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ratetheromance's Reviews (659)
Oh, my HEART! This book is perfectly, divinely, wonderful.
I knew I would love this book when I found myself snort-laughing through the entire first chapter. A funeral with a eulogy equal parts sweet and hilarious. And the cast of offbeat characters at that funeral show you exactly how wonderful this book will be.
This couple is the perfect Opposite Attract. Cade is all buttoned-up, straight-laced, composure and Selena is free and wild and open. This is one of those literary couples who cease to be fictional while you are reading and you find yourself invested in them in a way that may not he entirely healthy to feel about fictional characters.
And the CHEMISTRY. Geez, my ovaries almost exploded. And the steamy scenes are fire! This entire book comes with a huge dose of sex positivity. And Selena is the champion of it all! She is open, but gentle and intuitive as she guides others to find their own happiness in their body and their sexuality. Never forcing her views on sex, just guiding others.
And I loved that this story does not take you exactly where you think it will, but by the end you realize that it all turned out just as it should. Holy crap, this book is making my philosophical AF.
Let me stem my gushing for long enough to say...READ THIS BOOK. You won't be sorry.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS: parent abandonment, teacher/student sexual relationship, imbalance of power, toxic ex, cancer
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: So many feels you might tear up.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/3533nOv (aff.)
I knew I would love this book when I found myself snort-laughing through the entire first chapter. A funeral with a eulogy equal parts sweet and hilarious. And the cast of offbeat characters at that funeral show you exactly how wonderful this book will be.
This couple is the perfect Opposite Attract. Cade is all buttoned-up, straight-laced, composure and Selena is free and wild and open. This is one of those literary couples who cease to be fictional while you are reading and you find yourself invested in them in a way that may not he entirely healthy to feel about fictional characters.
And the CHEMISTRY. Geez, my ovaries almost exploded. And the steamy scenes are fire! This entire book comes with a huge dose of sex positivity. And Selena is the champion of it all! She is open, but gentle and intuitive as she guides others to find their own happiness in their body and their sexuality. Never forcing her views on sex, just guiding others.
And I loved that this story does not take you exactly where you think it will, but by the end you realize that it all turned out just as it should. Holy crap, this book is making my philosophical AF.
Let me stem my gushing for long enough to say...READ THIS BOOK. You won't be sorry.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS: parent abandonment, teacher/student sexual relationship, imbalance of power, toxic ex, cancer
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: So many feels you might tear up.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/3533nOv (aff.)
This book had a FANTASTIC beginning! This meet cute is TO DIE FOR. And then there is a very unexpected twist that really grabbed me. But, in the end, this book was short on ROMANCE.
Sex? Yep.
Chemistry? Totally.
Romance? Nope.
Being there for someone when their life falls apart is kind of romantic, I guess, but these two characters had no time where they just got to know each other, no fun moments, no swoony sighs. Just sexual attraction and then a series of shitty life events that they struggled through together. I was missing the "falling in love" part.
This book wasn't bad, just missing something.
SIDE NOTE: Based on the cover I legit thought this might be an old-timey romance. Why are they dressed like Anne of Green Gables characters? In this book these two literally wear jeans/tee and yoga pants every day. Weirdness.
Sex? Yep.
Chemistry? Totally.
Romance? Nope.
Being there for someone when their life falls apart is kind of romantic, I guess, but these two characters had no time where they just got to know each other, no fun moments, no swoony sighs. Just sexual attraction and then a series of shitty life events that they struggled through together. I was missing the "falling in love" part.
This book wasn't bad, just missing something.
SIDE NOTE: Based on the cover I legit thought this might be an old-timey romance. Why are they dressed like Anne of Green Gables characters? In this book these two literally wear jeans/tee and yoga pants every day. Weirdness.
I liked that this book had the MALE lead as the one jilted at the alter and I enjoyed the leads being from different worlds, but I just felt no chemistry between Jubilee and Blake. I wanted to love them together, since they were each likable characters as individuals, but I was missing the spark between them.
I received a gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
I received a gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Karla Sorensen is so good at writing complex characters and FORBIDDEN is no exception!
Isabel is strong, tough, a total badass, compassionate, and loving. She is NOT a girly, cupcake-bakery owner (although I love those heroines too). I just adored how she was her own kind of person. She is not necessarily a "tomboy". So often, in books we get one or the other.
Isabel is complex and so lovable. She sucks at cooking, can't sing lullabies, and is not an overtly gentle mom-type of female. But she IS the perfect fit for the Single Dad and his sweet (but rambunctious) daughter so many other reasons. We need more female characters like this in Romance!
Aiden is also wonderfully complex. His back story and hesitation to fall in love again feels genuine and authentic. It's so much more than "I have loved and lost before". Again, this displays the author's skill as a writer. There is nothing cliche about these characters.
