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fresholivebread's reviews
490 reviews
Ground Zero by Aimee Nicole Walker
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Two new partners try to solve murders while overcoming their antagonism. The steady, confident Sawyer is likeable, but the brash, hot/cold Royce took some time to warm up to. Though there's a fair bit of lusty thoughts from Sawyer, their romance burns slower due to their issues of love and loss, and Royce's perceived straightness. There's a lot of snarky banter and tension that then turns sexual, which leads to some explosive moments.
It's pretty steamy when they finally get together, and Sawyer opens up the more caring, sensitive side of Royce. There's a fair bit of push pull though. TheirHFN ending with them wanting to try for a relationship is fitting (TBC) . The mysteries are on the simple side, and I preferred a centralised case to a few cases at once. And I would've liked a peek into Royce's thoughts.
It's pretty steamy when they finally get together, and Sawyer opens up the more caring, sensitive side of Royce. There's a fair bit of push pull though. Their
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Homophobia
Fighting For Her by Cynthia Eden
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Burly bodyguard protects mob princess before she testifies. This is Eden's usual bodyguard romance - growly hero, spunky heroine, no one is whom they seem, and steamy romance to top it off. He's stoic, no-nonsense and she brings out all his uber protective instincts. She's sassy and hides her pain under a sultry exterior, but some of her decisions are kinda dumb. There are forced proximity situations that lead to simmering sexual tension, which is pretty hot when it boils over.
Rick may be bossy and overbearing, but he's also tender and sweet towards her, and his OTT protectiveness worked for me. There's a bit more push-pull than I preferred in their romance, but he works really hard to assure her that she can trust him. Lots of twists, lots of action, and a great eventual HEA.
Rick may be bossy and overbearing, but he's also tender and sweet towards her, and his OTT protectiveness worked for me. There's a bit more push-pull than I preferred in their romance, but he works really hard to assure her that she can trust him. Lots of twists, lots of action, and a great eventual HEA.
When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
BatB inspired - Beauty marries the Beast for her reputation (and hopes to avoid sex since he's 'impotent'). Oh, how I adored the cranky, brilliant, House-esque asshole that is Piers. He's so snarkily hilarious, and when he finally fell, he fell *so hard*. Linnet is his match in every way, she's beautiful, witty, sarcastic and dishes it back to him in equal measures. I simply loved them together - the banter, the slow building of trust, the eventual love and passion between them.
Their times in Pier's sea pool are fun, and I really liked that there's a real friendship between them. But the sudden descent into angst felt just a bit off, and there are some painful, emotional moments.And Pier's dick move was ugh. The conflict also felt slightly dragged out, and I really needed more reunion sĢ¶eĢ¶xĢ¶ times . But I still had a lot of fun with this!
Their times in Pier's sea pool are fun, and I really liked that there's a real friendship between them. But the sudden descent into angst felt just a bit off, and there are some painful, emotional moments.
Edge of Nowhere by Felicia Davin
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A runner (aka teleporter of some sort) and human cargo run into conspiracies and trouble. Sensitive, loyal and protective Emil is a great match for the smart, scrappy, jaded Kit. There's a bit of a sex pollen/berry thing at first which sparks off the attraction, but feelings come through pretty quickly. Their chemistry is great and I really liked their connection. Kit has a lot of trust issues, and Emil puts in a lot of effort to break down his walls.
He's really sweet and caring, and also very protective of Kit. And Kit finally letting down his guard with Emil is lovely. There's a good mix of romance, steam and friendship, though I could use more romance! The future Earth universe is unique and built well, with solid action elements. I loved the diversity of side cast, and the found family elements are wonderful.
He's really sweet and caring, and also very protective of Kit. And Kit finally letting down his guard with Emil is lovely. There's a good mix of romance, steam and friendship, though I could use more romance! The future Earth universe is unique and built well, with solid action elements. I loved the diversity of side cast, and the found family elements are wonderful.
Searching for Rescue by Tonya Burrows
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A dog trainer helps her ex, a troubled veteran, via dog therapy, while danger looms. Good set up to the series. He's broken and very bitter, but the patient, compassionate and strong-willed FMC fights to bring him back to life. I loved the equally broken Ranger (scene stealer!), an ex-military canine who found a kindred spirit in Zak. The two of them together just warmed my heart.
The romance is slow burn, raw and emotional, as both of them have secrets and trauma, but the love has always been there. He was an ass in the past, but now resolves to make himself worthy of her. His reaction to her secret kinda sucked, though. Great suspense, but the plot with two abused kids was hard to read. It ends well, but felt quite rushed, notably the MC's conflict resolution.
The romance is slow burn, raw and emotional, as both of them have secrets and trauma, but the love has always been there. He was an ass in the past, but now resolves to make himself worthy of her. His reaction to her secret kinda sucked, though. Great suspense, but the plot with two abused kids was hard to read. It ends well, but felt quite rushed, notably the MC's conflict resolution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ty and Zane go on mission to bring in a CIA operative gone dark, aka adventures of Ty/Zane + Julian/Cam. I was glad the book started with addressing the issue of Ty abruptly leaving Zane, and it was resolved with one of the best Ty/Zane scenes ever (the reunion sex scene is š„š„µš). In fact, it's a Ty/Zane love fest, and it was exactly what I needed after the angst of the last book. And they made the honest effort to work through their issues (there are snippy moments, Ty angst and Nick angst but I dealt).
