. I also died laughing when she thought that Fallon and Cedric were “together.” Let’s not forget her helping Fallon by spreading the rumor that he finished fast. I. Was. Dying. At that point, she became one of my favorite heroines.

I felt terrible for Fallon. He had to deal with a scheming mother, a brother who was plotting against him, and a father who was dying. On top of that, he had his duties as Crown Prince. One of which was to produce an heir. So, when Fallon is introduced in the book, he is not happy about being forced to procreate and take a harem. At first, I thought Fallon was a jerk. But he became less jerklike as the book went on. By the end of the book, I loved him.

The sex scenes were hot. I did laugh, though, when Novi first saw Fallon’s member. Her reaction would be one of any woman seeing something that big. I liked that the author built up Novi and Fallon’s sexual relationship too. So when they did have sex, it was hot. The author was able to keep that going through the rest of the book.

It took me a while to figure out that Prince of Persuasion was set in the same universe as the Anika Brisby series. I am not giving anything away, but I made the connection to a particular character in The Darkest of Dreams (not Talvi!!).

I could not stand Queen Laena. For a race who depended on humans to keep their race going, she didn’t like humans. There was mention of her past, and that made me wonder what she was hiding.

Tristan was also on my list. I couldn’t decide if he was going along with Queen Laena because he wanted her approval or if he was concerned for Fallon. Still, after what he did to Callie and what happened at the end of the book, he ended up on my list.

The end of the book frustrated me. I can’t stand cliffhangers. But it did its job. I need to read the next book.

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

I would reread Prince of Persuasion. I would recommend this book to family and friends.

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

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Prince of Persuasion.

Play to Win (Wynn Hockey: Book 1) by Kelly Jamieson

Play to Win: A Wynn Hockey Novel by [Jamieson, Kelly]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: March 19th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: Wynn Hockey

Play to Win—Book 1

In It To Win It—Book 2 (expected publication date: July 23rd, 2019

Where you can find Play to Win: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Synopsis:

Meet the Wynns—a hockey dynasty built on family, money, and drama. From USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson, the first novel in a new series is a total win-win.

“Kelly Jamieson is an auto-buy for me.”—Carly Phillips

After an injury forced Théo Wynn to give up professional hockey, he turned to his second love: numbers. Now, as the general manager of his grandfather’s NHL team, the Los Angeles Condors, Théo is dying to prove to the rest of his family—especially the brother who betrayed him—that he’s just as successful as the rest of them. If only Théo had a gorgeous woman on his arm to complete the picture. . . .

Lacey Olson needs to get out of Las Vegas right now, thanks to her no-good, crooked brother. When a handsome stranger who’s out partying with friends comes to her rescue in the cocktail lounge where she works, they strike up a conversation that leads to a crazy plan: her leaving with Théo for L.A. tomorrow. A few drinks later, the idea gets even crazier: a quickie marriage that works for both of them.

But back in California, Lacey immediately turns Théo’s precise, well-ordered life into one big beach party. And before long, she’s tempting him with her smart mouth, sexy body, and sunny charm. The last thing Théo needs is a real relationship to distract him. Because he only plays to win. . . .

My Review:

When I saw that Kelly Jamieson had a new series out, I was pumped. I was disappointed when the Aces Hockey series ended. I was also wondering when the next series was going to start. So, when I saw the book up for review on NetGalley, I pounced on it. I am glad that I did. Play to Win is an excellent start to what I hope is going to be an excellent series.

Theo Wynn was forced to give up professional hockey after an eye injury. Not to be deterred, he became the GM of an expansion hockey team based out of Las Vegas. Theo’s grandfather approached Theo with a job offer. Become the GM for his hockey team, the California Condors. Theo accepted the offer but was aware of the backlash that it would cause. When he meets Lacey and hears her story, Theo has a proposition for her. Become his “fake” wife to show his family that he made it. But can Theo keep Lacey at arms length? Or will he fall for her?

