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ratetheromance's Reviews (659)
3.5 STARS
I love this series so far, but this one seemed kind of "surface" to me. Yes, we hear how the main characters both experienced loss and trauma before coming together and they identify how that loss affects their love-lives, but they seem to hardly talk to each other. There is no familiarity with them.
There are some seriously hot scenes (which you know I appreciated), but they didn't have anything in common. We don't see any connection besides sex and a baby. They don't have "get to know you" conversations in this book. There was just something missing.
I love this series so far, but this one seemed kind of "surface" to me. Yes, we hear how the main characters both experienced loss and trauma before coming together and they identify how that loss affects their love-lives, but they seem to hardly talk to each other. There is no familiarity with them.
There are some seriously hot scenes (which you know I appreciated), but they didn't have anything in common. We don't see any connection besides sex and a baby. They don't have "get to know you" conversations in this book. There was just something missing.
I'm usually not very much into ONE NIGHT STAND Romances, but this book was an exception. It has exceptionally well-written characters who are flawed and stubborn and wonderful.
Holly is a substitute Principal at a high school in a small Alaskan town, run by a large family of siblings. Austin is the oldest sibling of that family, the Baileys, and the High School baseball coach. Their chemistry burns off the page! They have a very sweet side of their steamy relationship that gives this book a lot of swoony, heart-melting moments.
At times, as often happens with a series based on a big family, it feels like way too many characters are being introduced to the reader in one book. I understand the reason, but it felt overwhelming in this story.
Having said that, I loved the family dynamics between these siblings and their grandmother. I will definitely continue reading this series and hope the rest of the Baileys will be as endearing as Austin.
I loved that there is a storyline in this book that doesn't end in a nice, tidy, package. Sometimes life is messy and family relationships are not worth saving. This author did a great job of portraying the true complexity of parents and children as well as often tackling loss and grief with a skilled hand. Well done.
In case I've made this book sound too heartwarming and mildly sweet, rest assured there are steamy as hell scenes between the leads that will fog up your glasses.
Holly is a substitute Principal at a high school in a small Alaskan town, run by a large family of siblings. Austin is the oldest sibling of that family, the Baileys, and the High School baseball coach. Their chemistry burns off the page! They have a very sweet side of their steamy relationship that gives this book a lot of swoony, heart-melting moments.
At times, as often happens with a series based on a big family, it feels like way too many characters are being introduced to the reader in one book. I understand the reason, but it felt overwhelming in this story.
Having said that, I loved the family dynamics between these siblings and their grandmother. I will definitely continue reading this series and hope the rest of the Baileys will be as endearing as Austin.
I loved that there is a storyline in this book that doesn't end in a nice, tidy, package. Sometimes life is messy and family relationships are not worth saving. This author did a great job of portraying the true complexity of parents and children as well as often tackling loss and grief with a skilled hand. Well done.
In case I've made this book sound too heartwarming and mildly sweet, rest assured there are steamy as hell scenes between the leads that will fog up your glasses.
I enjoyed this book. Sam was a great female lead. A strong woman who is smart, capable, and also caring. I felt she had great dimension a character development. Ryan was also well-written and a multi faceted male lead.
Their chemistry was off the charts, but they were also good for each other in other facets of life. This was a great romance with strong characters!
Their chemistry was off the charts, but they were also good for each other in other facets of life. This was a great romance with strong characters!
3.5 stars
This is my first romance read by author Aurora Rose Reynolds and I liked it fairly well, but something about it just didn't grab me. The early chapters between the two leads were filled with sizzle and great banter, but after that things kind of waned for me as far as their relationship.
I did not read the books that come before this in the series and maybe that is why I found myself having so many questions about the female lead. We learn that she leaves a wealthy life in Chicago and finds solace in a small town, working in a local bakery. But we never hear WHY she chose a bakery. If she was raised primarily by nannies and other staff how does she know how to bake? Why does she find working at the bakery so fulfilling? Is that her passion? We hear nothing about that professional choice and why she chose it. We know she left a billionaire lifestyle behind in Chicago for a new start, but we never learn how she chose THIS town, why she chose a tiny studio apartment, did she bring no money with her from Chicago? This details are never fleshed out and it makes this character feel oddly foreign to the reader, even after reading an entire book in which she is the lead.
There is also A LOT of mention of the couple who were the subject of one of the previous books in this series and it seems really odd how much they get mentioned in this story if you are reading it as a standalone.
