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Reckless Need by Scarlett Scott
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Very soon in, about 1%
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 5 months later
Format: read an e-book version through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: I recently finished book 2, Rebel Love, and decided to dive into this story right away.
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
It’s probably best in order, because so many of the characters are overlapping...but the romance itself stands alone.
Basic plot:
Heath is looking for a bride and can’t seem to keep his hands off Tia.
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian – 1882
- house party
- widow heroine
- compromised heroine
- Duke hero
- artist hero
- instalust
- he’ll carry you when you injure your foot
- some other woman/other man elements
- he will, ahem, warm you in the abandoned cabin when you’re cold
- higher steam – 7 full scenes plus some kisses
Ages:
- heroine is 25, didn’t see hero mentioned
First line:
If there was one thing in the world that Tia, Lady Stokey, adored, it was parties.
My thoughts:
I am really struggling with this series and I’m a bit sad. The first book just had a bunch of stuff I personally get annoyed with. The second book I enjoyed the first half, but the second half again went to a bunch of stuff I didn’t love. This one...I guess it just didn’t have much tension for me which is what I live for in romance and I ended up not really liking either main character much, so that really dwindled my enjoyment.
I think if you’re looking for a fast faced, steamy read with an angsty ending (with some elements of other man and other woman woven in) then this will work great for you!
Some specific details about why this didn’t work for me -
Struggle summary – I was bored. There’s major instalust here and they fall into sex pretty fast. They keep doing it repeatedly, get caught and forced into marriage. But then, the hero all of sudden can’t be ‘sniffing around her skirts’ and spending so much time with her so he’s rather cold to her. Why? He was up her butt the entire house party but now that they are married he can’t be? Didn’t make sense to me. Then the animosity grew between them as he kept himself closed off from her and she kept pushing boundaries and not listening to his wishes. I ended up not liking either of them. I felt like the hero was mean for no reason and the heroine didn’t respect the hero and it was hurtful and frustrating to read.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 4
Average rating:
Favorite book: Her Errant Earl
Quotes
“Ah ha,” she called out in delight. “I’ve found you now, you little minx.”
But her moment of triumph was terribly abridged, for the noise-making culprit, seated on a bench before her, was not Miss Whitney. Nor, in fact, was it even a female. Quite the opposite.
Dear heavens. Eyes the same wistful color as a summer sky met hers, stealing her breath. She stopped, her heart thumping as madly as a runaway stallion’s hooves. The man staring back at her, an open book in his large hands, a golden brow raised, was decidedly as far as one could get from the petite, Virginia-born Miss Whitney.
“I daresay I’ve been called a great number of things in my life, but never yet a little minx,” drawled the Duke of Devonshire as he stood and bowed to her.
---
“I’m sure I shall regret this in the morning, but I’m in the mood to be wicked tonight.”
It was all he needed to hear. He grabbed her hand in his before she could change her mind. “Let’s be wicked together.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- brief mention of a somewhat unpleasant marriage
- minor alcohol usage
- the hero does tie the heroine to the bed (and fucks her) but then leaves her tied for like an hour, alone
- death of a fiance remembered
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: No
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? There is a child side character that’s a teenager (the heroine is kind of her companion – the girl is the daughter of a friend) and the heroine gets pregnant at the end of the story
7% - kisses
16% - 🔥 kisses that eventually lead to bj for him (incomplete), oral for her, missionary
”Open your legs for me,” he said, part command, part request. It was his turn to ply sensual torture, and he’d never wanted anything more in his life than he wanted to make Tia come on his tongue.
26% - kiss
34% - 🔥 kisses, missionary in the abandoned cabin
“Tia.” His voice was low, seductive and rough, at once whiskey and silk to her senses.
He was warning her, she knew. If she pushed him one inch more, he’d fall off the ledge and take her with him. “Heath,” she returned, enjoying his name on her tongue. “I don’t think I want you to be noble just now.”
42% - kiss
47% - 🔥 kisses, missionary
“Good. I want you on fire for me, darling. Naked and wet and hungry.” Dear, sweet God. The things he did to her. He hadn’t even kissed her mouth yet, for heaven’s sake, and she was already quivering, a wanton woman in his arms.
63% - 🔥 he ties her to the bed, fingering for her, missionary
He caught her with his teeth, lightly tugging. “At last, silence,” he said against her skin. “It would seem I’ve discovered the way to keep you quiet.”
He sank a finger inside her to the hilt.
69% - 🔥 blow job (incomplete), missionary
“I thought you were determined to finish painting,” she said, and though her tone was mild, her voice was breathless.
It would seem he wasn’t the only one affected. He caught her hand and pressed it to the demanding ridge of his cock. “Does it feel as if I want to paint at the moment?”
Her eyes darkened, her fingers working on the fastenings of his trousers. “No.”
75% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary
She stroked him, knowing by now just what he liked.
“Damn it, woman.” He shucked his trousers, divested her of her chemise and swept her into his arms before carrying her to the bed dominating the far side of the room.
88% - 🔥 kisses, sex against the wall
”I would never ask that of you, Heath. I’m yours.” She caressed her jaw, eager to touch him now that he was back in her life. The last few days had been interminable. She had missed him so very much.
He crushed her against him, his mouth swooping perilously near to hers. “Say it again.”
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Very soon in, about 1%
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 5 months later
Format: read an e-book version through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: I recently finished book 2, Rebel Love, and decided to dive into this story right away.
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
It’s probably best in order, because so many of the characters are overlapping...but the romance itself stands alone.
Basic plot:
Heath is looking for a bride and can’t seem to keep his hands off Tia.
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian – 1882
- house party
- widow heroine
- compromised heroine
- Duke hero
- artist hero
- instalust
- he’ll carry you when you injure your foot
- some other woman/other man elements
- he will, ahem, warm you in the abandoned cabin when you’re cold
- higher steam – 7 full scenes plus some kisses
Ages:
- heroine is 25, didn’t see hero mentioned
First line:
If there was one thing in the world that Tia, Lady Stokey, adored, it was parties.
My thoughts:
I am really struggling with this series and I’m a bit sad. The first book just had a bunch of stuff I personally get annoyed with. The second book I enjoyed the first half, but the second half again went to a bunch of stuff I didn’t love. This one...I guess it just didn’t have much tension for me which is what I live for in romance and I ended up not really liking either main character much, so that really dwindled my enjoyment.
I think if you’re looking for a fast faced, steamy read with an angsty ending (with some elements of other man and other woman woven in) then this will work great for you!
Some specific details about why this didn’t work for me -
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 4
Average rating:
Favorite book: Her Errant Earl
Quotes
“Ah ha,” she called out in delight. “I’ve found you now, you little minx.”
But her moment of triumph was terribly abridged, for the noise-making culprit, seated on a bench before her, was not Miss Whitney. Nor, in fact, was it even a female. Quite the opposite.
Dear heavens. Eyes the same wistful color as a summer sky met hers, stealing her breath. She stopped, her heart thumping as madly as a runaway stallion’s hooves. The man staring back at her, an open book in his large hands, a golden brow raised, was decidedly as far as one could get from the petite, Virginia-born Miss Whitney.
“I daresay I’ve been called a great number of things in my life, but never yet a little minx,” drawled the Duke of Devonshire as he stood and bowed to her.
---
“I’m sure I shall regret this in the morning, but I’m in the mood to be wicked tonight.”
It was all he needed to hear. He grabbed her hand in his before she could change her mind. “Let’s be wicked together.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- brief mention of a somewhat unpleasant marriage
- minor alcohol usage
- the hero does tie the heroine to the bed (and fucks her) but then leaves her tied for like an hour, alone
- death of a fiance remembered
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
7% - kisses
16% - 🔥 kisses that eventually lead to bj for him (incomplete), oral for her, missionary
”Open your legs for me,” he said, part command, part request. It was his turn to ply sensual torture, and he’d never wanted anything more in his life than he wanted to make Tia come on his tongue.
26% - kiss
34% - 🔥 kisses, missionary in the abandoned cabin
“Tia.” His voice was low, seductive and rough, at once whiskey and silk to her senses.
He was warning her, she knew. If she pushed him one inch more, he’d fall off the ledge and take her with him. “Heath,” she returned, enjoying his name on her tongue. “I don’t think I want you to be noble just now.”
42% - kiss
47% - 🔥 kisses, missionary
“Good. I want you on fire for me, darling. Naked and wet and hungry.” Dear, sweet God. The things he did to her. He hadn’t even kissed her mouth yet, for heaven’s sake, and she was already quivering, a wanton woman in his arms.
63% - 🔥 he ties her to the bed, fingering for her, missionary
He caught her with his teeth, lightly tugging. “At last, silence,” he said against her skin. “It would seem I’ve discovered the way to keep you quiet.”
He sank a finger inside her to the hilt.
69% - 🔥 blow job (incomplete), missionary
“I thought you were determined to finish painting,” she said, and though her tone was mild, her voice was breathless.
It would seem he wasn’t the only one affected. He caught her hand and pressed it to the demanding ridge of his cock. “Does it feel as if I want to paint at the moment?”
Her eyes darkened, her fingers working on the fastenings of his trousers. “No.”
75% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary
She stroked him, knowing by now just what he liked.
“Damn it, woman.” He shucked his trousers, divested her of her chemise and swept her into his arms before carrying her to the bed dominating the far side of the room.
88% - 🔥 kisses, sex against the wall
”I would never ask that of you, Heath. I’m yours.” She caressed her jaw, eager to touch him now that he was back in her life. The last few days had been interminable. She had missed him so very much.
He crushed her against him, his mouth swooping perilously near to hers. “Say it again.”
Rebel Love by Scarlett Scott
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (These scenes were a bit light compared to her later work)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine (and a brief section from the heroine’s mother)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: very soon in, about 2%
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later?
Format: read an e-book version through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: It was our book of the month in Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats group on FB – I read book 1 awhile ago because I wanted to start chronologically with Scott’s work so I was looking to continue the series!
Mains: This a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This might be all right out of order, but the events of book 1 happen concurrently in the first part of the book and then the mains of book 1 do have a decent amount of page time so I think it’s best in order!
