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chelseaj91's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Kiss The Flame by Christopher Rice 2.75 Stars!
I liked the story of Laney and Michael. Overall anyway...I did feel like Laney was always looking for an excuse just because. I mean, she literally snuck to the bathroom during a date to google a story. There's wariness/distrust and then there's snooping. I do get wanting to make sure someone is telling the truth (having dealt with guys telling me a story just to try and get sympathy/something from me, I get it) but I feel like there are a lot better ways to deal with it than lying on a date. That's honestly not the best way to get things started. The story kind of started to suffer for me once the supernatural aspect/Lilliane was introduced. There was a lot of baggage involved there that was just brushed off in pursuit of Lilliane stopping something that likely wasn't going to happen. Just because she was afraid doesn't mean it's going to happen to everyone else, but if that's the way this was going to go, I feel like the author should have given us more about things.
Daring Her Love by Melissa Foster 3.25 Stars!
This was an interesting story. I liked the little hint of second chance we got with Kat and Eric (even if their "first" chance was back when they were both too young to understand what that really meant). Even with the "hey I swear I know you" aspect of things, I did feel like it went a little quick. Although it still managed to work, honestly. Hearing about Eric's past, the reasons he was at that camp were a little sad but I liked that Kat saw who he'd been and the way he was using his past to shape his present/future.
Teased by Rebecca Zanetti 3 Stars!
Okay, this was fun. I haven't read any of the other books in this series although there are a couple on my TBR. I did wish there'd been just a little more on the way this world works. I mean, there was something about the extra chromosomes and how it's only the males and everything but there was still a lot of stuff that was phrased almost in a "hey by this point you're already aware" kind of way that was a little confusing. I did get frustrated with Olivia's idea on blackmail, especially after she was told by multiple people it was sadly impossible. Like, I liked that she was loyal to her friend and wanted to help but at the same time, even advanced people can only do so much and I feel like by the time she heard it from the King, she should have gotten over the "all I have to do is blackmail them and they'll help!". I did kind of laugh at the fact that the underlying point to all of this was a misguided matchmaking attempt. Even though things went slightly sideways just because of opportunistic little buttheads, it was still kind of funny.
The Promise of Surrender by Liliana Hart 2.5 Stars!
Meh. It was decent as far as second chance romances go, I liked the fact that Mia and Zeke kind of had the "well you made your choice" fight. But I felt like the biker thing was going to be a bigger issue than it was. There was a lot of references made to the fact that Mia could hold her own and knew how to be a pain in the ass but everything got "resolved" with a "that was our CI and they didn't make it to the checkpoint" and a vandalized store. The story felt a little more like it was about Mia accepting that she belonged in town rather than a second chance romance/action story.
Savaged Surrender by Jennifer Lyon 3.25 Stars!
Ethan's constant "I can never have her because I can never have anything good" every time something would happen started to grate. Honestly, we spent a lot of time (not) dealing with his baggage that I feel like Ana's troubles/baggage got lost. Yeah, there was a little because Chelle got in his face and called him an idiot, but most of the issues focused on "Ethan Hunt can't have anything nice because his past is horrible". Yeah, once he finally talked about it, his past was horrible and sad but I felt like it was overused in this instance. I did wish he'd realized what Siena was doing earlier, but I kind of liked Ana showing up and standing up for him.
Jumpstart by Riley Hart 3.5 Stars!
Beck and Chris were kind of amazing. They definitely had some issues from their past and I did get a little frustrated when the past was revealed (the way things happened/why Beck cut contact). Not necessarily because Beck didn't flat out admit anything but the fact that he was silent. There are definitely ways that could have been handled. But at the same time, it was needed for them to be able to have their "Come to Jesus" moments when everything came out for Beck. I did like the fact that even after so long, the one person Beck knew he needed was Christian, and Christian knew that Beck physically needed him by his side, and didn't really question anything. There was some awkwardness as they found their footing again, but I thought it was actually kind of sweet.
beckymmoe's review
4.0
The 8th bundle of 1001 Dark Nights novellas is a nice mix of stories that can serve as intros to authors and/or series or just be enjoyed on their own.