I loved all their moments together, the badass partnership, the affection, the sweetness, the I love yous - it's pretty much perfection for me. Jules and Cam amps up the drama and fun, and the insults and banter between Julian and Ty are hilarious. Add in some excellent action + twists and it was all my š for this installment!
I loved all their moments together, the badass partnership, the affection, the sweetness, the I love yous - it's pretty much perfection for me. Jules and Cam amps up the drama and fun, and the insults and banter between Julian and Ty are hilarious. Add in some excellent action + twists and it was all my š for this installment!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Warrior's Cross by Madeleine Urban, Abigail Roux
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A waiter's peaceful life is turned upside down when he falls for his darkly mysterious customer. Julian hits all my buttons - dangerous, lethal but is also complete cinnamon roll with a suprisingly vulnerable side. Cameron is a sweetheart, though his insecurity issues can be frustrating. I really liked the build-up to their romance - from the little interactions to acting upon the attraction simmering between them, though things moved pretty fast after that.
It's not a smooth journey, Julian has a lot of secrets and Cam doesn't always handle them well. But their romance is very heartfelt, with sweet, tender and angsty moments. Julian is so smitten, and is very protective of Cam. He's the total š of the book for me. I also enjoyed the action and the sidekicks (Blake! Preston!). Now onwards to more Julian/Cam (+ Ty/Zane š) in Cut & Run #5!
It's not a smooth journey, Julian has a lot of secrets and Cam doesn't always handle them well. But their romance is very heartfelt, with sweet, tender and angsty moments. Julian is so smitten, and is very protective of Cam. He's the total š of the book for me. I also enjoyed the action and the sidekicks (Blake! Preston!). Now onwards to more Julian/Cam (+ Ty/Zane š) in Cut & Run #5!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Love Me Today by A.L. Jackson
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A troubled single dad hires his daughter's (niece ) horse trainer (with scars of her own) as her nanny. He is haunted by regrets, and is mostly a rude asshole, though he's self aware about it. But his protective streak and his obvious love for his little girl won me over. She is a riot of chaos, sass, and with the hugest heart. I liked the tension in their animosity, though there could be less lusty feels early on.
Still, there's good sexual tension, pining and steam in their romance, and their chemistry is great. The emotions and angst gave me a lot of feels. And I loved her bond with the sweet little girl, who is very amazing. But his 'I'm a bad, dark man' and hot/cold thing got tiring after a while. The suspense elements are woven in well. A good read, though the staccato writing style felt off at times, with some odd word choices.
Still, there's good sexual tension, pining and steam in their romance, and their chemistry is great. The emotions and angst gave me a lot of feels. And I loved her bond with the sweet little girl, who is very amazing. But his 'I'm a bad, dark man' and hot/cold thing got tiring after a while. The suspense elements are woven in well. A good read, though the staccato writing style felt off at times, with some odd word choices.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Northern Salvation by Tonya Burrows
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Last book of the trilogy with stolen diamonds, mafia, missing women and our MCs in the middle of it all. He's made some very poor decisions but is a good guy at the core, trying to right his wrongs. She's strong-willed, tough and all-round awesome - loved her! They have traumatic, difficult pasts and their connection is one forged in adversity and healing. It's a gradual revealing of each other's layers and their chemistry really worked for me. Her trust in him is steadfast, and she's his defender.
I enjoyed their romance - the mutual protection is fierce, and loved how he gives her back her power. The suspense does not disappoint, it was a wild ride but it felt a bit rushed to the end. The brothers coming back together is heartfelt, though there should be more closure with their dad. The dogs are very precious, but there's not enough of Peanut!
I enjoyed their romance - the mutual protection is fierce, and loved how he gives her back her power. The suspense does not disappoint, it was a wild ride but it felt a bit rushed to the end. The brothers coming back together is heartfelt, though there should be more closure with their dad. The dogs are very precious, but there's not enough of Peanut!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Raziel by Kristina Douglas, Anne Stuart
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A fallen angel defies orders to rescue a woman set for hell and sets off a chain of events. It's an interesting and dark world of outcast angels, and an unusual "meet cute" for the MCs. He's the classic Stuart hero - cold, cruel, reluctantly entranced by the FMC and fights hard to bury his feelings. She's fiery and strong-willed, and not easy to like at first, but she grew on me. Their romance is slow burn-ish - lust aside, there's a lot of dislike, though they feel very drawn to each other.
The push-pull is fraught with yummy sexual tension. Once they break down the walls, their romance is intense, emotional and passionate. They go through a lot to be together, and he'd burn the world for her. The action/suspense parts are great, though it gets theological at times. I really enjoyed this cos I love Anne Stuart, but you either hate or love (me me me) her heroes.
The push-pull is fraught with yummy sexual tension. Once they break down the walls, their romance is intense, emotional and passionate. They go through a lot to be together, and he'd burn the world for her. The action/suspense parts are great, though it gets theological at times. I really enjoyed this cos I love Anne Stuart, but you either hate or love (me me me) her heroes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death