The story itself was cute, well-paced, and a decent read, but it doesn't feel nearly fleshed out enough and it definitely feels like a later book in a series and the reader doesn't get enough info for it to be a true standalone romance.
Also, it should be noted that these two have multiple steamy scenes and never once use, or even discuss using, protection. There is no mention of condoms or the female lead being on any form birth control. There is no mention of being "clean" or tested for any illnesses. This is very unusual in my experience with contemporary romance and not a very responsible move on the part of the author.
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first romance read by author Aurora Rose Reynolds and I liked it fairly well, but something about it just didn't grab me. The early chapters between the two leads were filled with sizzle and great banter, but after that things kind of waned for me as far as their relationship.
I did not read the books that come before this in the series and maybe that is why I found myself having so many questions about the female lead. We learn that she leaves a wealthy life in Chicago and finds solace in a small town, working in a local bakery. But we never hear WHY she chose a bakery. If she was raised primarily by nannies and other staff how does she know how to bake? Why does she find working at the bakery so fulfilling? Is that her passion? We hear nothing about that professional choice and why she chose it. We know she left a billionaire lifestyle behind in Chicago for a new start, but we never learn how she chose THIS town, why she chose a tiny studio apartment, did she bring no money with her from Chicago? This details are never fleshed out and it makes this character feel oddly foreign to the reader, even after reading an entire book in which she is the lead.
There is also A LOT of mention of the couple who were the subject of one of the previous books in this series and it seems really odd how much they get mentioned in this story if you are reading it as a standalone.
The story itself was cute, well-paced, and a decent read, but it doesn't feel nearly fleshed out enough and it definitely feels like a later book in a series and the reader doesn't get enough info for it to be a true standalone romance.
Also, it should be noted that these two have multiple steamy scenes and never once use, or even discuss using, protection. There is no mention of condoms or the female lead being on any form birth control. There is no mention of being "clean" or tested for any illnesses. This is very unusual in my experience with contemporary romance and not a very responsible move on the part of the author.
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read so many romances with the same sort of main characters. The feisty female with the heart of gold and the overly cocky hotshot male. J.H. Croix wrote characters we don't see often and that is what makes this book so good.
Jade is strong and feisty, but also sweet and extremely sensitive. She doesn't take crap from anybody, but also has real fears and anxieties that affected her daily life. I loved her story and how she grew and changed during the course of this book. Walker was also well-written. A mostly quiet and solid male who is fiercely protective, but not overly flashy and cocky. I love a cocky alpha male, but Walker was a wonderful new offering in leading men.
This story has the same cast of characters from previous books in the SWOON series, but J.H. Croix never makes the appearance of those repeat character feel forced. She is fantastic at making the continuing stories of series characters seamless.
I only wish we had seen a bit more of Jade's ambition. If you haven't read the rest of this series, Jade would seem very directionless in this book. We only know she used to babysit her niece full time and now is a bartender. Then, suddenly, in the epilogue she has a career in a field we never hear mention of in this book. I would have loved some moments in this book that explored her passion and her goals to make it a career.
This is another FANTASTIC book in the SWOON series!
I received and ARC of this title from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Jade is strong and feisty, but also sweet and extremely sensitive. She doesn't take crap from anybody, but also has real fears and anxieties that affected her daily life. I loved her story and how she grew and changed during the course of this book. Walker was also well-written. A mostly quiet and solid male who is fiercely protective, but not overly flashy and cocky. I love a cocky alpha male, but Walker was a wonderful new offering in leading men.
This story has the same cast of characters from previous books in the SWOON series, but J.H. Croix never makes the appearance of those repeat character feel forced. She is fantastic at making the continuing stories of series characters seamless.
I only wish we had seen a bit more of Jade's ambition. If you haven't read the rest of this series, Jade would seem very directionless in this book. We only know she used to babysit her niece full time and now is a bartender. Then, suddenly, in the epilogue she has a career in a field we never hear mention of in this book. I would have loved some moments in this book that explored her passion and her goals to make it a career.
This is another FANTASTIC book in the SWOON series!
I received and ARC of this title from the author in exchange for my honest review.
3 1/2 STARS
So, here's the deal. The amount that you like this book can be directly correlated to the extent to which feel like "Emotional Cheating" is the same or worse than "Physical Cheating".
This is a Love Triangle book (not my favorite anyway) in which emotional cheating is center stage. The reader is expected to think that emotional cheating is a natural and unstoppable force that is perfectly fine as long as there is no physical cheating. In fact, in this story, it is a sign of personal strength when the lead male character emotionally connects in a way that he never has with his current girlfriend and he has the strength and loyalty to not physically cheat. Except there is a kiss, which is not considered real "cheating" in this book.