Lacey Olson is between a rock and a hard place. Her brother has stolen all the money in her checking account and disappeared. He also tries to pimp her out to his bookie to pay off his debt. She wasn’t expecting her brother’s bookie to show up at her job in a cocktail lounge. She wasn’t expecting the cute customer she was serving to step in and comfort her when she gets fired. She also wasn’t expecting to accept Theo’s crazy proposition. Or have a quickie Vegas wedding. Can Lacey go through with the charade? Or will she fall hard for Theo?

I liked Theo even if I thought he was too uptight. I understood why he didn’t want to jump in the pool with his clothes on. But I didn’t understand why he was so anal about suitcase packing. His horror in watching Lacey pack was amusing. I did enjoy watching his character grow in this book. He went from an uptight, grudge holding guy to a more laid back version of himself. Lacey was good for him.

I loved Lacey. She was one of the most easy going, go with the flow characters that I have read. Not that she didn’t have issues. Because she did. It was the way that she chose to deal with her issues that endeared her to me. She chose to look at the sunny side of things. Even her relationship with her brother (who I didn’t like). But, she wasn’t a pushover. She ruled when she met Theo’s ex. I did a “You go girl“.

Theo’s family wasn’t perfect. They were dysfunctional. Of course, not every family has a suggested gold-digger. Or sons’ suing their father. Or brother’s stealing girlfriends. But that’s what made this book fun to read.

Unfortunately Lacey’s family was all too realistic. Having an addict in your life is draining, emotionally and financially. The author was able to capture it perfectly.

I liked that Play to Win is a romance that didn’t have Instalove. Sure, Theo and Lacey got married the night they met. But the author chose to make up for that by having them build their relationship. Loved it!!

The sex scenes were steamy, once they had sex. I did roll my eyes when Theo and Lacey made the “no sex” pact. That screamed that they were going to have sex, but not right away. When they finally did bump uglies, it was explosive. I also liked how the author had Theo be on the receiving end of something kinky. That sex scene was through the roof!!

I loved the ending of Play to Win. Handsdown, it was one of the better endings that I have read. The talk that JP gave Theo was epic. What Lacey was knitting was epic. Actually, I was laughing my fool head off at that. Then I went to google it. Note to self: Never google that again. Images are forever seared into my brain. But it was the epilogue that made the book. Loved it. I also loved how it set up Book 2. Which I can’t wait to read.

I would give Play to Win an Adult rating. There is 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 Play to Win. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Play to Win.

All opinions stated in this review of Play to Win are mine.

Have you read Play to Win?

What are your thoughts on it?

Do you like reading about dysfunctional families?

Let me know!!

Ice Hot (New York Nighthawks: Book 1) by Tracy Goodwin

Ice Hot (New York Nighthawks, #1)

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: March 5th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: New York Nighthawks

Ice Hot—Book 1

Where to find Ice Hot: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The Nighthawks are hockey’s new expansion team. They’re ice hot. And they’re all about the chase.

Christian: They call me a hockey god because I’m a beast on the ice . . . and off. Men want to be me and women just want me. But now that the New York Nighthawks expect me to lead their team to victory, it’s all work and no play. My eyes are on the prize. Until I meet Serena Ellis, a sexy, curvalicious blonde who doesn’t know me from jack. And just like that, I’m hooked.

Serena: I don’t do one-night stands—especially with celebrity jocks who date models. Lots of models. But the god of hockey is a temptation that’s hard for mere mortals to resist. And after the best kiss of my life, I’m ready to throw my one-night stand rule out the window. Except Christian Chase won’t let me. He doesn’t want a one-night stand. He wants it all.

My review:

I noticed lately that I have had a lot of hockey-themed romances in my TBR pile. Which is funny because I haven’t followed hockey in years. All these hockey themed romances are telling me something. They are telling me that I need to turn on the games again.

When I read the blurb for Ice Hot, I was kind of “meh” about it. No lying. I got burned out on alpha males. I also got burned out on women who think that they can handle the alphas but end up becoming submissive.