Basic plot:
Lady Bella wants Mr Whitney, but her mother demands no less than a coronet….
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian – 1880
- bespectacled, book loving heroine
- brother’s best friend
- house party
- ex-soldier hero
- English heroine / American hero – he’s from Virginia
- longing – from both!
- hero has dimples
- age gap – he’s older by 15 years
- overcoming parental objection
- medium steam – 3ish full scenes. They are explicit enough but definitely light in language compared to her later works
Ages:
- heroine is 21, hero is around 36
First line:
Maman wanted to marry her off.
My thoughts:
So – I LOVED the first half of this book. I thought it was so cute and I am a fool for any kind of longing that goes unrewarded...it’s not really unrequited since it’s on both sides haha. And I loved so many scenes, and found so many quotes I adored…
But then about halfway through, it switched and I just didn’t like it anymore. It went to tropes I really dislike. They had a separation. A lack of communication. (view spoiler) And I was just annoyed with both of these mains. It didn’t get better for me and eventually I just wanted it over with.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of book 1 for similar reasons. But I plan on continuing this series. Eventually I want to read all of Scotts work – I read one from her later series and really loved it so I get these earlier novels might not work for me. I do think they will work for most people though. The writing is fine – it’s more the busier plot that got to me and some tropes I just don’t love….
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 3.67
Favorite book: Her Errant Earl
Endearments
The hero calls the heroine ‘darling’.
Quotes
She attempted a smile she could not quite feel. “You have been a boon, truly.”
“You would call your own mother a baboon? Dear Lord, how am I to find a husband for an uncouth girl such as this?”
Her mother addressed the ceiling of the carriage as if she were having a direct audience with the Lord Himself.
Bella would dearly have liked to offer some choice words of her own on the matter, but she wisely refrained. Instead, she counted to five in her head, took a supporting breath, and attempted to correct the dowager. “Maman, I said you’ve been a boon, not a baboon.”
---
She was a parsnip in reverse, she’d decided some time ago. Thick skin on the inside, sweet and soft on the outside. She preferred it that way, for then, everyone underestimated her.
---
“Am I in danger?”
Her fingers wandered from his jaw to his mouth, so manly yet firm. His breath was warm as it fanned against her skin. His eyes fastened upon hers. “Yes,” he said simply, and then she was in his arms.
---
“Think nothing of it,” she repeated his careless words, her tone grown cool. “You say it as though we were discussing nothing more than a speck of dust on the family silver. You kissed me, held me in your arms. Surely it is of more consequence to you than that.”
His eyes flashed with dark emotion. For a moment, his gentleman’s mask slipped to reveal passion hidden beneath his imperturbable facade.
---
Bella couldn’t help but notice how broad and muscular his chest was, dappled with whorls of blond hair. His stomach was taut as a drum. Her mouth went dry. He’d been stripped of his gentleman’s airs. He seemed savage, filled with raw emotion. An answering heat burst into flame inside her. She rather liked the stranger in his place who looked at her as if he wanted to devour her.
A feral grin curved his lips. “It isn’t a friend I’m in need of, Bella,”
She knew she should not ask, but she had never been very good at doing as she ought. “What is it you need?”
He stopped inches from her. “You have by the time I count to fifteen to get out.” Even as he spoke the words, he reached out to caress her waist with a possessiveness he’d never before shown.
Without her corset’s rigid barrier, she could feel his large hands splaying over her, the power and heat so barely contained. Bella took a deep breath and cupped his face. “I won’t leave you,” she vowed.
“One,” he muttered, already working at the double line of buttons on her bodice. “Two.”
Her body was on fire with longing. She wanted very much to kiss him, to comfort him. To make him whole. “Jesse,” she whispered, emboldened enough by the intimacy of the setting to use his given name. “You needn’t exercise your knowledge of arithmetic on my behalf.”
“Fifteen,” he skipped ahead.
---
A warm sensation of victory stirred within her. “You want me?”
He caught her hand in his and pressed it between them, allowing her to feel the ridge of his cock. She gasped, stunned that he would be so bold with a ballroom of guests not far away but nonetheless eager.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- heroine slaps the hero
- hero has some PTSD about the war
- hero is recovering from a hurtful relationship 15 years ago – she betrayed him and it resulted in him being shot
- hero had the existence of his child kept from him for 15 years
- illness and death on page
- the heroine kisses someone else after she’s been with the hero (its consensual...she thinks she was abandoned)
- pregnancy happens on page
- heroine has a miscarriage – the event happens off page, but the aftermath is on page and her grief
- there is a brief mention of the possibility of an abortion
Author content warnings? Didn’t see any
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: Nope
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? Yes. The heroine falls pregnant in the story, but loses the baby (the aftermath is on page) and the hero discovers he has a child from a prior relationship and becomes her guardian about ½ way through the book
7% - kiss
11% - kiss
20% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her
She shivered, aroused to be on display to him, to watch his eyes worship her. And then he buried his face between her legs.
30% - kisses
31% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary
“Hush, darling,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of her breast. He looked up at her and grinned, his dimple flashing for a moment. “You must be as quiet as you can or else we’ll have the dowager storming in to rescue you from this horrid American.”
56% - kiss with the heroine and another man
71% - kisses
78% - kisses
81% - 🔥 handy to bj (incomplete), missionary
”Do I meet with your approval?” she asked innocently.
“Christ yes,” he said on a groan, rising to his feet and surging toward her.
She stopped him with a staying hand on his chest. “No you don’t. It’s my turn now.”
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (These scenes were a bit light compared to her later work)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine (and a brief section from the heroine’s mother)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: very soon in, about 2%
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later?
Format: read an e-book version through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: It was our book of the month in Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats group on FB – I read book 1 awhile ago because I wanted to start chronologically with Scott’s work so I was looking to continue the series!
Mains: This a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This might be all right out of order, but the events of book 1 happen concurrently in the first part of the book and then the mains of book 1 do have a decent amount of page time so I think it’s best in order!
Basic plot:
Lady Bella wants Mr Whitney, but her mother demands no less than a coronet….
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian – 1880
- bespectacled, book loving heroine
- brother’s best friend
- house party
- ex-soldier hero
- English heroine / American hero – he’s from Virginia
- longing – from both!
- hero has dimples
- age gap – he’s older by 15 years
- overcoming parental objection
- medium steam – 3ish full scenes. They are explicit enough but definitely light in language compared to her later works
Ages:
- heroine is 21, hero is around 36
First line:
Maman wanted to marry her off.
My thoughts:
So – I LOVED the first half of this book. I thought it was so cute and I am a fool for any kind of longing that goes unrewarded...it’s not really unrequited since it’s on both sides haha. And I loved so many scenes, and found so many quotes I adored…
But then about halfway through, it switched and I just didn’t like it anymore. It went to tropes I really dislike. They had a separation. A lack of communication. (view spoiler) And I was just annoyed with both of these mains. It didn’t get better for me and eventually I just wanted it over with.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of book 1 for similar reasons. But I plan on continuing this series. Eventually I want to read all of Scotts work – I read one from her later series and really loved it so I get these earlier novels might not work for me. I do think they will work for most people though. The writing is fine – it’s more the busier plot that got to me and some tropes I just don’t love….
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 3.67
Favorite book: Her Errant Earl
Endearments
Quotes
She attempted a smile she could not quite feel. “You have been a boon, truly.”
“You would call your own mother a baboon? Dear Lord, how am I to find a husband for an uncouth girl such as this?”
Her mother addressed the ceiling of the carriage as if she were having a direct audience with the Lord Himself.
Bella would dearly have liked to offer some choice words of her own on the matter, but she wisely refrained. Instead, she counted to five in her head, took a supporting breath, and attempted to correct the dowager. “Maman, I said you’ve been a boon, not a baboon.”
---
She was a parsnip in reverse, she’d decided some time ago. Thick skin on the inside, sweet and soft on the outside. She preferred it that way, for then, everyone underestimated her.
---
“Am I in danger?”
Her fingers wandered from his jaw to his mouth, so manly yet firm. His breath was warm as it fanned against her skin. His eyes fastened upon hers. “Yes,” he said simply, and then she was in his arms.
---
“Think nothing of it,” she repeated his careless words, her tone grown cool. “You say it as though we were discussing nothing more than a speck of dust on the family silver. You kissed me, held me in your arms. Surely it is of more consequence to you than that.”
His eyes flashed with dark emotion. For a moment, his gentleman’s mask slipped to reveal passion hidden beneath his imperturbable facade.
---
Bella couldn’t help but notice how broad and muscular his chest was, dappled with whorls of blond hair. His stomach was taut as a drum. Her mouth went dry. He’d been stripped of his gentleman’s airs. He seemed savage, filled with raw emotion. An answering heat burst into flame inside her. She rather liked the stranger in his place who looked at her as if he wanted to devour her.
A feral grin curved his lips. “It isn’t a friend I’m in need of, Bella,”
She knew she should not ask, but she had never been very good at doing as she ought. “What is it you need?”
He stopped inches from her. “You have by the time I count to fifteen to get out.” Even as he spoke the words, he reached out to caress her waist with a possessiveness he’d never before shown.
Without her corset’s rigid barrier, she could feel his large hands splaying over her, the power and heat so barely contained. Bella took a deep breath and cupped his face. “I won’t leave you,” she vowed.
“One,” he muttered, already working at the double line of buttons on her bodice. “Two.”
Her body was on fire with longing. She wanted very much to kiss him, to comfort him. To make him whole. “Jesse,” she whispered, emboldened enough by the intimacy of the setting to use his given name. “You needn’t exercise your knowledge of arithmetic on my behalf.”
“Fifteen,” he skipped ahead.
---
A warm sensation of victory stirred within her. “You want me?”
