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ratetheromance's Reviews (659)
I am not generally super into Rock Star romances, but this book has so much more. Brad is more interested in computer coding than the rock star lifestyle his brother loves and has included him in. I really love that Brad isn't THAT into it. This is tied to a nice story of their brotherly love.
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And Marin is the perfect "fish out of water" on the road with the band. I love how smart and driven she is. And these two are both sexy and sweet.
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This first half of this book seems overly drawn out. I feel like it could have been edited down and had a much better pace. I like a slow burn, but at the beginning this book just felt slow. Similarly, the epilogue was overly wordy, although still really satisfying.
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The love story between Brad and Marin is filled with heat and friendship and vulnerability and I loved their romance and the great ending to this story.
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And Marin is the perfect "fish out of water" on the road with the band. I love how smart and driven she is. And these two are both sexy and sweet.
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This first half of this book seems overly drawn out. I feel like it could have been edited down and had a much better pace. I like a slow burn, but at the beginning this book just felt slow. Similarly, the epilogue was overly wordy, although still really satisfying.
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The love story between Brad and Marin is filled with heat and friendship and vulnerability and I loved their romance and the great ending to this story.
This book contained the words "beefy erection" and I'm pretty sure that's all I need to write for this review.
Okay, I'll add a bit more. Oh, how I love and Enemies to Lovers romance and the snapping, heated, foreplay-fighting between Wes and Bethany was epically good. There were so many good things about this story. There is an age gap, with Bethany being 7 years older than Wes and I loved her insecurity about the gap. Wes has taken in his half-sister's daughter and he is beautifully inept as a first time parent. I love how these two stumble through adjusting to raising a child with his niece. Bethany has an anxiety disorder, which I just really appreciate in romance novels. Normalizing this issue and giving it to a strong, powerful, and smart female is the best sort of character writing.
Let me tell you, the steamy scenes between these two are freaking HOT. Kindle-melting hot. Dirty Talk for days and it's perfection.
My only qualm with this book (and I have this qualm often with books that feature small children) is that the child in this book is so very perfect. Besides waking before sunrise, she is the ultimate fantasy Kindergartner. It's just not possible. I always wish authors would throw in a tantrum, an eye roll, some back talk, some picky eating...anything to make this kid real and flawed as well. Instead we get wonderfully flawed adults and a completely unrealistic child.
Child perfection aside, this book is steamy, sweet, funny, sexy, and wonderful!
Okay, I'll add a bit more. Oh, how I love and Enemies to Lovers romance and the snapping, heated, foreplay-fighting between Wes and Bethany was epically good. There were so many good things about this story. There is an age gap, with Bethany being 7 years older than Wes and I loved her insecurity about the gap. Wes has taken in his half-sister's daughter and he is beautifully inept as a first time parent. I love how these two stumble through adjusting to raising a child with his niece. Bethany has an anxiety disorder, which I just really appreciate in romance novels. Normalizing this issue and giving it to a strong, powerful, and smart female is the best sort of character writing.
Let me tell you, the steamy scenes between these two are freaking HOT. Kindle-melting hot. Dirty Talk for days and it's perfection.
My only qualm with this book (and I have this qualm often with books that feature small children) is that the child in this book is so very perfect. Besides waking before sunrise, she is the ultimate fantasy Kindergartner. It's just not possible. I always wish authors would throw in a tantrum, an eye roll, some back talk, some picky eating...anything to make this kid real and flawed as well. Instead we get wonderfully flawed adults and a completely unrealistic child.
Child perfection aside, this book is steamy, sweet, funny, sexy, and wonderful!
Ermmmm...I never really got past the CREEPY factor in this book.
Sarah works at a lingerie store. Every month Jared Gaines makes a personal appointment with her so he can buy lingerie for the women in his life. One day during an appointment he asks Sarah's clothing size AND her bra size. So....yep. Pretty creepy.
Jared then sends her lingerie from his shopping trip as a gift. TO HER HOUSE. When she never gave him her home address. More expensive gifts follow. All the while he is pretty much a total asshole to her. Not "cute grumpy". Asshole-insulting-her grumpy.
Yes, the book continues and he changes for the better, but how do you get past an intro like THAT?
I couldn't.
RATING:⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS: Fatal car accident
Sarah works at a lingerie store. Every month Jared Gaines makes a personal appointment with her so he can buy lingerie for the women in his life. One day during an appointment he asks Sarah's clothing size AND her bra size. So....yep. Pretty creepy.
Jared then sends her lingerie from his shopping trip as a gift. TO HER HOUSE. When she never gave him her home address. More expensive gifts follow. All the while he is pretty much a total asshole to her. Not "cute grumpy". Asshole-insulting-her grumpy.
Yes, the book continues and he changes for the better, but how do you get past an intro like THAT?
I couldn't.
RATING:⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS: Fatal car accident
Damn, but I love a romance with a mixed-race couple! I have read one book by Cindi Madsen before and really liked it so I was excited for this Holiday Romance.
Gavin is a professional football player who has sustained an injury and is feeling uncertain about his future in the sport. He returns home for the holidays to rest his hurt shoulder. Julie is his super-smart, but sometimes socially awkward, best friend since they were born. Their parents are both in very happy marriages and decide to try and push these two to change their relationship from friends to romance over the Christmas visit.
These two were so cute together and I loved watching their relationship begin to slowly change as their attraction to each other suddenly grows. This is a very slow burn and I didn't feel like we got a lot of forward movement until well beyond 50% through the book, but the moments of sizzle and the sweet friendship between these characters were enough to keep me reading.
I have to say, I know part of this trope is external forces trying to push the main characters to change their relationship, but I found the interference by the parents to be over-the-top to the point where I felt pissed off.