I surprised when Christian and Serena blew those misconceptions out of the water. While the book did start off with a typical alpha male situation, it turned into anything but. Christian was still very much an alpha male on the ice. But off the ice, when he was alone with Serena, he showed a different side. A side that I wasn’t expecting to see in a book like this. I loved it!!

I thought Serena was awesome!! The whole situation with the Slurpee had me cracking up in bed. But what I liked the most about her was that she was one of the most genuinely written characters I have read to date. I read a lot, so that says something. By the end of the book, she morphed into almost hero status in my eyes.


To the young women out there who are watching this, I have a wish. That you embrace the concept that no one defines who you are but you. No man defines you. Neither does social media. Be yourself. Be fearless. Forge your own path. That’s what I am doing with this video**


The author chose to detail cyberbullying in this review. As well as slut/fat shaming. Serena was at the end of that. She had been at the end of the fat shaming her entire life. Her parents did nothing about it. In fact, her father hired the guy who humiliated her. I thought she was strong and my admiration grew as the book went on.

I was heartbroken when Serena and Christian broke up. Now, I wouldn’t normally be mentioning that but it was huge in the book. I am not going to say why they broke up but I will say that I understood why Christian did it. He wanted to protect Serena and in his mind, this was how he could do it.

The only thing that I found fault with was how the team and management handled Mighty. I know that a hockey team needs to be a cohesive unit. Which is why I didn’t understand why nothing was done about Mighty until the end of the book. He caused so much harm, it wasn’t even funny. I was very surprised that Christian held off as long as he did.

The sex scenes were as emotional and intimate as the book was. The author kept up the sexual tension throughout the book. It didn’t go away at all. Actually, it intensified the deeper Christian fell for Serena. It was amazing to read.

You will need tissues for the end of the book. Thankfully, I had a bunch next to me (I am battling a cold). I started bawling the minute Serena met up with her mother and didn’t start until the end of the book. I loved the epilogue and thought the Slurpee was great!!!

I gave Ice Hot an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be online bullying, face to face bullying, fat shaming, slut shaming and bigotry. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

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

**This quote was taken from an unedited ARC.

I would like to thank the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Ice Hot.

All opinions stated in this review of Ice Hot are mine.

The Queen’s Opal (Stone Bearers: Book 1) by Jacque Stevens

The Queen's Opal: A Stone Bearers Novel (Book One) by [Stevens, Jacque]

4 Stars

Publisher: sjacquebooks

Date of publication: December 5th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Stone Bearers

The Stone Bearers—Book 0 (review here)

The Frog’s Princess—Book 0.5

The Queen’s Opal—Book 1

The Queen’s Gift—Book 2

The Queen’s Heir—Book 3

The Queen’s Bane—Book 4

Where you can find The Queen’s Opal: Amazon | BookBub

Synopsis:

Elves never use magic or leave the forest.

They aren’t supposed to get sick either, but Drynn’s mother just died from a mysterious illness, which has targeted the elven queens for generations. With no female heir left, the symbol of the curse—a green stone called the Queen’s Opal—passes to Drynn. Unwilling to lose another family member, Drynn’s impulsive and overprotective brother drags him out of the forest to search for a cure. And the oft-diseased humans seem the most likely place to start.

But the opal isn’t all that it seems. Once outside the forest, it shows Drynn visions of the first queen—a time when the mortal avatars of the lost gods walked the earth and the humans and elves lived in peace. Much has changed in the human lands since then. It’s a darker world, ruled by power-hungry wizards who covet any kind of magic. Magic like the opal. Magic like the natural energy the wizards can see inside the elves.

More than healing one illness, Drynn’s visions call for him to restore the world’s former peace, but if the wrong wizard learns about the elves’ innate gifts, even the forest will no longer be safe. 

Family bonds will be tested. Friends will become foes. With two kingdoms spiraling into chaos, can a shy bookworm conquer his fears to bring peace to the realm?