He caught her hand in his and pressed it between them, allowing her to feel the ridge of his cock. She gasped, stunned that he would be so bold with a ballroom of guests not far away but nonetheless eager.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- heroine slaps the hero
- hero has some PTSD about the war
- hero is recovering from a hurtful relationship 15 years ago – she betrayed him and it resulted in him being shot
- hero had the existence of his child kept from him for 15 years
- illness and death on page
- the heroine kisses someone else after she’s been with the hero (its consensual...she thinks she was abandoned)
- pregnancy happens on page
- heroine has a miscarriage – the event happens off page, but the aftermath is on page and her grief
- there is a brief mention of the possibility of an abortion
Author content warnings? Didn’t see any
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
7% - kiss
11% - kiss
20% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her
She shivered, aroused to be on display to him, to watch his eyes worship her. And then he buried his face between her legs.
30% - kisses
31% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary
“Hush, darling,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of her breast. He looked up at her and grinned, his dimple flashing for a moment. “You must be as quiet as you can or else we’ll have the dowager storming in to rescue you from this horrid American.”
56% - kiss with the heroine and another man
71% - kisses
78% - kisses
81% - 🔥 handy to bj (incomplete), missionary
”Do I meet with your approval?” she asked innocently.
“Christ yes,” he said on a groan, rising to his feet and surging toward her.
She stopped him with a staying hand on his chest. “No you don’t. It’s my turn now.”
Hotel Games by Cat Wynn
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Overall: 2.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit – definitely plenty of frenemies banter
Perspective: Third person from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happy for now
Epilogue: Not really, but they do arrive at the holiday get together at the end
Format: read an e-book through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: I loved book 1 of this series, Holiday Games and always meant to come back to finish the series!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is fine to pick up alone, but the series is kind of happening concurrently as they are heading towards the holiday get together during a winter storm.
Basic plot:
Olivia and Henry are snowed in at the hotel during a blizzard before their Friendsmas event.
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- best friend’s brother
- snowed in
- one bed at the hotel
- hero is a cardiothoracic surgical resident
- hairstylist heroine
- holiday romance
- enemies to lovers vibes – not true enemies but definite animosity banter between them
- shorter novel
- medium steam – 2 scenes within a shorter page count
Ages:
- both mains are 33
First line:
Olivia Couper sucked on the minty loop of a miniature candy cane.
My thoughts:
Maybe my expectations were too high for this one, because I enjoyed the first book so, so much. But I didn’t like this one much. It was more of a ‘enemies to lovers’ feel with prior hook ups and it felt like they were just left with bickering and animosity.
I liked the hints of unrequited longing from the hero, but overall I didn’t like much about this story except the sex. Which was great. 😆
I think if you love animosity between your mains, and that back and forth banter you will enjoy this one a lot more than me and should give it a try!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: Holiday Games
Quotes
She threw a packet of salt and vinegar chips at Henry. “Since you’re so fucking salty and sour all the time.”
He sat at the end of the bed, bag of chips on his lap. “I actually do like these.”
She watched him with furtive interest as Henry fiddled with his car keys, working the jagged end into the cork of the bottle of wine he’d brought back.
“What kind of wine is that?” she asked.
“Pinot Noir.”
“Hmm. My favorite kind.”
Henry glanced up, his forearm muscles tensed and veins bulged down to his wrist as the cork popped out. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: Heroine is on birth control, but he doesn’t pull out or use condoms
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? No children or pregnancy or talk of future children
40% - remembrance of a prior hook up handy for him (short)
69% - 🔥 sex against the wall in the hotel room
85% - 🔥 oral/fingering for her
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit – definitely plenty of frenemies banter
Perspective: Third person from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happy for now
Epilogue: Not really, but they do arrive at the holiday get together at the end
Format: read an e-book through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: I loved book 1 of this series, Holiday Games and always meant to come back to finish the series!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is fine to pick up alone, but the series is kind of happening concurrently as they are heading towards the holiday get together during a winter storm.
Basic plot:
Olivia and Henry are snowed in at the hotel during a blizzard before their Friendsmas event.
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- best friend’s brother
- snowed in
- one bed at the hotel
- hero is a cardiothoracic surgical resident
- hairstylist heroine
- holiday romance
- enemies to lovers vibes – not true enemies but definite animosity banter between them
- shorter novel
- medium steam – 2 scenes within a shorter page count
Ages:
- both mains are 33
First line:
Olivia Couper sucked on the minty loop of a miniature candy cane.
My thoughts:
Maybe my expectations were too high for this one, because I enjoyed the first book so, so much. But I didn’t like this one much. It was more of a ‘enemies to lovers’ feel with prior hook ups and it felt like they were just left with bickering and animosity.
I liked the hints of unrequited longing from the hero, but overall I didn’t like much about this story except the sex. Which was great. 😆
I think if you love animosity between your mains, and that back and forth banter you will enjoy this one a lot more than me and should give it a try!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: Holiday Games
Quotes
She threw a packet of salt and vinegar chips at Henry. “Since you’re so fucking salty and sour all the time.”
He sat at the end of the bed, bag of chips on his lap. “I actually do like these.”
She watched him with furtive interest as Henry fiddled with his car keys, working the jagged end into the cork of the bottle of wine he’d brought back.
“What kind of wine is that?” she asked.
“Pinot Noir.”
“Hmm. My favorite kind.”
Henry glanced up, his forearm muscles tensed and veins bulged down to his wrist as the cork popped out. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
40% - remembrance of a prior hook up handy for him (short)
69% - 🔥 sex against the wall in the hotel room
85% - 🔥 oral/fingering for her
Marrying the Mountain Man by Hallie Bennett, Hallie Bennett
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
4.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: a touch
Perspective: first person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: very soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, one year later, plus a second epilogue that previews Winston’s story, which is book 5 in the series
Format: read an e-book version through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: I started this series awhile ago. I love Jemma Frost’s historicals and wanted to try her contemporaries (under this name). I was looking through my KU checkouts and decided to read the next in this series.
Mains: This is a M/F relationship
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I don’t think it’s necessary! This one really is fine to dive into alone – but this series all happens in the same small town.
Basic plot:
Shannon feels something is off in her engagement, and it’s solidified when she gets heart sparks at her first meeting with Cole.
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- small town setting (Suitor’s Crossing)
- fated mates vibes – this series features couples that get ‘heart sparks’ that mean they’re your soul mate
- shorter story
- bridal boutique owning heroine
- plus size heroine
- mountain main hero
- instalust/love
- dirty talking hero
- medium steam – 2 full scenes in a shot page count
Ages:
- didn’t catch them (would guess late 20s, early 30s?)
First line:
“Congratulations, you’re going to be a beautiful bride.”
My thoughts:
This is a short and steamy instalove story that was pretty fun! It starts with an uncertain engagement, and ends with a surprising HEA…
These are very short, so you don’t get a lot of character depth. I liked this one overall – loved the idea of finding your soul mate at the perfect time. I do find I don’t get much tension in this series though, because the heart sparks make everyone all in from that moment forward haha.
So, those wanting short and steamy and don’t mind some instalove will love this whole series – but especially this addition to it.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 4 by Bennett (10 if I include her Jemma Frost pen name)
Average rating: 4.5 (4.6 if I include her Jemma Frost pen name)
Favorite book: Protected by the Mountain Man (buuuut probably Earls Prize Curves if I include her Jemma Frost pen name)
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- possible feelings of infidelity – the heroine is engaged to someone else when she meets the hero and gets feeling
- heroine calls to break the engagement off and finds out her fiance was cheating on her
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: no
How’s the consent? it’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? no children or pregnancy here!
39% - fingering for her, sex against the wall with the risk of people coming over
82% - oral for her, missionary
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: a touch
Perspective: first person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: very soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, one year later, plus a second epilogue that previews Winston’s story, which is book 5 in the series
Format: read an e-book version through kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: I started this series awhile ago. I love Jemma Frost’s historicals and wanted to try her contemporaries (under this name). I was looking through my KU checkouts and decided to read the next in this series.
Mains: This is a M/F relationship
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I don’t think it’s necessary! This one really is fine to dive into alone – but this series all happens in the same small town.
Basic plot:
Shannon feels something is off in her engagement, and it’s solidified when she gets heart sparks at her first meeting with Cole.
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- small town setting (Suitor’s Crossing)
- fated mates vibes – this series features couples that get ‘heart sparks’ that mean they’re your soul mate
- shorter story
- bridal boutique owning heroine
- plus size heroine
- mountain main hero
- instalust/love
- dirty talking hero
- medium steam – 2 full scenes in a shot page count
Ages:
- didn’t catch them (would guess late 20s, early 30s?)
First line:
“Congratulations, you’re going to be a beautiful bride.”
My thoughts:
This is a short and steamy instalove story that was pretty fun! It starts with an uncertain engagement, and ends with a surprising HEA…
These are very short, so you don’t get a lot of character depth. I liked this one overall – loved the idea of finding your soul mate at the perfect time. I do find I don’t get much tension in this series though, because the heart sparks make everyone all in from that moment forward haha.
So, those wanting short and steamy and don’t mind some instalove will love this whole series – but especially this addition to it.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 4 by Bennett (10 if I include her Jemma Frost pen name)
Average rating: 4.5 (4.6 if I include her Jemma Frost pen name)
Favorite book: Protected by the Mountain Man (buuuut probably Earls Prize Curves if I include her Jemma Frost pen name)
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- possible feelings of infidelity – the heroine is engaged to someone else when she meets the hero and gets feeling
- heroine calls to break the engagement off and finds out her fiance was cheating on her
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
39% - fingering for her, sex against the wall with the risk of people coming over
82% - oral for her, missionary
Emily's Unmasking by Nicki Pascarella
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, it’s so cute and sweet and funny
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: immediate
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the couple
Epilogue: Yes (maybe a few months in the future?)
Format: read an e-book version that was received for free through a bookfunnel link through the author (check her website!)
Why I chose this book: I saw it either in Nicki Pascarella’s newsletter or instagram post and I love me some novellas right now haha. And I am going to be reading Charlotte’s Kisses and Victoria’s Whispers soon so I thought it might be a good one to dive into with the series.
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
I picked this one up alone and it’s fine! I think it’s a prequel to the Rakes, Rogues, and Scoundrels series which I am going to read soon!