[b:Kiss the Flame|23737465|Kiss the Flame (Desire Exchange, #1.5)|Christopher Rice|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418186728s/23737465.jpg|43349371] by Christopher Rice
I couldn't put this one down! Mr. Rice seriously had me at the word "ghosts"--adding in Laney and Michael, a couple it was easy to root for, was just gravy! The spooky candle store, the angsty forbidden romance, Laney's insecurities and fears, Michael's nonstop awesomeness...all good things. I absolutely have to go back and read the first two books set in this world (novella [b:The Flame|20648770|The Flame (Desire Exchange, #0.5)|Christopher Rice|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390955519s/20648770.jpg|27670308] and novel [b:The Surrender Gate|23737313|The Surrender Gate (Desire Exchange, #1)|Christopher Rice|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418186170s/23737313.jpg|43349212]) and cannot wait to find out what Lillianna's mysterious note means--hopefully we'll find out soon!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
[b:Daring Her Love: A Bradens Novella|23668746|Daring Her Love A Bradens Novella (The Bradens #12.5; Love in Bloom #22; 1001 Dark Nights #30)|Melissa Foster|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1417664465s/23668746.jpg|43275943] by Melissa Foster
Instalove, public bathroom sex (twice! just, NO), and a lack of any real story conflict beyond can-this-former-player-be-true-to-one-woman? made this one the weakest of the bunch.
Rating: 2 1/2 stars / C
[b:Teased|23737023|Teased (Dark Protectors, #7.5)|Rebecca Zanetti|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418185229s/23737023.jpg|43348977] by Rebecca Zanetti
I accidentally read the second book in this trilogy ([b:Tricked|28151360|Tricked (Dark Protectors, #7.75)|Rebecca Zanetti|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449650720s/28151360.jpg|48165365]) before this one--realized it about halfway through when everything started sounding vaguely familiar (so I jumped on Goodreads to confirm, found my ecopy, and then re-read first 10% of Tricked just to remind myself of how much I liked it and its characters)--not a huge deal, and since I'd wanted to read Chalton and Oliva's story anyway to see what Ronni and Jared had been talking about, it ended up being a win-win situation.
I definitely need to back up and read more of this series, because I really enjoy the world that Ms. Zanetti has created here. Everything moves pretty fast in this one due to the novella format (though the third brother, Theo, will have somewhat of a history with his heroine--not really a good history, though sometimes that does make for the best reading ;)) but the supernatural element does help to make the instalust/love element seem a bit more believable. A nice blend of action, family drama, and romance make this one an entertaining read, to new readers and series fans alike.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
[b:The Promise of Surrender|23799136|The Promise of Surrender (The MacKenzie Family #13.5)|Liliana Hart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418454249s/23799136.jpg|43413276] by Liliana Hart
A novella from the
MacKenzie family world, The Promise of Surrender worked fairly well as a standalone, since the main characters aren't MacKenzies. A few come up in the story, but not to the point that you'd need to know their stories ahead of time.
Promise is a second chance romance--a troupe that works well in a shorter (ie novella) format, since the h/h already have a history. In this case, it's been seven years since Mia and Zeke have seen each other, since he let his job come between them and she left. But now circumstances (only somewhat orchestrated by Zeke) have thrown them back together, and he at least is determined that they're going to make up for lost time.
Enjoyable characters with a decent amount of suspense--however, while the romantic plot ends well, the suspense one felt unfinished. Still, this could be a good intro to the series for newbies.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
[b:Savaged Surrender|30988380|Savaged Surrender|Jennifer Lyon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468367904s/30988380.jpg|51614257] by Jennifer Lyons
A second chance romance heavy on the "erotic" and with a touch of suspense, Savaged Surrender was an enjoyable, though not terribly memorable, read. Both Ana and Ethan are likable characters, though his instance that she was to good for him got to be a bit wearying...and then he got over it, fairly abruptly. (So it was kind of yay! but...)
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B
[b:Jumpstart|30830789|Jumpstart (Crossroads #3.5)|Riley Hart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475249830s/30830789.jpg|51425344] by Riley Hart
A best-friends-to-lovers, second chance romance! Beckett and Christian had been friends for years and then secretly became more, until Christian was accidentally outed and Beckett kept his distance, choosing his up and coming Motocross career (and, in a way, his family) over Chris. Fast forward ten years--they're both successful, neither currently in a relationship, and Beckett's come out as bi and is starting to feel unfulfilled in his career. One phone call leads to another, which leads to...
Jumpstart worked well as a standalone, and as an intro to the author and (Crossroads) series!