The Queen’s Opal is book one in a new high fantasy adventure series set in the same magical and exotic world as The Stone Bearers (2016).

This coming of age story will appeal to teen and young adult fans of the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cinda Willams Chima (The Demon King), Christopher Paolini (Eragon), and other works of epic sword and sorcery.

Clean Read. Fantasy violence and a few darker themes. Recommended for young adults and teens twelve and up.

Stone Bearers:
0. The Stone Bearers (2016)
0.5. The Frog’s Princess (2016)
1. The Queen’s Opal (2017)
2. The Queen’s Gift (2018)
3. The Queen’s Heir (2018)
4. The Queen’s Bane (Coming 2018)
5. The Queen’s Rite (Coming 2019)

Please Note: The Queen’s Opal is Book One. The Stone Bearers is a standalone novel that can be read before or after the full series.

The short story, The Frog’s Princess, can also be read in any order. Find it in The Fantastic Worlds Anthology (2016) or have a free digital copy delivered to you after signing up for my email list at sjacquebooks.com. Those on my email list will receive monthly emails with updates on deals, review opportunities for new releases, and other exclusive content.

Fairy Ring:
1. Fairy Ring: Shards of Janderelle (2017)
2. Fairy Ring: Changeling of Janderelle (Coming 2018)
3. Fairy Ring: Prince of Janderelle (Coming 2019)

Others: 
Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen (2017)
Depths: A Tale of the Little Mermaid (Coming 2018)

My Review:

The Queen’s Opal is the story of Drynn and his journey into the human world. It is also the story of Tayvin and the reason why he wanted to leave the forest. Finally, it is the story of Kol, his secret and his hatred of the robes. What happens when Kol meets Drynn? What happens to Drynn in the human world? Will Tayvin find what he is looking for? Can Kol overcome his hatred for the “robes“? Or will that hatred be his downfall?

Drynn (Aldrayndallen-Falberain): I liked Drynn. The main character in The Queen’s Opal, he was my favorite. I did feel bad for him. His mother dies, his brother forces him on a trip out of the forest and he gets kidnapped. On top of that, he starts to have these strange dreams about the first Queen and her life. He had a lousy couple of months. There was a point in the book where I wondered if he would ever be free of those people. I also was kinda hoping that Tayvin would find him first. I wanted to see a couple of those thieves get drop-kicked into next Monday (Picc and Cain mainly).

Tayvin (Tayvinaldrill-Falberain): I understood why he wanted to go to the human world. He wanted to save his brother. He couldn’t deal with losing another family member. He was impulsive and hot-headed at the beginning of the book. But, that tempered as the book went on. By the end of the book, he showed a lot of restraint. Even when Drynn told him what happened to him. I was half expecting him to go off and avenge Drynn.

Kol: I wanted to shake Kol during certain parts of the book. The way he treated Drynn at first. He wasn’t exactly nice. He was also afraid of the robes (wizards). That fear was understandable. He watched his mother burn to death, protecting him from his father. But to act the way he did after Xavien got guardianship over him was jerky. He refused to heed the advice that the dragonet gave him until it was almost too late.

The Queen’s Opal as a great read. The author did a great job with world building. She took what was a flat 2d world and built it up. I can’t wait to see what this world is going to look like in the other books.

She also did a great job with character building. Drynn, Tayvin, and Kol were complex characters with many layers. They were as realistic as two elves and a halfbreed can be.

Any issues that I had with The Queen’s Opal were minor ones. I wished that more went into how the stone chose its bearer. During Drynn’s dreams, Saylee was called to the temple. But how? I also wanted to know why someone so young? With my luck, it will be answered in the next book.

The Queen’s Opal can definitely be read by kids as young as 12. The only thing that I could even see being traumatic for anyone younger are the beatings that Drynn and Kol endured. They were somewhat graphic. There are also scenes where Drynn was chained in a cart and a scene where Drynn was drugged. Other than that, this book is a great starter book for someone starting to read fantasy.