Basic plot:
After a disastrous almost meet-cute, Alexander can’t stop thinking about Emily. Luck is on his side when they are both attending a masquerade ball and he can rekindle their spark.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency – 1818
- Marquess hero
- bookish heroine
- hero is pretty ‘all in’ from the get go!
- he keeps her glove…
- masquerade
- shorter story
- medium steam - 2 full scenes in a shorter book
Ages:
- heroine is about 24, didn’t see hero mentioned
First line:
The rude man in the fancy tailcoat and embroidered waistcoat snatched Emily Coldpepper’s book right out from under her, even though the volume had been sitting on Mr. Mendling’s shelf, collecting dust, for almost a year.
My thoughts:
This novella was so cute and fun. I knew after the first chapter I was going to enjoy this one!
This novella is adorable and playful and oh so sweet. I loved the mains. Alexander is protective and gentle. And Emily is a hoot. This made me so eager to read book 1 of the series, Charlotte’s Kisses – she’s a minor side character here. And I thought it was funny how Alexander is so against their match.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 6
Average rating: 4.83
Favorite book: Oof – maybe this one so far??
Endearments
The hero calls her ‘kitten’.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- there is an evil villain stepmother featuring scenes of abuse, remembered abuse, and implied and on page sexual harassment of the hero by her
- domestic abuse on page – the hero’s stepmother slaps him multiple times
- mention of an ailing parent (hero’s father)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: No
How’s the consent? It’s good between the mains
Pregnancy/children in story? No children or pregnancy on page for the mains, but the alluded to future with children
67% - 🔥fondling by the mirror, fingering for her, missionary
Hungry, nay starving, he nipped at her shoulder. His lips brushed her ear, her scent intoxicating. “Emily, do you want me to stop?”
“No. Oh, no.”
“Are you - “
Before he could finish his question, she spun to face him, her shaky fingers grabbing at his buttons. Apparently, she was as sure as he was, and he was completely and utterly convinced.
90% - 🔥epilogue sex – oral for her, desk sex with light spanking
“Do you want to do it with me?” she asked.
God, yes. “I want to do a million indecent things with you and only you.” He held his breath, waiting to see if he’d horrified her. But he had to be honest, didn’t he?
She hopped off the desk.
Damn, he’d pushed too hard, and now she was running away.
Grinning mischievously, she slipped around to the front of the desk. She braced her elbows on the surface. Leaning forward, she winked as she wriggled her arse.
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, it’s so cute and sweet and funny
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: immediate
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the couple
Epilogue: Yes (maybe a few months in the future?)
Format: read an e-book version that was received for free through a bookfunnel link through the author (check her website!)
Why I chose this book: I saw it either in Nicki Pascarella’s newsletter or instagram post and I love me some novellas right now haha. And I am going to be reading Charlotte’s Kisses and Victoria’s Whispers soon so I thought it might be a good one to dive into with the series.
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
I picked this one up alone and it’s fine! I think it’s a prequel to the Rakes, Rogues, and Scoundrels series which I am going to read soon!
Basic plot:
After a disastrous almost meet-cute, Alexander can’t stop thinking about Emily. Luck is on his side when they are both attending a masquerade ball and he can rekindle their spark.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency – 1818
- Marquess hero
- bookish heroine
- hero is pretty ‘all in’ from the get go!
- he keeps her glove…
- masquerade
- shorter story
- medium steam - 2 full scenes in a shorter book
Ages:
- heroine is about 24, didn’t see hero mentioned
First line:
The rude man in the fancy tailcoat and embroidered waistcoat snatched Emily Coldpepper’s book right out from under her, even though the volume had been sitting on Mr. Mendling’s shelf, collecting dust, for almost a year.
My thoughts:
This novella was so cute and fun. I knew after the first chapter I was going to enjoy this one!
This novella is adorable and playful and oh so sweet. I loved the mains. Alexander is protective and gentle. And Emily is a hoot. This made me so eager to read book 1 of the series, Charlotte’s Kisses – she’s a minor side character here. And I thought it was funny how Alexander is so against their match.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 6
Average rating: 4.83
Favorite book: Oof – maybe this one so far??
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- there is an evil villain stepmother featuring scenes of abuse, remembered abuse, and implied and on page sexual harassment of the hero by her
- domestic abuse on page – the hero’s stepmother slaps him multiple times
- mention of an ailing parent (hero’s father)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
67% - 🔥fondling by the mirror, fingering for her, missionary
Hungry, nay starving, he nipped at her shoulder. His lips brushed her ear, her scent intoxicating. “Emily, do you want me to stop?”
“No. Oh, no.”
“Are you - “
Before he could finish his question, she spun to face him, her shaky fingers grabbing at his buttons. Apparently, she was as sure as he was, and he was completely and utterly convinced.
90% - 🔥epilogue sex – oral for her, desk sex with light spanking
“Do you want to do it with me?” she asked.
God, yes. “I want to do a million indecent things with you and only you.” He held his breath, waiting to see if he’d horrified her. But he had to be honest, didn’t he?
She hopped off the desk.
Damn, he’d pushed too hard, and now she was running away.
Grinning mischievously, she slipped around to the front of the desk. She braced her elbows on the surface. Leaning forward, she winked as she wriggled her arse.
The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: It takes a little bit – about 8%, or Chapter 3
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, maybe a few months in the future?
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form (though it’s very late)
Why I chose this book: It won our January book of the month for Ton and Tartans FB group and I had an old NetGalley ARC languishing on my kindle...(shame, shame)
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
So, maybe for maximum enjoyment, you would like the series in order. Effie (our heroine here) has some minor page time in the first two books (the hero is not mentioned) and in this story, the friends from prior books do participate as side characters. But overall the romance is very stand alone and it will be fine to pick up out of order.
Basic plot:
Gage can’t turn down the opportunity to be debt free – all he must do is distract and court the Lady Evangeline. That can’t be that difficult, right?
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian (I don’t see a year, but book 1 in the series is 1865)
- London countryside setting
- Ten Things I Hate About You retelling
- heroine runs a shelter for lost and starving animals
- hero needs an heiress
- Scottish / English hero
- The Destitute Duke and Lady Ghastly
- size difference – he’s taller
- masked night of fun during ladies’ choice masque – a naughty ton party…
- pugilist hero
- higher steam with a slight slower burn (no action until halfway in!) – 5ish full scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 21, hero is 28
First line:
Lady Evangeline Raine adored the country.
My thoughts:
I didn’t realize until after I started this, that I have read the whole series so far! Go me – and this is definitely my favorite one of the series so far.
I will have to rewatch the movie sometime soon and see if I can find more easter eggs in the retelling of it. I love Ten Things I Hate About You so much, but also adore Clueless – and I watched Clueless right before reading book 2 and was a bit disappointed in that rendition so I didn’t want that to happen again.
I thought this story was so good – except for the big secret. This is why I hate secrets. It looms over the story for me and I just fret, waiting for it to rear it’s ugly head. Because of course no one is going to be open about it. No. They are going to find out in the worst way and feel utterly betrayed. And then not listen to each other. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 5
Average rating: 4.2
Favorite book: The Wolf of Westmore
Quotes
“Enough, pup,” he said in a low, commanding voice. “Calm down or you’ll land yourself back in the mud. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
Evangline stared as her persnickety pet gave a tiny whine and rolled over onto her back, exposing her mud-covered belly. That little hussy! Though Evangline didn’t blame the dog. At the sound of the duke’s velvet command, she wanted to roll over.
---
Her pale eyes glittered with purpose, and good God, Gage suddenly wanted to bottle some of that passion. How was she even real? She’d been stuck in mud for who knew how long, lost her boots, and still had the wherewithal to smile and think about her bloody strays. He stood and held out a hand, and before she could attempt to stand on her own, he swept her up into his arms.
---
Evengeline startled, her lips parting in invitation, chin tilting up, before she could grasp hold of herself, and he didn’t hesitate as his mouth closed the distance to hers, his tongue sweeping in torture hers with a punishing, velvet swipe that had her mind reeling.
He stank of soot and ash, but beneath it, the taste of him emerged like the most wicked of flavors. Rich, delicious, intoxicating. Heavens, she’d never felt anything like this kiss – the abrasion of his stubble, the sleek slide of his tongue, the scrape of his teeth – all the sensations coalescing into unadulterated need.
As if in agreement, a thick arm banded about her waist and yanked her into his lap, making her sharply aware of every hard inch of his body. And he was hard everywhere. His chest, his legs, his groin. Breath ebbed from her as her core pulsed with desire.
---
“Hardly,” Evangeline muttered. “He’s a nuisance.”
“A sultry-as-all-hell nuisance who’s marching over here like a possessive Viking about to toss you over his shoulder and car you back to his ship for plowing,” Briar said out the side of her mouth. “Or perhaps take you to the ground and have his way with you right here.”
“He’s a Highlander, not a Viking, and no one’s plowing anyone, you hussy,” she bit out, ducking her head to hide her fiery blush. If not for that heated kiss they’d shared, the idea would not be so damned titillating. Or start a wicked rhythm between her legs. Evangeline did not want to be carted or taken. Or plowed.
Did she?
---
She was utterly adorable in her confusion, eyes so wide and blue, they were nearly translucent. “I thought you wanted to go back to Scotland.”
“How could I?” he whispered. “You’re here.”
“Gage.” Her expression was full of uncertainty...and so much hope his heart squeezed.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- parental abandonment – the heroine’s mother left the family (her husband and two daughters)
- some remembrances of social ruin and bullying of heroine by a man during her season
- remembrance of death/possible murder of hero’s brother
Author content warnings? discussion of animal welfare and off page maltreatment, animals in dangerous on-page situations, abandonment by a parent as well as the death/murder of a family member are mentioned in dialogue. Drug use like morphine and cocaine-laced wine is discussed. Consensual sex agreement and a visit to a sex club. Harlot, trollop, light-skirts used. Intimate scenes described on page. Offensive language is used in the narration as well as in dialogue.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: condoms used
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? Side characters from prior books in the series are pregnant, mention of difficult childbirth for one couple in the epilogue but no on page children or pregnancy for the mains
31% - kiss
47% - kiss
50% - 🔥 mutual masturbation
”Spread your legs,” he bit out. “Touch yourself. Show me how you do it when you’re alone. I’ve thought of nothing else since you said it.”