You KNOW I am constantly annoyed by perfect children in Romance. Anya is another great example of a complex character. She isn't perfect, but she isn't a hell-beast either. She is very much like a real child. Sometimes sweet. Sometimes disobedient. It's so refreshing.
This love story is truly sweet and memorable. I love this story of love and loss and how we heal. You will fall in love with these characters just like I did! And the slow burn will destroy you (in a GOOD way).
This entire series has been so good! I hope there are more books to come.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:Death of spouse, cancer,
death of parent, parent abandonment
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: *So many feels you might tear up a bit.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/3oF0Ymo (aff.)
Isabel is strong, tough, a total badass, compassionate, and loving. She is NOT a girly, cupcake-bakery owner (although I love those heroines too). I just adored how she was her own kind of person. She is not necessarily a "tomboy". So often, in books we get one or the other.
Isabel is complex and so lovable. She sucks at cooking, can't sing lullabies, and is not an overtly gentle mom-type of female. But she IS the perfect fit for the Single Dad and his sweet (but rambunctious) daughter so many other reasons. We need more female characters like this in Romance!
Aiden is also wonderfully complex. His back story and hesitation to fall in love again feels genuine and authentic. It's so much more than "I have loved and lost before". Again, this displays the author's skill as a writer. There is nothing cliche about these characters.
You KNOW I am constantly annoyed by perfect children in Romance. Anya is another great example of a complex character. She isn't perfect, but she isn't a hell-beast either. She is very much like a real child. Sometimes sweet. Sometimes disobedient. It's so refreshing.
This love story is truly sweet and memorable. I love this story of love and loss and how we heal. You will fall in love with these characters just like I did! And the slow burn will destroy you (in a GOOD way).
This entire series has been so good! I hope there are more books to come.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:Death of spouse, cancer,
death of parent, parent abandonment
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: *So many feels you might tear up a bit.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/3oF0Ymo (aff.)
I have loved this series, but this book fell flat for me. Second Chance at Love stories usually have two parts: the past love story and the present story of falling in love all over again. This book was a bit short on both.
The reader knows that Gabriel and Nora had a No Strongs Sex arrangement in the past that ended badly because Nora began to have feelings for him. We never get to know the process of how Nora developed those feelings. But we also get zero dates or swoony moments with these two once they reconnect.
BACK TO US is entirely about them fighting about why they can or can't be together, as a couple, now. There is just legitimately NO romance in this book.
There is A LOT of these two interacting with other couples/people within this series. This only serves to move the SERIES narrative along, but adds almost nothing to their own love story.
In the end, this is a love story in which we never get to read the story of the two characters falling in love.
I received a gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
RATING:⭐️⭐️
The reader knows that Gabriel and Nora had a No Strongs Sex arrangement in the past that ended badly because Nora began to have feelings for him. We never get to know the process of how Nora developed those feelings. But we also get zero dates or swoony moments with these two once they reconnect.
BACK TO US is entirely about them fighting about why they can or can't be together, as a couple, now. There is just legitimately NO romance in this book.
There is A LOT of these two interacting with other couples/people within this series. This only serves to move the SERIES narrative along, but adds almost nothing to their own love story.
In the end, this is a love story in which we never get to read the story of the two characters falling in love.
I received a gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
RATING:⭐️⭐️
I read THE ROOMMATE and I am embarrassed to say it was very much out of my steam level comfort zone. This is something I am actively working on changing. A lifetime of conditioning by society and, in my case, religion has made this a hard battle to fight. My goal is to someday re-read THE ROOMMATE with no discomfort at all.
I was absolutely thrilled when reading THE INTIMACY EXPERIMENT. Yes, it still pushes back against those societal voices that say "sex workers and porn stars are amoral people", but it didn't push me quite as forcefully off that cliff. THIS was the book I was ready for in order to challenge me to fight against those voices. Baby steps, people.
Rosie Danan perfectly creates a story that blends ancient religion with modern sex. Showing over and over that these two things are not in opposition to each other. That a person can be dedicated to God or a chosen faith and still enjoy and embrace sex. Even those who are much more progressive in their thoughts on sexuality will likely find a ton of thinking points as this story unfolds.
Now, this review has really brought out English Lit degree Emilie. It's getting deeply analytical here, but may I add a very horny WOWZA to this review? Because you will need a regulation-size FIRE HOSE to douse you after reading this book. It is freaking HOT. How this author balanced a story very much about faith and God with this amount of hot sex is admirable.
HEAR ME OUT: A Sex Pulitzer Prize.
Just saying.