The book is incredibly well-written and makes you feel ALL THE FEELS. It is extremely emotional and it is a testament to how good the writing is that you are taken on an emotional roller coaster. BUT, the emotional cheating is off the charts and it destroys this love story for me. If you feel the same way about emotional cheating being a serious offense then you're gunna hate this book.
So, here's the deal. The amount that you like this book can be directly correlated to the extent to which feel like "Emotional Cheating" is the same or worse than "Physical Cheating".
This is a Love Triangle book (not my favorite anyway) in which emotional cheating is center stage. The reader is expected to think that emotional cheating is a natural and unstoppable force that is perfectly fine as long as there is no physical cheating. In fact, in this story, it is a sign of personal strength when the lead male character emotionally connects in a way that he never has with his current girlfriend and he has the strength and loyalty to not physically cheat. Except there is a kiss, which is not considered real "cheating" in this book.
The book is incredibly well-written and makes you feel ALL THE FEELS. It is extremely emotional and it is a testament to how good the writing is that you are taken on an emotional roller coaster. BUT, the emotional cheating is off the charts and it destroys this love story for me. If you feel the same way about emotional cheating being a serious offense then you're gunna hate this book.
DNF: 23%
This book just was not for me. There's "Enemies to Lovers" and then there's "mean and horrible a**holes". This was the latter for me. I love E to L when it's two characters that are good people, but just don't get along. But these characters are horrible people who are dreadful to each other.
If you like Bully Romances you might like this, but I just couldn't keep reading.
This book just was not for me. There's "Enemies to Lovers" and then there's "mean and horrible a**holes". This was the latter for me. I love E to L when it's two characters that are good people, but just don't get along. But these characters are horrible people who are dreadful to each other.
If you like Bully Romances you might like this, but I just couldn't keep reading.
Leslie North books can be a little hit or miss for me, but I definitely liked this one! The chemistry between the leads is melt-yo-panties-off hot! But their relationship blooms in a very sweet and natural way, even if it starts with a one night stand.
Mila is a great heroine. She is smart and a hard worker. She is funny and passionate and I just loved how she stood up for herself as the book progressed. Grayson is very driven after growing up in poverty with a single mom. I really wish we had heard more of his story and more of how it drives him today. The leads had a few very short conversations about his childhood, but it was such a huge factor in his motivations that I didn't feel like we really got into it enough. I wanted more.
This book was a great blend of sexy, steamy, sweet and swoony! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Mila is a great heroine. She is smart and a hard worker. She is funny and passionate and I just loved how she stood up for herself as the book progressed. Grayson is very driven after growing up in poverty with a single mom. I really wish we had heard more of his story and more of how it drives him today. The leads had a few very short conversations about his childhood, but it was such a huge factor in his motivations that I didn't feel like we really got into it enough. I wanted more.
This book was a great blend of sexy, steamy, sweet and swoony! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Well, HOT DAMN. I read the synopsis of this book back when it was first published and I wasn't sure about it. Men reading Romance books to solve their love problems? It sounded gimmicky. Well, lean in close while I share this important information with you: I AM A DOOFUS.
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Not only is The Bromance Bookclub a great steamy read, but it has freaking LAYERS. What makes a relationship change, how we fake happiness when we aren't able or willing to face our true fears, second chances, male friendship, how socio-economic status affects relationships, and on and on.
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But it's also really funny in parts and crazy steamy as well. The steamy scenes are amazing because the character writing is so good that by the time these two re-seal the deal you are practically foaming at the mouth with anticipation (this book is a lot sexier than my descriptions are..."foaming at the mouth"?...just roll with it).
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Five stars for this insightful, sweet, steamy, and refreshingly different take on romance! Now excuse me while I start the next book in this series...
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Not only is The Bromance Bookclub a great steamy read, but it has freaking LAYERS. What makes a relationship change, how we fake happiness when we aren't able or willing to face our true fears, second chances, male friendship, how socio-economic status affects relationships, and on and on.
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But it's also really funny in parts and crazy steamy as well. The steamy scenes are amazing because the character writing is so good that by the time these two re-seal the deal you are practically foaming at the mouth with anticipation (this book is a lot sexier than my descriptions are..."foaming at the mouth"?...just roll with it).
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Five stars for this insightful, sweet, steamy, and refreshingly different take on romance! Now excuse me while I start the next book in this series...