56% - 🔥 the heroine orgasms from the hero removing her glove?? that soon after turns into a handy for him and fingering for her in a dark alcove
”You are a fucking goddess,” he whispered.
74% - 🔥 oral for her in the carriage, followed not too long after her on top (v loss for both), followed by missionary
“Go and hold the bedpost so I may unlace you,” he rasped.
Had any other whispered command ever sounded so erotic? That rumbling Scottish burr sank into her bones and spread heat “everywhere.”
“Now, Evangeline,” he said when she didn’t move.
Devil take it, the way he said her name – the steel draped in silk – made her embarrassingly wet beneath her skirts. She licked dry lips, feeling his eyes drop there, a hiss escaping him as though he wanted to do debauched things to her mouth. He would. She knew it as well as she knew that she was never going to forget tonight for as long as she lived. Gulping pas the lump in her throat, she moved toward the bedpost and did as he instructed.
“Good girl.”
80% - 🔥 sex against a door
Instead her fingers went to the ties of her cloak.
She let it fall. “I needed to see you.”
Nude, except for her shoes and a pair of black gloves, she cataloged every heartbeat of his reaction, watching him blink in disbelief, those sensuous lips parting on a ragged breath as he took her in, desire flooding those angular cheekbones with a ruddy flush. That telltale muscle flexed to life in his cheek.
93% - 🔥 doggy
Without argument, she complied. “Like so?”
“Yes.” He took hold of himself beneath his kilt, nearly growling at the exquisite sensitivity of his shaft. “Now lift your skirts and show me that lovely arse of yours.”
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: It takes a little bit – about 8%, or Chapter 3
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, maybe a few months in the future?
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form (though it’s very late)
Why I chose this book: It won our January book of the month for Ton and Tartans FB group and I had an old NetGalley ARC languishing on my kindle...(shame, shame)
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
So, maybe for maximum enjoyment, you would like the series in order. Effie (our heroine here) has some minor page time in the first two books (the hero is not mentioned) and in this story, the friends from prior books do participate as side characters. But overall the romance is very stand alone and it will be fine to pick up out of order.
Basic plot:
Gage can’t turn down the opportunity to be debt free – all he must do is distract and court the Lady Evangeline. That can’t be that difficult, right?
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian (I don’t see a year, but book 1 in the series is 1865)
- London countryside setting
- Ten Things I Hate About You retelling
- heroine runs a shelter for lost and starving animals
- hero needs an heiress
- Scottish / English hero
- The Destitute Duke and Lady Ghastly
- size difference – he’s taller
- masked night of fun during ladies’ choice masque – a naughty ton party…
- pugilist hero
- higher steam with a slight slower burn (no action until halfway in!) – 5ish full scenes
Ages:
- heroine is 21, hero is 28
First line:
Lady Evangeline Raine adored the country.
My thoughts:
I didn’t realize until after I started this, that I have read the whole series so far! Go me – and this is definitely my favorite one of the series so far.
I will have to rewatch the movie sometime soon and see if I can find more easter eggs in the retelling of it. I love Ten Things I Hate About You so much, but also adore Clueless – and I watched Clueless right before reading book 2 and was a bit disappointed in that rendition so I didn’t want that to happen again.
I thought this story was so good – except for the big secret. This is why I hate secrets. It looms over the story for me and I just fret, waiting for it to rear it’s ugly head. Because of course no one is going to be open about it. No. They are going to find out in the worst way and feel utterly betrayed. And then not listen to each other. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 5
Average rating: 4.2
Favorite book: The Wolf of Westmore
Quotes
“Enough, pup,” he said in a low, commanding voice. “Calm down or you’ll land yourself back in the mud. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
Evangline stared as her persnickety pet gave a tiny whine and rolled over onto her back, exposing her mud-covered belly. That little hussy! Though Evangline didn’t blame the dog. At the sound of the duke’s velvet command, she wanted to roll over.
---
Her pale eyes glittered with purpose, and good God, Gage suddenly wanted to bottle some of that passion. How was she even real? She’d been stuck in mud for who knew how long, lost her boots, and still had the wherewithal to smile and think about her bloody strays. He stood and held out a hand, and before she could attempt to stand on her own, he swept her up into his arms.
---
Evengeline startled, her lips parting in invitation, chin tilting up, before she could grasp hold of herself, and he didn’t hesitate as his mouth closed the distance to hers, his tongue sweeping in torture hers with a punishing, velvet swipe that had her mind reeling.
He stank of soot and ash, but beneath it, the taste of him emerged like the most wicked of flavors. Rich, delicious, intoxicating. Heavens, she’d never felt anything like this kiss – the abrasion of his stubble, the sleek slide of his tongue, the scrape of his teeth – all the sensations coalescing into unadulterated need.
As if in agreement, a thick arm banded about her waist and yanked her into his lap, making her sharply aware of every hard inch of his body. And he was hard everywhere. His chest, his legs, his groin. Breath ebbed from her as her core pulsed with desire.
---
“Hardly,” Evangeline muttered. “He’s a nuisance.”
“A sultry-as-all-hell nuisance who’s marching over here like a possessive Viking about to toss you over his shoulder and car you back to his ship for plowing,” Briar said out the side of her mouth. “Or perhaps take you to the ground and have his way with you right here.”
“He’s a Highlander, not a Viking, and no one’s plowing anyone, you hussy,” she bit out, ducking her head to hide her fiery blush. If not for that heated kiss they’d shared, the idea would not be so damned titillating. Or start a wicked rhythm between her legs. Evangeline did not want to be carted or taken. Or plowed.
Did she?
---
She was utterly adorable in her confusion, eyes so wide and blue, they were nearly translucent. “I thought you wanted to go back to Scotland.”
“How could I?” he whispered. “You’re here.”
“Gage.” Her expression was full of uncertainty...and so much hope his heart squeezed.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- parental abandonment – the heroine’s mother left the family (her husband and two daughters)
- some remembrances of social ruin and bullying of heroine by a man during her season
- remembrance of death/possible murder of hero’s brother
Author content warnings?
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
31% - kiss
47% - kiss
50% - 🔥 mutual masturbation
”Spread your legs,” he bit out. “Touch yourself. Show me how you do it when you’re alone. I’ve thought of nothing else since you said it.”
56% - 🔥 the heroine orgasms from the hero removing her glove?? that soon after turns into a handy for him and fingering for her in a dark alcove
”You are a fucking goddess,” he whispered.
74% - 🔥 oral for her in the carriage, followed not too long after her on top (v loss for both), followed by missionary
“Go and hold the bedpost so I may unlace you,” he rasped.
Had any other whispered command ever sounded so erotic? That rumbling Scottish burr sank into her bones and spread heat “everywhere.”
“Now, Evangeline,” he said when she didn’t move.
Devil take it, the way he said her name – the steel draped in silk – made her embarrassingly wet beneath her skirts. She licked dry lips, feeling his eyes drop there, a hiss escaping him as though he wanted to do debauched things to her mouth. He would. She knew it as well as she knew that she was never going to forget tonight for as long as she lived. Gulping pas the lump in her throat, she moved toward the bedpost and did as he instructed.
“Good girl.”
80% - 🔥 sex against a door
Instead her fingers went to the ties of her cloak.
She let it fall. “I needed to see you.”
Nude, except for her shoes and a pair of black gloves, she cataloged every heartbeat of his reaction, watching him blink in disbelief, those sensuous lips parting on a ragged breath as he took her in, desire flooding those angular cheekbones with a ruddy flush. That telltale muscle flexed to life in his cheek.
93% - 🔥 doggy
Without argument, she complied. “Like so?”
“Yes.” He took hold of himself beneath his kilt, nearly growling at the exquisite sensitivity of his shaft. “Now lift your skirts and show me that lovely arse of yours.”
Saving Verakko by Victoria Aveline
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit, especially frenemy banter between the mains
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: it takes a bit – about 12% in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, two months later
Format: listened to the audiobook from my library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: My friend Heather has repeatedly recommended the series, and I enjoyed a lot about book 1 when I read it a few years ago so I’ve been making my way through the series!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero (alien) and heroine (human)
Should I read in order?
Yes, I would read this series in order – the events unfold over the course of the series and you’ll understand more of the heroine’s background if you start in order as well as the culture and world building. (Though if you’re okay with missing those details, the romance is standing alone)
Basic plot:
Verakko is helping free the kidnapped humans on his planet, when he comes across one more in the wilderness to help...
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- alien setting (Clecania)
- alien hero / human heroine
- males go to husband school to learn to please their partners
- survival themes – the mains are in the wilderness
- hero has never been kissed
- bit of frenemies to lovers feel – these two don’t get along the best in the beginning and there’s banter/bickering
- he can smell when she’s turned on
- fated mates – though it’s not instant
- some light other woman drama
- slower burn with great tension building
- medium steam – 3ish full scenes
Ages:
- didn’t catch either
First lines:
Nope. Nuh-uh. Nein. Nyet. No way. There was only so much a girl could take.
My thoughts:
I have so been enjoying this series. The tension building in all of these books has been really great, and the huge emotional pull between the mains as they fall into each other is so delicious!
My issues with this one were more in the latter half. I loved when they were together and trying to survive in the wild, focused on each other. When the culture dynamics came crashing into their relationship upon arriving back in the city, I started to get a little pouty and felt some things dwindling for me a touch, so I lowered my rating a bit.
I understand what’s at stake here, the entire extinction of the planet, but some things just seem so extreme to me – especially when you look at ultimately it’s about people getting together and having babies. That’s the goal here. So if some rules are maybe bent it seems like it wouldn’t be quite as dramatic of a punishment (at least to me) so that part did wear on me a touch.
Overall though I really loved a lot about this one. It had so many really scenes I just melted for and adored. Eager to continue on!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: I think this one! But Choosing Theo is a close second
Cock/Hero Stats/World Building (some elements taken over the course of reading the series):
- Hero is Clecanian. He has skin that varies between navy and green in the beginning of the story, but we find he can change the colors. He has long pointed ears and sharp canine teeth. He can use a mind persuasion that he calls sway but the heroine is resistant to it. He can heal extremely fast. Hero has a second eye lid.
