I love a good friends to lovers romance, and this one has been in the building for all three books of this series. Lola and Oliver eloped just like the other two couples, but never consummated the marriage, just spent the night talking, becoming friends, and getting the marriage annulled (I know, stupid plot device).

Focused on both their passions - his a new comic book shop - and her's, her budding graphic novel authorship - has meant neither have time for relationships and secretly they both have the super hots for the other.

Finally one dark, wild night, Lola and Oliver give in, and they are immediately plunged into an all consuming relationship that threatens Lola's movie deal and second book.

Super hot, super fun. I love these damn books no matter how dumb the premise. The characters are always well drawn, and they are hard workers.

Evie's mom died when she was only six but left her a series of letters, one per birthday. The letters offer love, advice, and sometimes missions, including one to gain acceptance to Oxford University. Evie does, and there she meets Edmund, spare to the throne of England (of course) and also finds out her mother may have been an heiress before eloping with her father. Family secrets and the pains of dating a royal throw Evie into a turmoil.

This was cute, but is way similar to the far superior [b:The Royal We|22875451|The Royal We|Heather Cocks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421107274s/22875451.jpg|42439906]. If you are only going to read one, this isn't the one I'd recommend. Also, the driving plot devices were secrets and lies, which are my kryptonite. JUST TELL THE TRUTH. Please and thank you.

If you are 15, and want a fun, frothy escape to delightful England - go for it.

Harper Scott has one goal - become a professional ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet Company. She shares this goal with her best friend, Kate. Both work tirelessly, but unlike Kate who is naturally blessed with the correct body type, feet, and hips, Harper has to strive twice as hard. When Harper is dropped from the first round of auditions and has no clear path in front of her, she jumps at a chance to live in Antarctica for six months, leaving behind her family, Kate, and a really nice boy.
An extreme move, but one she hopes will clear her head and point her in the right direction.

Super charming, and full of great cast of supporting characters. The alternating chapters of pre-ballet audition and Antarctica were great, and helped show Harper's character development.

I also love the [a:Noelle Stevenson|6887314|Noelle Stevenson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1407089695p2/6887314.jpg] designed book jacket!

We finally get to meet the illusive Jacob Kincaid, twin to Hudson from [b:My Kind of Wonderful|25317360|My Kind of Wonderful (Cedar Ridge, #2)|Jill Shalvis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1434076631s/25317360.jpg|45049727], returning home for leave after his brother in arms is killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan. Feeling guilty for leaving his brother, and his family, behind Jacob is not quite ready for the beautiful Sophie who has her ex-husband's expensive yacht moored illegally on his pier.
Sophie is also not ready. She's given up men after marrying too young and having her ex take everything. However, Jacob may be the right guy for right now, or until he returns to his tour.

Sexy, full of emotion, and full of the cast of characters you've grown to love in this series, Shalvis has yet another winner.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Adam lost his first wife in childbirth after she labored in agony for over three days. He has vowed to never marry again. Katherine lost her entire family in a carriage accident when she was a small child. All she wants is to wed for love and have a huge family. Sparks fly when the meet, but Adam is unwilling to change his mind, or will he?

I didn't really enjoy the hero of this story. I found his issues with child birth reasonable, but found his motives toward Katherine slightly reprehensible. He refuses to be with her because he doesn't want to risk her life and get her pregnant, but he is perfectly happy to have a mistress who "will know how to prevent childbirth." Okay....

So, the details made me like the story, not the characters. Everything ends up well, but this wasn't my favorite Regency.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I love this series and its great depictions of female friendship and entrepreneurship (and the romance duh). This is my least favorite of the four, as the romance feels the most forced. What I do love about it is the glimpses of Mal and Parker's chemistry, which is the topic of the last book [b:Happy Ever After|7074000|Happy Ever After (Bride Quartet, #4)|Nora Roberts|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348953880s/7074000.jpg|7327847] (and my ultimate favorite).

Kevin Hazzard spent 10 years working as an EMT and a Medic in Atlanta, and he has the stories to share about it. While a bit clinical at times, I was kept enthralled by the often tragic, sometimes humorous, and mostly horrific cases he encountered.

As a public servant myself, I enjoyed his take on working with the public and how you never know what you are going to walk into, or in my case, what will walk up to you.

Meh. I love this time period, but there was not enough passion or pizzazz. The few cameos from the famous Lost Generation players felt a bit forced and were not necessary to the story (see scene where Zelda and F. Scott show up to dinner) and the main couple had no real spark. I didn't care if they made it, and I didn't really care about rich girl Helena's struggles to find herself. Boo hoo. I'd have been more interested in some of the secondary characters, especially Etienne and the working mother.

Lovely writing though.

Lawyer to scumbags Iris finds out she has a secret brother in jail for murdering a woman and her four year old child. She decides to visit and becomes interested in appealing his case due to his insistence of innocence. Alternating between her and Ray's POV, this is a dark, Dutch tale.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether the translation is poor, or the story arc is just not very compelling. I was compelled enough to finish, but figured out the story fairly early on (a plot device mentioned one too many times tipped me off). I never felt much of a connection with Iris, and I found the complete lack of acknowledgment for most of the book that Ray or Iris's own child may have autism really strange. The dialog was also quite clunky, and again I'm not sure if this is due to translation issues.

Delilah Bard has acquired a ship (but not yet her own), and is exploring her burgeoning magical powers with its Captain in the world of Red London, while Kell and Rhys try to live despite their now life and death connection. Also on the horizon is a huge magical battle, where all of our players will be drawn, and a dark force is rising again in White London...

This book was fun, but not as great for me as the first book. I fear I forgot a lot of details since I've read the first book so long ago, so maybe my fault. Also, I felt that there was so much build up to this magical fest, and I've read a very similar tale in [a:Samantha Shannon|5830526|Samantha Shannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1450373891p2/5830526.jpg]'s [b:The Mime Order|17901125|The Mime Order (The Bone Season, #2)|Samantha Shannon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421696237s/17901125.jpg|25076284]. The actual cliffhanger/mystery was very minimal, which was slightly irksome.

That said, I love this world, and I can't wait to read the next book.