This is easily one of the best books I have read this year and I will for sure be re-reading it in the future. Put this at the top of your TBR a.s.a.p.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated NC-17
TRIGGERS: Death of parent, faith crises, slut shaming (challenged)
FEELS-O-METER: 2/5
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/2S4Rpkf (aff.)
I was absolutely thrilled when reading THE INTIMACY EXPERIMENT. Yes, it still pushes back against those societal voices that say "sex workers and porn stars are amoral people", but it didn't push me quite as forcefully off that cliff. THIS was the book I was ready for in order to challenge me to fight against those voices. Baby steps, people.
Rosie Danan perfectly creates a story that blends ancient religion with modern sex. Showing over and over that these two things are not in opposition to each other. That a person can be dedicated to God or a chosen faith and still enjoy and embrace sex. Even those who are much more progressive in their thoughts on sexuality will likely find a ton of thinking points as this story unfolds.
Now, this review has really brought out English Lit degree Emilie. It's getting deeply analytical here, but may I add a very horny WOWZA to this review? Because you will need a regulation-size FIRE HOSE to douse you after reading this book. It is freaking HOT. How this author balanced a story very much about faith and God with this amount of hot sex is admirable.
HEAR ME OUT: A Sex Pulitzer Prize.
Just saying.
This is easily one of the best books I have read this year and I will for sure be re-reading it in the future. Put this at the top of your TBR a.s.a.p.
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STEAM LEVEL: Rated NC-17
TRIGGERS: Death of parent, faith crises, slut shaming (challenged)
FEELS-O-METER: 2/5
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/2S4Rpkf (aff.)
This book was recommended to my by my Bookstagram friends and I ended up loving it! The set-up that the female lead pulls the male lead from a burning car after a car accident is such a great starting point and it only gets better from there!
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First, I LOVE a female lead with an atypical Romance book body type and Catherine is a full-fledged member of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee!
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First, I LOVE a female lead with an atypical Romance book body type and Catherine is a full-fledged member of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee!
I am am Romance Audiobook newbie. I have to admit to going into this not really sure what the hype is about listening to romances as opposed to reading them. But, daaaaaammmmmn, did MOST ELIGIBLE BILLIONAIRE ever change my mind.
AUDIOBOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Neva Nevarre is the narrator of the female part and she is perfect! Her comedic delivery was spot on and I laughed out loud so many times! She has a very every-girl voice that makes you feel like you would know her and love her in real life. She was funny and her voice was engaging. But, the star of the show was Jason Clarke. Holy hell, can that man melt panties with his gravely voice. Again, his reading felt not just sexy AF, but his vocal mannerism really brought the character to life perfectly. I would let him whisper the phonebook into my ear any time he wants.
STORY / BOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also really loved this book! I read Return Billionaire to Sender by this author first and it was just okay for me, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, but it was HILARIOUS and sweet and totally enjoyable!
The hate-banter between Vicky and Henry is EPIC. This is Enemies-To-Lovers gold and I snort-laughed with each new interaction. But as the relationship changes my laughs went to dreamy sighs. These two are so sweet together and I loved their evolution as they fall in love.
This book also tackled some tough topics and did so with care and honesty. I loved the back story of each of these characters and the ending of the book is so sweetly satisfyingly you will finish with a dreamy smile on your face.
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:Past sexual assault, victim gaslighting, online bullying, emotionally distant parents, parent drug addiction
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: So many feels you might tear up a bit!
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/35BNv64 (aff.)
AUDIOBOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Neva Nevarre is the narrator of the female part and she is perfect! Her comedic delivery was spot on and I laughed out loud so many times! She has a very every-girl voice that makes you feel like you would know her and love her in real life. She was funny and her voice was engaging. But, the star of the show was Jason Clarke. Holy hell, can that man melt panties with his gravely voice. Again, his reading felt not just sexy AF, but his vocal mannerism really brought the character to life perfectly. I would let him whisper the phonebook into my ear any time he wants.
STORY / BOOK ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also really loved this book! I read Return Billionaire to Sender by this author first and it was just okay for me, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, but it was HILARIOUS and sweet and totally enjoyable!
The hate-banter between Vicky and Henry is EPIC. This is Enemies-To-Lovers gold and I snort-laughed with each new interaction. But as the relationship changes my laughs went to dreamy sighs. These two are so sweet together and I loved their evolution as they fall in love.
This book also tackled some tough topics and did so with care and honesty. I loved the back story of each of these characters and the ending of the book is so sweetly satisfyingly you will finish with a dreamy smile on your face.
STEAM LEVEL: Rated R
TRIGGERS:Past sexual assault, victim gaslighting, online bullying, emotionally distant parents, parent drug addiction
FEELS-O-METER: 3/5: So many feels you might tear up a bit!
BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/35BNv64 (aff.)