- He can go 2 full weeks without water (kidneys are different, they don’t have as many sweat glands and their skin helps regular temperature).
- Hero can purr and has fangs
- Heroine was kidnapped from Earth and cannot go back because they are a class 4 planet that has been left to discover and evolve at their own pace
- There was some kind of illness on the planet that devastated their female population. This has lead to the culture of getting married in 3 month bouts and having children. (many of the children are male) and then separating and repeating the process to help boost the population. Mates haven’t been seen in many years, but book 1 establishes the first mate between male and female.
- There’s some higher tech on the planet, including machines that can heal them quickly, fix scarring, etc, food prep machines, absorbent towels that dry immediately, etc
- they have something called an elixir that can prolong their life (hero’s father didn’t take it and passed ‘early’)
- planet has two moons
- hero has fangs and mark their mates
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- some violence and danger (within the wilderness setting)
- mention of hunting and eating animals
- parental death
- scene of poisoning/attack from a plant
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: No – heroine has an IUD but there’s mention they aren’t effective with the alien heroes
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? There are some minor scenes with children side characters from prior couples in the series. I don’t recall any pregnancy in this novel, but there is talk of possible babies within the relationship and a lot of focus on procreating within the story – the hero’s planet is at risk of extinction due to a virus and males outnumber the females 20 to 1, so babies are a big discussion within the series
47% - 🔥 cock touches, heroine self pleasure, kiss
He ghosted his knuckles over her trembling belly then lower. “Open,” he commanded, hovering above the apex of her thighs.
This man is gonna kill me.
She spread her bent knees apart a few inches.
“Wider,” he growled.
Lily let her knees fall open, resting her leg on Verakko’s hip.
56% - 🔥 kisses, sex against the door, him holding her, then he flips her and takes her from behind, with biting
”I would’ve found a...a way to…” Verakko’s words stuttered out as her words finally registered. “My eyes?” The world around him slammed to a half, the thunderous pounding in his chest freezing as though eve his heart feared he’d misheard her.
I recognized her? She’s mind.
He peered down at her, his dry throat working soundlessly.
Her brows drew together. Then, without warning, she leaned toward him as far as she could with her hands still pinned above her and kissed him.
All thoughts fled.
79% - kisses
92% - kiss
92% - 🔥 epilogue sex – bj (incomplete), oral for her, her on top
He tugged at her hair, and she released his shaft with a wet pop. “Fuck, you’re sexy.”
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit, especially frenemy banter between the mains
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: it takes a bit – about 12% in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, two months later
Format: listened to the audiobook from my library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: My friend Heather has repeatedly recommended the series, and I enjoyed a lot about book 1 when I read it a few years ago so I’ve been making my way through the series!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero (alien) and heroine (human)
Should I read in order?
Yes, I would read this series in order – the events unfold over the course of the series and you’ll understand more of the heroine’s background if you start in order as well as the culture and world building. (Though if you’re okay with missing those details, the romance is standing alone)
Basic plot:
Verakko is helping free the kidnapped humans on his planet, when he comes across one more in the wilderness to help...
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- alien setting (Clecania)
- alien hero / human heroine
- males go to husband school to learn to please their partners
- survival themes – the mains are in the wilderness
- hero has never been kissed
- bit of frenemies to lovers feel – these two don’t get along the best in the beginning and there’s banter/bickering
- he can smell when she’s turned on
- fated mates – though it’s not instant
- some light other woman drama
- slower burn with great tension building
- medium steam – 3ish full scenes
Ages:
- didn’t catch either
First lines:
Nope. Nuh-uh. Nein. Nyet. No way. There was only so much a girl could take.
My thoughts:
I have so been enjoying this series. The tension building in all of these books has been really great, and the huge emotional pull between the mains as they fall into each other is so delicious!
My issues with this one were more in the latter half. I loved when they were together and trying to survive in the wild, focused on each other. When the culture dynamics came crashing into their relationship upon arriving back in the city, I started to get a little pouty and felt some things dwindling for me a touch, so I lowered my rating a bit.
I understand what’s at stake here, the entire extinction of the planet, but some things just seem so extreme to me – especially when you look at ultimately it’s about people getting together and having babies. That’s the goal here. So if some rules are maybe bent it seems like it wouldn’t be quite as dramatic of a punishment (at least to me) so that part did wear on me a touch.
Overall though I really loved a lot about this one. It had so many really scenes I just melted for and adored. Eager to continue on!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 3
Average rating: 4 stars
Favorite book: I think this one! But Choosing Theo is a close second
Cock/Hero Stats/World Building (some elements taken over the course of reading the series):
- Hero is Clecanian. He has skin that varies between navy and green in the beginning of the story, but we find he can change the colors. He has long pointed ears and sharp canine teeth. He can use a mind persuasion that he calls sway but the heroine is resistant to it. He can heal extremely fast. Hero has a second eye lid.
- He can go 2 full weeks without water (kidneys are different, they don’t have as many sweat glands and their skin helps regular temperature).
- Hero can purr and has fangs
- Heroine was kidnapped from Earth and cannot go back because they are a class 4 planet that has been left to discover and evolve at their own pace
- There was some kind of illness on the planet that devastated their female population. This has lead to the culture of getting married in 3 month bouts and having children. (many of the children are male) and then separating and repeating the process to help boost the population. Mates haven’t been seen in many years, but book 1 establishes the first mate between male and female.
- There’s some higher tech on the planet, including machines that can heal them quickly, fix scarring, etc, food prep machines, absorbent towels that dry immediately, etc
- they have something called an elixir that can prolong their life (hero’s father didn’t take it and passed ‘early’)
- planet has two moons
- hero has fangs and mark their mates
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- some violence and danger (within the wilderness setting)
- mention of hunting and eating animals
- parental death
- scene of poisoning/attack from a plant
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
47% - 🔥 cock touches, heroine self pleasure, kiss
He ghosted his knuckles over her trembling belly then lower. “Open,” he commanded, hovering above the apex of her thighs.
This man is gonna kill me.
She spread her bent knees apart a few inches.
“Wider,” he growled.
Lily let her knees fall open, resting her leg on Verakko’s hip.
56% - 🔥 kisses, sex against the door, him holding her, then he flips her and takes her from behind, with biting
”I would’ve found a...a way to…” Verakko’s words stuttered out as her words finally registered. “My eyes?” The world around him slammed to a half, the thunderous pounding in his chest freezing as though eve his heart feared he’d misheard her.
I recognized her? She’s mind.
He peered down at her, his dry throat working soundlessly.
Her brows drew together. Then, without warning, she leaned toward him as far as she could with her hands still pinned above her and kissed him.
All thoughts fled.
79% - kisses
92% - kiss
92% - 🔥 epilogue sex – bj (incomplete), oral for her, her on top
He tugged at her hair, and she released his shaft with a wet pop. “Fuck, you’re sexy.”
Lights Out by Navessa Allen
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖 (I just wanted to read this book all the time)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes
Perspective: first person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? maybe plot? It’s a good mix though
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: they aren’t on page together until about 20% but there is a lot of interaction still – texting, watching videos/cameras….so it didn’t feel like that long
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes (maybe 6 months or so in the future)
Format: I own the paperback but heard the audiobook was good so I bought that and listened to it!
Why I chose this book: I kept hearing it recommended and heard it had mask kink in it 😉
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is book 1 in Allen’s Into Darkness series.
Basic plot:
Aly has no idea that her comments on her favorite thirst trap tiktoker will draw his attention...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- stalker hero who works in cyber security
- nurse heroine
- dubious consent elements laced with consent?? It was a great mix to me – the danger of it, with the trust built….
- heroine owns a cat (Fred)
- strong heroine that works out
- mask kink along with knife play, breath play, gun play, primal play, praise for both, spanking...
- hero is over 6 feet tall
- higher steam – 7ish full scenes
Ages:
- hero is 26, didn’t catch heroine
First line:
The new girl wasn’t doing too well.
My thoughts:
So I loved this book. It was exactly what I wanted. Like it was written just for me 😆 I wanted all these elements but in a more playful manner than some of my prior reads. I loved the humor, and how our heroine keeps the hero in check…I love the danger and darkness tied in with the gentleness and consent.
I ended up buying the audio because I heard it was so good and I am glad I did because I had so much fun with it. I adore duet narration and it made this book all the better to me.
I loved how much it focused on the main characters through the first half of the book. I just loved both of them, and them falling for each other was so fun.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- mentions of SA
- heroine works as a nurse, so some scenes of trauma
- cannibalism and murder remembered (done by a side character)
- child abuse
- death and murder on page
- knife play, including accidental stabbing
- parental death
- serial killers
- stalking – hero does invade heroine’s home and sets up cameras
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: Heroine’s on the pill (no condoms??)
How’s the consent? It’s definitely a gray area – if consent is super important, maybe forgo this one because the hero does push boundaries and breaks into her house and installs cameras….but there’s levels of consent here and it turns into consensual dubious consent….
Pregnancy/children in story? (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!) There’s some talk of wanting future children but no pregnancy
Chapter 2 – 🔥 hero self pleasure
Chapter 5 – 🔥 heroine self pleasure
Chapter 8 – 🔥 blow job
Chapter 11 – 🔥 titty fucking and throat play
Chapter 14 – 🔥 blindfold, handcuffs, oral/fingering for her, anal finger play, breast play, hero comes in his pants
Chapter 16 – kiss
chapter 20 – 🔥 shower sex
Chapter 25 – 🔥 vibrating butt plug, doggy, spanking
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖 (I just wanted to read this book all the time)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes
Perspective: first person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? maybe plot? It’s a good mix though
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: they aren’t on page together until about 20% but there is a lot of interaction still – texting, watching videos/cameras….so it didn’t feel like that long
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes (maybe 6 months or so in the future)
Format: I own the paperback but heard the audiobook was good so I bought that and listened to it!
