bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)

Roanoke girls all have beautiful brunette hair, big boobs, haunting eyes, and tend to die young or disappear. Lane finds out she is Roanoke girl after her mother's suicide. Sixteen years old, she finds out she has family in Kansas, a family her mother fled from for dark and horrible reasons. These reasons come to light during the one fateful summer Lane spends on the Roanoke farm with her cousin Allegra, her Grandad, her Gran, and two obedient servants before she too flees.

Years later, her cousin Allegra is missing, and she is drawn back into a spider web of lies and secrets so horrible she herself has kept them all these long years. Will Lane become the next Roanoke girl, or will she finally break the cycle?

A darkly atmospheric story with lush prose and dirty secrets VC Andrews would be proud of. The audiobook narrator was superb, bringing you right into the story with her throaty, Southern accents. Listening to this made me feel dirty, yet thrilled.

Billionaire heiress and boutique wine shop owner Jordan Rhodes agrees to help undercover FBI Agent Nick Macall plant a bug during one of her rich associate's swanky fundraisers. She only agrees because the FBI in turn will release her twin brother early from his prison sentence. She has to pretend Nick is her new love interest, and while they only planned for the ruse to last one evening they unfortunately spark the jealousy of Jordan's associate, who also wants to date her. To avoid him finding out about the investigation, Nick and Jordan must continue the charade. All those fake dates lead to real heat and their new feelings and relationship threaten to upend the op and Jordan's brother's chances of release.

Super fun and sexy, with smart and able women characters, another fun Julie James. I've preferred other titles better, but still worth a quick read.

A lyrically written and nostalgic historical fiction novel, focusing on the four Mirabal sisters who were part of the resistance against the dictator Trujillo. Switching back and forth between the POVs of the fours sisters, I did not really enjoy the style as I found it hard to remember which sister's chapter I was in and the gentle writing really made you feel removed from the drama and action of the events. Everything just felt very nostalgic and more like reading about a memory as opposed to being right there in the moment.

The author also assumes a lot of knowledge on the reader and I felt it was quite necessary to look up and read about Trujillo's regime. If you didn't have a working knowledge of events you could quickly become lost.

This novel was chosen as Milwaukee Public Library's Big Read book, and I'm glad I read it. It also feels quite timely, almost scarily so, as the descriptions of Trujillo are eerily similar to a certain current president.

My favorite part of the whole book was actually the afterword by the author. I wish this was instead placed at the beginning of the novel as it would have given better clarity to WHY she was writing about these sisters, and why she chose to show how one can slowly and quietly be a force of change and resistance.

Carter and Evie, despite the horribly awkward set-up by their mutual friends, start falling for each other. Too bad their respective talent agencies merge unexpectedly, putting them in competition for the same job. With pride and livelihood on the line, can romance even be an option?

Another fun, sexy tale from Christina Lauren! While similar in premise to [b:The Hating Game|25883848|The Hating Game|Sally Thorne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467138679s/25883848.jpg|45762345], this lovers to coworkers story is a perfect summer read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

An adorable short story of a meeting of kindred spirits while waiting in line for 2015's Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Rowell is obviously a Star Wars fan as evident by the great banter between the characters. While short, you really feel like you get to know Elena and her fellow line geeks. I'm only sad my local Indie did not have a hardcover copy of this tale for Local Bookstore Day.

Merry is brought in to create a museum out of an old ghost town, but soon finds out her job is really just a placeholder as the trust fights a lawsuit with the family who owns the plot and all the money Merry should have to start the project. Living on her bestie's couch, Merry has always been the quirky, too cute girl who none of the boys chase, that is until she runs into her new neighbor Shane. Sparks fly, and Merry hires on Shane as a contractor, despite not having money to pay him. Shane takes the job because he has a secret of his own, he is the one suing the trust and the reason why Merry's project may never come to be. Tsk Tsk.

I was intrigued by the premise, but unfortunately found the chemistry between the two main characters a bit forced and too "insta-love." I was also annoyed with the big lie Shane was keeping from Merry and the fact no one else seemed to know his role.

The fates of the Baldwine clan are revealed as the various mysteries plaguing the characters throughout the series are resolved. A bit conveniently wrapped up, but hey, this is fun, ridiculous reading. I could definitely see this series developed into a lush television show.

After aspiring makeup artist McKenna is dumped by her latest boyfriend, she drunkenly orders a box of adult toys and decides she is quitting men. Unfortunately her package is delivered mistakenly to her neighbor. When she goes to retrieve it, she discovers it is the hottie she's been side-eyeing in the elevator.

Beckett, an aspiring app developer, is also recently single. When sparkly McKenna ends up on his doorstep he is alarmed at his instant attraction to her, especially since he needs to win back his ex-fiancee so her father will go through with a promised $2 million investment for his app.

Both want to focus on launching their careers and neither need the distraction, but their attraction is real. Is passion and excitement worth risking it all for?

A cute read and I enjoyed the characters careers, as they are a bit different than the ones you normally see in romance novels. Beckett wasn't my favorite hero, as I found his desire to win back his fiancee for money to be a bit yucky.

All in all, a fun workout read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Lexie Kowalsky got swept up in the reality dating show competition she only entered to help boost sales of her doggy costume couture. So swept up she won the whole thing and almost made it down the aisle to marry a man she only really went on a few dates with.

Instead of going through with the wedding, she bolts and ends up in a plane with a sexy man who eventually helps her escape the paparazzi and hide out for a short time in his small Canadian hometown.

What Lexie doesn't know is that Sean is one of her hockey coach father's new star players and that once they return to the states she is facing an even larger controversy than simply running from her wedding.

Unfortunately, I did not like this. I admired Lexie's kookiness, her drive, but I truly detested Sean. He lies to Lexie, his thoughts mostly revolve around how hot she is, how big her breasts are, and how even though he thinks she's crazy, he'll sleep with her anyway. He doesn't really redeem himself for the entire book, and when he does decide he loves her the decision comes far too quickly and conveniently.

I haven't read the other titles in this series, but don't think I'll be picking them up.

Thank you to Avon for the ARC!