The end of The Queen’s Opal was intriguing. Some storylines were wrapped up. Other’s were started and other’s were left open. It made me want to read book 2 and see where everyone ends up. Also, I loved the epilogue. It was a different way to do things.

I would give The Queen’s Opal a Young Teen rating. There is no sex (only one kiss). There is violence. There is mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 13 read this book.

I would reread The Queen’s Opal. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review The Queen’s Opal.

All opinions stated in this review of The Queen’s Opal are mine

Have you read The Queen’s Opal?

Love it?

Hate it?

Let me know

Let’s Talk About Sext (Let’s Talk About Sext: Book 1) by Evie Claire

2 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: February 19th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Let’s Talk About Sext

Let’s Talk About Sext—Book 1

I Wanna Sext You Up—Book 2 (expected publication date: August 20th, 2019)

Where you can find Let’s Talk About Sext: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

Her: Unstoppable, workaholic, driven force of nature. Him: The exact opposite of that.

Phebe Stark needs a punching bag. No, on second thought, she needs a donut. No, on third thought, she needs to escape into a dark bar with a strong drink. She’s just been harassed, for the umpteenth time, by the slimy supervisor standing between her and a shattered glass ceiling at her high-pressure Atlanta firm. But then a tall, bearded, sexy lumberjack of a bartender saunters over, and suddenly Phebe knows she doesn’t need gin . . . she needs him.

Brody Cantrell didn’t exactly intend to become a bartender. He planned to help out at his ailing uncle’s bar for a year, then get an advanced degree and rise to the top of his field. Instead, he got a Ph.D. in Real Life from his customers. Brody thinks he’s seen everything—until he meets Phebe Stark. And when he gets a load of her fearless sexting skills, he just has to see what’s under that power suit. Brody’s certain they’ll have a good time or two—nothing serious. Then again, all these steamy messages and breathless trysts have him seriously considering . . . Why not?

My Review:

I hate leaving negative reviews. I do. But that is part of the job of writing a book blog. You need to showcase the bad along with the good.

I did not like Phebe at all. From the minute she appeared outside of Brody’s bar, I got the vibe that she was a ball buster and a snob. My vibe was confirmed in the next chapter when she went from zero to witch on Brody. My dislike of her started around that time also. It grew and grew until the first breakup scene happened. That is where her true colors came out. She was a snob and was all about money. From that point on, I read her scenes a bad taste in my mouth.

I did like Brody but I thought that he was a pushover. I also couldn’t understand why he kept taking Phebe back after everything she put him through. I would have told her to go take a flying leap after what happened at the Boys and Girls Club gala.

Because of my dislike for Phebe, I couldn’t get into the sex scenes. They did nothing for me. If Phebe had been more likable, then the sex scenes would have been fun. But they were colored by her actions throughout the book.

I did like the secondary characters in this book. Phebe’s friends weren’t afraid to call her out and let her know how she was acting. When she told them what she said to Brody during their last fight, their reaction was the same I would have had.

I did appreciate the author trying to reign Phebe in. I did. But I didn’t believe that she changed in that short amount of time. I mean what she said to Brody was awful.

A bartender with Daddy issues

Who says that to someone that they loved? And over something that she had no business being a part of? What Brody did with that land was up to him. Not her. I would have booted her butt out of the door and blocked her number.

Which takes us to the end of the book. I know because its a romance, they are supposed to have a HEA. But in this case, I can’t see it happening. I have a feeling that Phebe and Brody’s relationship will be a quick one. Like a Kardashian marriage. I was left feeling unfulfilled by the ending. Which is something that I rarely feel when reading any type of book.

I would give Let’s Talk About Sext an Adult rating. There are explicit sex and sexual situations. There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They are sexual harassment, women’s rights, talk of alcoholism and talk of parental neglect and abuse.

I would not reread Let’s Talk About Sext. I also would not recommend this book to family and friends. I would be open to reading more books by the author.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Let’s Talk About Sext.

All opinions stated in this review of Let’s Talk About Sext are mine.