Why I chose this book: I kept hearing it recommended and heard it had mask kink in it 😉
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is book 1 in Allen’s Into Darkness series.
Basic plot:
Aly has no idea that her comments on her favorite thirst trap tiktoker will draw his attention...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- stalker hero who works in cyber security
- nurse heroine
- dubious consent elements laced with consent?? It was a great mix to me – the danger of it, with the trust built….
- heroine owns a cat (Fred)
- strong heroine that works out
- mask kink along with knife play, breath play, gun play, primal play, praise for both, spanking...
- hero is over 6 feet tall
- higher steam – 7ish full scenes
Ages:
- hero is 26, didn’t catch heroine
First line:
The new girl wasn’t doing too well.
My thoughts:
So I loved this book. It was exactly what I wanted. Like it was written just for me 😆 I wanted all these elements but in a more playful manner than some of my prior reads. I loved the humor, and how our heroine keeps the hero in check…I love the danger and darkness tied in with the gentleness and consent.
I ended up buying the audio because I heard it was so good and I am glad I did because I had so much fun with it. I adore duet narration and it made this book all the better to me.
I loved how much it focused on the main characters through the first half of the book. I just loved both of them, and them falling for each other was so fun.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- mentions of SA
- heroine works as a nurse, so some scenes of trauma
- cannibalism and murder remembered (done by a side character)
- child abuse
- death and murder on page
- knife play, including accidental stabbing
- parental death
- serial killers
- stalking – hero does invade heroine’s home and sets up cameras
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story? (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!)
Chapter 2 – 🔥 hero self pleasure
Chapter 5 – 🔥 heroine self pleasure
Chapter 8 – 🔥 blow job
Chapter 11 – 🔥 titty fucking and throat play
Chapter 14 – 🔥 blindfold, handcuffs, oral/fingering for her, anal finger play, breast play, hero comes in his pants
Chapter 16 – kiss
chapter 20 – 🔥 shower sex
Chapter 25 – 🔥 vibrating butt plug, doggy, spanking
Luck Is No Lady by Amy Sandas
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine and minor page time for the ‘villain’ Mason Hale
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Almost immediately, chapter 1
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, maybe a few months later?
Format: read an e-book version through my library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: Holly and I decided to buddy read together
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Sandas’ Fallen Ladies series. (I feel like parts of them, at least the first two books, happen a bit concurrently so that’s interesting – I read book 2 first)
Basic plot:
Emma must take on work to support her family, but being the bookkeeper for Roderick’s gambling hell might be more than she bargained for.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1817)
- London setting
- hero is a bastard (though his father was an earl and his mother the daughter of a marquess
- working women – heroine applies for a bookkeeping position
- heroine loves mathematics
- celibate hero (7 months)
- (very) light heroine nurses hero back to health
- bit of a workplace romance vibe (employer/employee)
- wager
- gaming hell owner hero
- low to mid steam – 2ish full scenes but the page count felt a bit shorter?
Ages:
- Heroine is 25, hero is 28
First line:
Emma resisted the urge to press her fingertips to her temples.
My thoughts:
This is my second by Sandas and I think I’m going to have to read them allllll!
She has a writing style I really enjoy – she spends time on emotions and tension building and kisses and little touches and all the things that make me really adore romance. I found myself swooning over so many lines and quotes – it was really delightful.
I read book 2 of this series first – I think it’s fine to kind of read either first because the events happen rather concurrently and you don’t get a ton of info dropped about either couple in the other book. I think I liked this one a bit more but both were really great.
I loved how hard Roderick was falling for Emma in this novel. So sweet.
Endearments
The hero calls the heroine ‘sweetheart’
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:
As she pressed father into the darkness, the unexpected scents of leather and cognac mingled in the air around her.
A floorboard creaked as Lord Marwood came father into the room.
Emma took another step back, and the heel of her slipper came down unevenly on something behind her. She faltered in a sudden loss of balance. Alarm flashed at the thought of tumbling from her hiding place right at Lord Marwood’s feet.
Just as she reached to grasp the curtain to stop her fall, a strong arm slipped around her waist and she was pulled back against a solid body. Her stomach flipped, and a harsh breath of shocked flew through her teeth at the realization she was not alone behind the curtain.
A large, warm hand fell upon her shoulder with gentle but insistent pressure, and she barely heard the low “Hush” murmered in a masculine voice.
---
“All right, Roderick,” she began with a slow smile, “for each round I win, you will kiss me. On the mouth.”
She waited for his grin to turn to an expression of shock and disbelief at her brazen response. But it didn’t. The only change was a slight lowering of his eyelids and what she thought was a flare of heat in the depths of his gaze.
---
Before she could think to pull away, he had placed her index fingering directly into his mouth, closing his lips around the first knuckle.
A firestorm erupted in her center as the velvety surface of his tongue swirled around her fingertip. She did not close her eyes this time, and his gaze held hers captive. He removed her index finger from his mouth in a slow glide. Then he replaced it with the next finger, drawing it a little farther into the heat of his mouth.
---
“What are you doing? You must return me to the ballroom,” she whispered.
He stopped at the edge of the terrace where stone steps led down to the garden. Then he pressed into an alcove created by angles of the house, drawing her with him. His arm remained around her waist, his hand warm over her hip. “I will. Just not yet,” he whispered.
---
She tried to withdraw from his embrace.
He responded by locking his arms more securely around her waist and leaning his shoulders back to look down into her face. He was in shadow, so she could not see his eyes, but she could feel the depth of this focus down to her toes.
“Are you going to let me go?”
“Not yet.”
---
“What about our personal relationship?” he asked in a raw murmur.
She licked her lips before she replied. “We have no personal relationship.”
“Maybe we should.”
---
“Kiss me again.”
He did not comply right away, and a delicious tension swirled in the spaces between them.
“You make a dangerous request,” he replied darkly.
---
Lifting her chin, she peered at him through the shadows.
“Are you all right?” she asked gently.
He would never be all right again.
---
“I have never thrown myself at a man before, but if you do not yet see how desperate I am for you to do something, then clearly, I am not doing it right.”
He closed his eyes and a sound similar to a growl and a groan combined rumbled from his throat. Then he opened his eyes again, and she noted the stark gleam of desire that had taken over his gaze. The sight of it twisted her insides.
“You do everything right, Emma,” he answered in a tortured whisper.
---
Reaching beneath the hem, she slid her hands up along his sides, feeling the wonderful tension of lean muslce over his rippled abdomen and rib cage. He obediently lifted his arms so she could shove the shirt up over his head. She was forced to step toward him and rise up on her toes to free him completely from the garment.
As his upper torso was fully bared to her view, a tingling rush of delight ran through her blood at the sight. The shirt fell forgotten from her hands as she reached to press her palms to his skin again. Her hands skated over the contours of his chest, shoulders, and arms. She took a tender moment to explore the healing scar on his upper arm before her fingers drifted gently across his low belly. She watched in delight as his muscles clenched beneath her touch.
He was all heat and hardness.
And control.
She didn’t realize just how much he held himself in check while she delighted in her sensual exploration of his body until she glanced back up into his face and saw the tight clench of his teeth and caught his heavy-lidded gaze.
“You have no idea what that does to me,” he muttered gruffly.
---
Ugh I love when the hero is barely holding onto control like this – it’s wrecking him
He slid in easily at first, her inner flesh softened by her pleasure. When he encountered the resistance of her innocence, he lowered his head to the pillow beside hers. His breath came in ragged puffs against her throat. Emma wrapped her arms around him and bent her knees alongside his hips.
---
He gripped her upper arms in a secure hold as he lowered his head until his lips hovered breathlessly above hers.
Emma’s eyes drifted closed and she titled her chin, trying to bring their mouths closer. Her earlier elation settled into a fierce hum vibrating intensely through her bones.
“For weeks, I have been dying to feel your body against mine,” he whispered harsley. “I have been desperate to taste the sweetness of your lips.”
Content warnings:
- First kiss is a bit dubcon-ish – she is hiding from a man in a room and he ends up kissing her without really asking, it’s kind of out of the blue
- mention of parental death
- guns/gunshot wound
- there’s a scene where the heroine is hiding from a man that would probably assault/harass her
- minor alcohol use on page
- opium mentioned (side character uses)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes: My percentages are going to be off because the book I was reading had 13 chapters preview of the following book in the series (so action is sooner than posted….)
Safe sex: Nope
Consent: it’s not really explicit for one of the kisses...but I wouldn’t say it crosses a line either, the rest is consensual
Babies/pregnancy? No children (only a minor side character’s child mentioned) or pregnancy on page for the mains – there’s the possibility of future children?
5% - kiss
34% - kiss while playing cards
39% - 🔥 kiss in the garden leading to fingering for her under the arbor
Lifting his head to watch her, he was stunned by the magic he held in his arms. Her eyes were closed as she tipped her face up to the night sky. The beauty in her surrender was astounding, and he felt a wave of possession so overwhelming his legs nearly buckled beneath him.
53% - 🔥 breast play, fingering for her, missionary (v loss for heroine)
(view spoiler)
59% - kiss
(Story ended for me at about 69%)
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine and minor page time for the ‘villain’ Mason Hale
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Almost immediately, chapter 1
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, maybe a few months later?
Format: read an e-book version through my library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: Holly and I decided to buddy read together
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Sandas’ Fallen Ladies series. (I feel like parts of them, at least the first two books, happen a bit concurrently so that’s interesting – I read book 2 first)
Basic plot:
Emma must take on work to support her family, but being the bookkeeper for Roderick’s gambling hell might be more than she bargained for.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1817)
- London setting
- hero is a bastard (though his father was an earl and his mother the daughter of a marquess
- working women – heroine applies for a bookkeeping position
- heroine loves mathematics
- celibate hero (7 months)
- (very) light heroine nurses hero back to health
- bit of a workplace romance vibe (employer/employee)
- wager
- gaming hell owner hero
- low to mid steam – 2ish full scenes but the page count felt a bit shorter?
Ages:
- Heroine is 25, hero is 28
First line:
Emma resisted the urge to press her fingertips to her temples.
