mhtbooks's reviews
530 reviews

Misguided Vows by T.L. Smith, Kia Carrington-Russell

adventurous challenging funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Gahhhh Misguided Vows was such a great story, so different from books I’ve read before. Will is a tracker mostly for the cash heavy underworld, but you would never know with his charming ways. He’s definitely a love’em and leave’em kinda guy but he makes that clear from the jump. Alina is an American in London who helps businesses with rebranding and updated looks. Alina just updated Will’s sisters new bar, and they met at the opening. He was a complete jerk, and she let him know exactly what she thought of him. I loved watching the found family Alina gains from a job Will recommended her for. Gotta love when the Ricci girls take Alina under their collective wings. Alina is super feisty and loves to tell Will what an a-hole he is, which is hilarious. And Will likes to push Alina’s buttons by being a foul mouthed flirt and calling her Milady. But when these to give in to the spark between them, it’s scorchingly hot. When she handcuffed him to the bed, used him and then left town….perfection. I loved Will and Alina as well as all of Will’s friends and their wives. 

Lust in Translation: A Harbour Point SEAL Novel by Rachel Robinson

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Wow Lust In Translation was a great book with an so much emotion me. Ok yes I may have cried a few times, but the story was that moving! Kendall was lost in her life and marriage after the loss of her baby. When Leo (a crush from her past) became one of her students on the SEAL base, their friendship picks up where it left off. But now, Kendall isn’t a kid and neither is Leo. She’s married and he’s no home wrecker, but Leo loves her. The journey this book takes you on is so relatable that you swear it’s real life. Lust In Translation had my attention from the first chapter, and I loved watching Leo and Kendall love and support each other no matter the circumstances.  Just a really beautiful love story and I’m still thinking about. 

Stolen Heir by Sophie Lark

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I absolutely love that Stolen Heir is a  interconnected standalone and if you read Brutal Prince, you will see some returning characters. Miko is the “son” of The Butcher and after his father’s death he wanted revenge. And what better way to do that then take something from the Griffin family that they treasure, the baby of the family Nessa. This story had me in the chokehold from the beginning, just the hatred and anger you feel from Miko and all the light from Nessa. Stolen Heir is an excellent enemies to lovers, they are polar opposites but complete each other so perfectly. Sophie Lark’s books always just pull you in to their world. I don’t regret staying up until 2am devouring Stolen Heir , it was mafia yumminess. 

Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

As a lover of mafia romance I couldn’t wait to read Brutal Prince and it did not disappoint. When Aida crashed Callum’s little sister’s birthday party, neither of them knew that they would end up in an arranged marriage. Aida was no quite little obedient girl, nope she was so mad about arranged marriage that she ate a bunch of strawberries before the wedding, knowing Callum is deathly allergic. One kiss and bam, he’s in the hospital. You can’t tell me that’s not a power move. Brutal Prince is the perfect enemies to lovers mafia romance.  And Callum is yummy in his own right, he’s all serious and broody, but a naughty boy too. These two work together so well and prove their affection for each other in ways only mafia families can. This book is exactly why I love Sophie Lark, the story and characters pull you in and you end up lost in their world. 

Boys Who Hunt by Clarissa Wild

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I love Clarissa Wild and when I saw Boys Who Hunt had over 30 trigger warnings I was so excited. Boys Who Hunt fully delivered and every single front, from the characters to the story and everywhere in between. Ivy was fighting for her and little Cora to stay alive and hidden at any cost. Even if that means stealing from the Silas, Heath and Max of the Skull and Serpent Society. I loved Ivy because even after she was caught she didn’t back down or loose her smack talking mouth. Silas and Heath were happy to punish Ivy but Max was smitten. And Max had be watching her from the moment he saw her. And I love me a golden retriever stalker, so Max was my guy. Silas is fully unhinged and loved to make Ivy clean his room while she’s in a tiny maid costume. Heath liked to dull his emotions with pills. And something about Ivy got under all of the boys skin and they all became obsessed. We got all the depravity we know and love from Clarissa Wild in Boys Who Hunt and I am in love. 

Descending Into Madness by Stacey Marie Brown

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Would I follow a shirtless deer guy holding a red light in an empty tree farm? Yeah probably and so did Alice. Descending into Madness was an amazing dark Alice and Wonderland retelling with a Christmas twist. The mix of Alice in Wonderland and Christmas characters kept this books so damn interesting. Who knew Rudolph what hit with abs? There’s so many amazing details in the book like the queen of hearts is Mrs Claus in Descending into Madness. And I love a broken, broody MMC and Scrooge fits the bill. And Scrooge had some much spicy tension with Alice but we get what we all want in the end. I loved this book way more than I thought possible, the characters had me hooked. 

Country Heaven by Ava Miles

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Country Heaven is book one in the Dare River Series. Tory was a cook working at Country Heaven Diner who was trying to get bills paid and keep her head above water. Rye was a bad boy country singer with a bad boy reputation and a strained relationship with his family. But there’s nothing that Rye enjoyed more than eating a good meal, and when he stepped in to Country Heaven Diner after a show, he didn’t expect to eat the best meal he had in ages. The complexity of Rye’s relationship with his family was surprising and it was emotional. The thing that made this book extra special was that in every few chapters there was a story and a recipe that Tory was putting in her cookbook ( I wrote down several!). We also got lyrics from Ryes songs too which was cool. Could 2 very different people, on two very different paths in life work out? Of course they could if they wanted it bad enough, and Rye did. 

Booked for Christmas: A Mistletoe Mountain Novel by Melissa F. Miller

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I knew Booked For Christmas would be fun from the very first chapter but I didn’t expect it to be thoughtful as well. I loved the meet cute or meet spit between Holly Jolly and Tom Bell, it had be cackling. Mistletoe Mountain is not only a super festive town but it’s also a very close knit and opened minded community. And when you mix in trying to ban books, well you bet the town will not take that lying down. Holly is a perfectionist and likes to win, but Tom is a “enjoy the moment “ kinda guy, together they are perfection. I think my absolute favorite thing about Booked For Christmas was the way the town fought against the protesters that wanted to ban books. Book For Christmas was a fun rom-com with an excellent message organically mixed in. 

Finding Out by Jenni Bara

adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I was so excited when I saw that Wren and Daddy Wilson got their own book and it did not disappoint! Because hello, she calls him Daddy Wilson, oh and he’s her best friend’s dad! Yup you read that right, but Daddy Wilson is also BFF’s with Wrens dad! Yikes!  What makes this whole book even more delectable is that they both want each other but a chance business encounter pulls them together. They were a perfect match but them being together doesn’t come without lots of drama, and I ate it up, Jenni Bara writes such great story’s and the spice is always top tier and always the perfect amount. My heart belongs to the Daddy Wilson and the Boston Revs! 

Meet Me at the Metro by Savanna Jade

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Meet me on the Metro was an excellent enemies to lovers roller coaster. When Elenor moved to London to attend college, she didn’t know that one jet lagged moment would ruin her relationship with her new flatmates friend Theo. He’s a grumpy jerk but hides a sweetness about him. He does a great job of making me hate him one minute to redeeming himself the next. Is Theo a brooding jerk? Is he also a protector? Yup, he sure is. This book and the characters and their struggles have depth and are well written.