I also wish there was a bit more discussion about the fact that these two are heading into a mixed-race relationship. There WAS some discussion of race by Gavin's sister as she discussed being both female and black in the world of sports, but we get no other nod to the fact that these two lead characters are mixed race besides their physical descriptions. I don't want that to take over the entire book, but to not acknowledge it at all seems like a wasted opportunity.
Now, to the important stuff. Holy Shma-Moly! When these two finally decide to get it on do they ever GET. IT. ON. Their steamy scenes are super hot and I was so here for it! I also loved that when the crap hit the fan that Julie was completely up front and unapologetic about her feelings. She was strong and didn't people-please. BRAVO!
This is a steamy and sweet read of friends to lovers with a holiday theme that will melt your heart this Winter!
Gavin is a professional football player who has sustained an injury and is feeling uncertain about his future in the sport. He returns home for the holidays to rest his hurt shoulder. Julie is his super-smart, but sometimes socially awkward, best friend since they were born. Their parents are both in very happy marriages and decide to try and push these two to change their relationship from friends to romance over the Christmas visit.
These two were so cute together and I loved watching their relationship begin to slowly change as their attraction to each other suddenly grows. This is a very slow burn and I didn't feel like we got a lot of forward movement until well beyond 50% through the book, but the moments of sizzle and the sweet friendship between these characters were enough to keep me reading.
I have to say, I know part of this trope is external forces trying to push the main characters to change their relationship, but I found the interference by the parents to be over-the-top to the point where I felt pissed off.
I also wish there was a bit more discussion about the fact that these two are heading into a mixed-race relationship. There WAS some discussion of race by Gavin's sister as she discussed being both female and black in the world of sports, but we get no other nod to the fact that these two lead characters are mixed race besides their physical descriptions. I don't want that to take over the entire book, but to not acknowledge it at all seems like a wasted opportunity.
Now, to the important stuff. Holy Shma-Moly! When these two finally decide to get it on do they ever GET. IT. ON. Their steamy scenes are super hot and I was so here for it! I also loved that when the crap hit the fan that Julie was completely up front and unapologetic about her feelings. She was strong and didn't people-please. BRAVO!
This is a steamy and sweet read of friends to lovers with a holiday theme that will melt your heart this Winter!
Well, THAT was not for me.
I'm never too into love triangle romances in general
because it always feels like someone's "cheating", even when it's more "emotional cheating". But, in this book you get the ACTUAL cheating. It was really weird reading descriptive, open door, sex scenes between the same woman and two different men.
It's a shame because this book had really engaging characters and good writing. But the cheating destroyed it for me.
Also important to note there is ZERO talk of condoms, birth control, or use of protection in this book despite there being multiple sex scenes with two different men and the leading lady.
I kept wishing that one of them men had never been in the story at all. This could have been a great book without the love triangle. I know some readers are into this trope, but it's just not for me. Lesson learned.
RATING: ⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated NC-17
TRIGGERS: Fatal aneurysm, cheating
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'm never too into love triangle romances in general
because it always feels like someone's "cheating", even when it's more "emotional cheating". But, in this book you get the ACTUAL cheating. It was really weird reading descriptive, open door, sex scenes between the same woman and two different men.
It's a shame because this book had really engaging characters and good writing. But the cheating destroyed it for me.
Also important to note there is ZERO talk of condoms, birth control, or use of protection in this book despite there being multiple sex scenes with two different men and the leading lady.
I kept wishing that one of them men had never been in the story at all. This could have been a great book without the love triangle. I know some readers are into this trope, but it's just not for me. Lesson learned.
RATING: ⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated NC-17
TRIGGERS: Fatal aneurysm, cheating
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was definitely my least favorite book of this series. I did love how the author tackled PTSD among Veterans and the distinct challenges that come with that in regards to a romantic relationship. But, a lot of this book felt like "Bully Romance" and "Hate Sex" and that's just not my thing. The story was really about these two needing each other on a fundamental level, but that was overshadowed for me by the constant push and pull (pun intended) of the angry sex followed by shame and avoidance.
I loved the first book in this series, but this one was less successful for me. I loved that the characters are so totally opposite, but still drawn to each other. WB is all business and straight lines while Joy is a free spirit! Watching these two try and understand each other was fun and funny!
Where it fell a bit flat for me was WB being a majorly judgmental dick for the majority of the book. It made him completely unlikable for the first 3/4 of reading and it made it hard to root for him as a leading man.
Where it fell a bit flat for me was WB being a majorly judgmental dick for the majority of the book. It made him completely unlikable for the first 3/4 of reading and it made it hard to root for him as a leading man.
Alert! Alert! BADASS FEMALE LEAD!!!
I mean, Jodie is the female lead you NEED in your life. She is smart, driven, and a martial arts expert. She can kick Mitch's ass and that is one of the things he likes about her. Mitch is a confirmed bachelor, but the moment he lays eyes on Jodie he knows she is different than other women.
If you are here for steamy sex scenes then PULL UP A CHAIR because this book is insanely hot. And the story is also completely captivating, super smart, and will have your heart swooning and your panties melting. You also get a mini romance within the romance that is equally satisfying!
TRIGGERS: domestic violence against women
I mean, Jodie is the female lead you NEED in your life. She is smart, driven, and a martial arts expert. She can kick Mitch's ass and that is one of the things he likes about her. Mitch is a confirmed bachelor, but the moment he lays eyes on Jodie he knows she is different than other women.
If you are here for steamy sex scenes then PULL UP A CHAIR because this book is insanely hot. And the story is also completely captivating, super smart, and will have your heart swooning and your panties melting. You also get a mini romance within the romance that is equally satisfying!
TRIGGERS: domestic violence against women