My thoughts:
This is my second by Sandas and I think I’m going to have to read them allllll!
She has a writing style I really enjoy – she spends time on emotions and tension building and kisses and little touches and all the things that make me really adore romance. I found myself swooning over so many lines and quotes – it was really delightful.
I read book 2 of this series first – I think it’s fine to kind of read either first because the events happen rather concurrently and you don’t get a ton of info dropped about either couple in the other book. I think I liked this one a bit more but both were really great.
I loved how hard Roderick was falling for Emma in this novel. So sweet.
Endearments
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:
As she pressed father into the darkness, the unexpected scents of leather and cognac mingled in the air around her.
A floorboard creaked as Lord Marwood came father into the room.
Emma took another step back, and the heel of her slipper came down unevenly on something behind her. She faltered in a sudden loss of balance. Alarm flashed at the thought of tumbling from her hiding place right at Lord Marwood’s feet.
Just as she reached to grasp the curtain to stop her fall, a strong arm slipped around her waist and she was pulled back against a solid body. Her stomach flipped, and a harsh breath of shocked flew through her teeth at the realization she was not alone behind the curtain.
A large, warm hand fell upon her shoulder with gentle but insistent pressure, and she barely heard the low “Hush” murmered in a masculine voice.
---
“All right, Roderick,” she began with a slow smile, “for each round I win, you will kiss me. On the mouth.”
She waited for his grin to turn to an expression of shock and disbelief at her brazen response. But it didn’t. The only change was a slight lowering of his eyelids and what she thought was a flare of heat in the depths of his gaze.
---
Before she could think to pull away, he had placed her index fingering directly into his mouth, closing his lips around the first knuckle.
A firestorm erupted in her center as the velvety surface of his tongue swirled around her fingertip. She did not close her eyes this time, and his gaze held hers captive. He removed her index finger from his mouth in a slow glide. Then he replaced it with the next finger, drawing it a little farther into the heat of his mouth.
---
“What are you doing? You must return me to the ballroom,” she whispered.
He stopped at the edge of the terrace where stone steps led down to the garden. Then he pressed into an alcove created by angles of the house, drawing her with him. His arm remained around her waist, his hand warm over her hip. “I will. Just not yet,” he whispered.
---
She tried to withdraw from his embrace.
He responded by locking his arms more securely around her waist and leaning his shoulders back to look down into her face. He was in shadow, so she could not see his eyes, but she could feel the depth of this focus down to her toes.
“Are you going to let me go?”
“Not yet.”
---
“What about our personal relationship?” he asked in a raw murmur.
She licked her lips before she replied. “We have no personal relationship.”
“Maybe we should.”
---
“Kiss me again.”
He did not comply right away, and a delicious tension swirled in the spaces between them.
“You make a dangerous request,” he replied darkly.
---
Lifting her chin, she peered at him through the shadows.
“Are you all right?” she asked gently.
He would never be all right again.
---
“I have never thrown myself at a man before, but if you do not yet see how desperate I am for you to do something, then clearly, I am not doing it right.”
He closed his eyes and a sound similar to a growl and a groan combined rumbled from his throat. Then he opened his eyes again, and she noted the stark gleam of desire that had taken over his gaze. The sight of it twisted her insides.
“You do everything right, Emma,” he answered in a tortured whisper.
---
Reaching beneath the hem, she slid her hands up along his sides, feeling the wonderful tension of lean muslce over his rippled abdomen and rib cage. He obediently lifted his arms so she could shove the shirt up over his head. She was forced to step toward him and rise up on her toes to free him completely from the garment.
As his upper torso was fully bared to her view, a tingling rush of delight ran through her blood at the sight. The shirt fell forgotten from her hands as she reached to press her palms to his skin again. Her hands skated over the contours of his chest, shoulders, and arms. She took a tender moment to explore the healing scar on his upper arm before her fingers drifted gently across his low belly. She watched in delight as his muscles clenched beneath her touch.
He was all heat and hardness.
And control.
She didn’t realize just how much he held himself in check while she delighted in her sensual exploration of his body until she glanced back up into his face and saw the tight clench of his teeth and caught his heavy-lidded gaze.
“You have no idea what that does to me,” he muttered gruffly.
---
Ugh I love when the hero is barely holding onto control like this – it’s wrecking him
He slid in easily at first, her inner flesh softened by her pleasure. When he encountered the resistance of her innocence, he lowered his head to the pillow beside hers. His breath came in ragged puffs against her throat. Emma wrapped her arms around him and bent her knees alongside his hips.
---
He gripped her upper arms in a secure hold as he lowered his head until his lips hovered breathlessly above hers.
Emma’s eyes drifted closed and she titled her chin, trying to bring their mouths closer. Her earlier elation settled into a fierce hum vibrating intensely through her bones.
“For weeks, I have been dying to feel your body against mine,” he whispered harsley. “I have been desperate to taste the sweetness of your lips.”
Content warnings:
- First kiss is a bit dubcon-ish – she is hiding from a man in a room and he ends up kissing her without really asking, it’s kind of out of the blue
- mention of parental death
- guns/gunshot wound
- there’s a scene where the heroine is hiding from a man that would probably assault/harass her
- minor alcohol use on page
- opium mentioned (side character uses)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes: My percentages are going to be off because the book I was reading had 13 chapters preview of the following book in the series (so action is sooner than posted….)
Safe sex:
Consent:
Babies/pregnancy?
5% - kiss
34% - kiss while playing cards
39% - 🔥 kiss in the garden leading to fingering for her under the arbor
Lifting his head to watch her, he was stunned by the magic he held in his arms. Her eyes were closed as she tipped her face up to the night sky. The beauty in her surrender was astounding, and he felt a wave of possession so overwhelming his legs nearly buckled beneath him.
53% - 🔥 breast play, fingering for her, missionary (v loss for heroine)
(view spoiler)
59% - kiss
(Story ended for me at about 69%)
Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I got bored pretty quickly and wanted to jump to something else...)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ (I thought the tension was lacking because it was instalust and very, very easy and low angst for them)
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (I mean – it’s very sweet!)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I liked the foreplay, but anything further faded and I like that on page...)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (So there’s a decent amount of foreplay the actual act fades off page)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together:
Cliffhanger: This ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, six months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form
Why I chose this book: I think I got widget from NetGalley and I CANNOT say no to widgets 😆
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is book 2 of Sullivan’s Rock Bottom Love series. I didn’t read book 2, but found this one readable alone. The mains from book 1 have page time here and the story sounds fun though so I suggest you give it a go first if you like to know all the characters! (The hero from book 1 is the brother of this book’s heroine)
Basic plot:
Jillian meets her old flame Levi and feelings immediately flare...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- small town setting (Smile, Michigan)
- second chance-ish
- some elements of instalust
- single mom heroine
- chef hero
- childhood friends to lovers
- easy, low angst relationship
- brother’s friend
- low steam – there’s a few kisses and one on page scene of foreplay that then fades for the actual act
Ages:
- hero is 31, heroine is 30
First line:
There were only two reasons to go to a high school reunion.
My thoughts:
Yay for a third person contemporary! I always fall into those stories so much easier than first person.
I loved the setting of this book, being from Michigan I could really appreciate these small town dynamics and adorable settings. (But I did question the line about being able to see the mountains??)
But...I love my angst. And this book had zero. The relationship between them was so, so easy. And so sweet. And some of you will really love that so I hope you give it a read. But sadly I was just soooo bored. And with it having no steam either I was just eager to reach then end.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating: 3 stars
Favorite book: This one?
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some remembrance of toxic ex/coparenting with an ex
Author content warnings? Didn’t see any
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: I don’t think it’s mentioned? The sex itself is vague/not on page so you don’t really know what’s going on
How’s the consent? It's good!
Pregnancy/children in story? (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!) Yes, the heroine has a daughter from a prior relationship and there’s a brief mention of possibly wanting more kids in the future
Pg 83 – kiss
Pg 139 – kiss
Pg 149 – kiss
Pg 166 – kisses that leads to foreplay on page and then the actual act fades
Pg 204 – kiss
Pg 237 - kiss
Total pages: 272
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I got bored pretty quickly and wanted to jump to something else...)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ (I thought the tension was lacking because it was instalust and very, very easy and low angst for them)
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (I mean – it’s very sweet!)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I liked the foreplay, but anything further faded and I like that on page...)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (So there’s a decent amount of foreplay the actual act fades off page)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together:
Cliffhanger: This ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, six months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form
Why I chose this book: I think I got widget from NetGalley and I CANNOT say no to widgets 😆
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Should I read in order?
This is book 2 of Sullivan’s Rock Bottom Love series. I didn’t read book 2, but found this one readable alone. The mains from book 1 have page time here and the story sounds fun though so I suggest you give it a go first if you like to know all the characters! (The hero from book 1 is the brother of this book’s heroine)
Basic plot:
Jillian meets her old flame Levi and feelings immediately flare...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- small town setting (Smile, Michigan)
- second chance-ish
- some elements of instalust
- single mom heroine
- chef hero
- childhood friends to lovers
- easy, low angst relationship
- brother’s friend
- low steam – there’s a few kisses and one on page scene of foreplay that then fades for the actual act
Ages:
- hero is 31, heroine is 30
First line:
There were only two reasons to go to a high school reunion.
My thoughts:
Yay for a third person contemporary! I always fall into those stories so much easier than first person.
I loved the setting of this book, being from Michigan I could really appreciate these small town dynamics and adorable settings. (But I did question the line about being able to see the mountains??)
But...I love my angst. And this book had zero. The relationship between them was so, so easy. And so sweet. And some of you will really love that so I hope you give it a read. But sadly I was just soooo bored. And with it having no steam either I was just eager to reach then end.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating: 3 stars
Favorite book: This one?
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some remembrance of toxic ex/coparenting with an ex
Author content warnings? Didn’t see any
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story? (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!)
Pg 83 – kiss
Pg 139 – kiss
Pg 149 – kiss
Pg 166 – kisses that leads to foreplay on page and then the actual act fades
Pg 204 – kiss
Pg 237 - kiss
Total pages: 272