Rating: 4 stars / B-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
[b:Kiss the Flame|23737465|Kiss the Flame (Desire Exchange, #1.5)|Christopher Rice|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418186728s/23737465.jpg|43349371] by Christopher Rice
I couldn't put this one down! Mr. Rice seriously had me at the word "ghosts"--adding in Laney and Michael, a couple it was easy to root for, was just gravy! The spooky candle store, the angsty forbidden romance, Laney's insecurities and fears, Michael's nonstop awesomeness...all good things. I absolutely have to go back and read the first two books set in this world (novella [b:The Flame|20648770|The Flame (Desire Exchange, #0.5)|Christopher Rice|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390955519s/20648770.jpg|27670308] and novel [b:The Surrender Gate|23737313|The Surrender Gate (Desire Exchange, #1)|Christopher Rice|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418186170s/23737313.jpg|43349212]) and cannot wait to find out what Lillianna's mysterious note means--hopefully we'll find out soon!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
[b:Daring Her Love: A Bradens Novella|23668746|Daring Her Love A Bradens Novella (The Bradens #12.5; Love in Bloom #22; 1001 Dark Nights #30)|Melissa Foster|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1417664465s/23668746.jpg|43275943] by Melissa Foster
Instalove, public bathroom sex (twice! just, NO), and a lack of any real story conflict beyond can-this-former-player-be-true-to-one-woman? made this one the weakest of the bunch.
Rating: 2 1/2 stars / C
[b:Teased|23737023|Teased (Dark Protectors, #7.5)|Rebecca Zanetti|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418185229s/23737023.jpg|43348977] by Rebecca Zanetti
I accidentally read the second book in this trilogy ([b:Tricked|28151360|Tricked (Dark Protectors, #7.75)|Rebecca Zanetti|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449650720s/28151360.jpg|48165365]) before this one--realized it about halfway through when everything started sounding vaguely familiar (so I jumped on Goodreads to confirm, found my ecopy, and then re-read first 10% of Tricked just to remind myself of how much I liked it and its characters)--not a huge deal, and since I'd wanted to read Chalton and Oliva's story anyway to see what Ronni and Jared had been talking about, it ended up being a win-win situation.
I definitely need to back up and read more of this series, because I really enjoy the world that Ms. Zanetti has created here. Everything moves pretty fast in this one due to the novella format (though the third brother, Theo, will have somewhat of a history with his heroine--not really a good history, though sometimes that does make for the best reading ;)) but the supernatural element does help to make the instalust/love element seem a bit more believable. A nice blend of action, family drama, and romance make this one an entertaining read, to new readers and series fans alike.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
[b:The Promise of Surrender|23799136|The Promise of Surrender (The MacKenzie Family #13.5)|Liliana Hart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418454249s/23799136.jpg|43413276] by Liliana Hart
A novella from the
MacKenzie family world, The Promise of Surrender worked fairly well as a standalone, since the main characters aren't MacKenzies. A few come up in the story, but not to the point that you'd need to know their stories ahead of time.
Promise is a second chance romance--a troupe that works well in a shorter (ie novella) format, since the h/h already have a history. In this case, it's been seven years since Mia and Zeke have seen each other, since he let his job come between them and she left. But now circumstances (only somewhat orchestrated by Zeke) have thrown them back together, and he at least is determined that they're going to make up for lost time.
Enjoyable characters with a decent amount of suspense--however, while the romantic plot ends well, the suspense one felt unfinished. Still, this could be a good intro to the series for newbies.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
[b:Savaged Surrender|30988380|Savaged Surrender|Jennifer Lyon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468367904s/30988380.jpg|51614257] by Jennifer Lyons
A second chance romance heavy on the "erotic" and with a touch of suspense, Savaged Surrender was an enjoyable, though not terribly memorable, read. Both Ana and Ethan are likable characters, though his instance that she was to good for him got to be a bit wearying...and then he got over it, fairly abruptly. (So it was kind of yay! but...)
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B
[b:Jumpstart|30830789|Jumpstart (Crossroads #3.5)|Riley Hart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475249830s/30830789.jpg|51425344] by Riley Hart
A best-friends-to-lovers, second chance romance! Beckett and Christian had been friends for years and then secretly became more, until Christian was accidentally outed and Beckett kept his distance, choosing his up and coming Motocross career (and, in a way, his family) over Chris. Fast forward ten years--they're both successful, neither currently in a relationship, and Beckett's come out as bi and is starting to feel unfulfilled in his career. One phone call leads to another, which leads to...
Jumpstart worked well as a standalone, and as an intro to the author and (Crossroads) series!
Rating: 4 stars / B-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
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