Basically a big meh from me. Between the big focus on the Gaines-esque married couple our two love interests work for and the police interview transcripts for some mysterious event that happens near the end of the story, I never felt I had enough time to fall in love with Carey and James. I wanted more enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity snark that worked so well in Dating You/Hating You. I wanted more of them and less of the other stuff.

I was glad to see both Carey and James do have their own POV, but I found it a bit odd to be in Carey's first person POV and to have her keeping the medical condition she keeps secret from everyone except Melissa Tripp (her boss) also a secret to the reader. I understand why she hides it from James, but if you writing a character in 1st person I found it odd that it is hidden from the reader. Me having to sit and try to "guess" what it was felt distracting and pointless.

I think non-romance readers will get a kick out of this book. It is fun and well written but I'll just go back and re-read [b:Dirty Rowdy Thing|21411902|Dirty Rowdy Thing (Wild Seasons, #2)|Christina Lauren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1397738746l/21411902._SY75_.jpg|40277014]. Finn and his rope? Yes please.

I received a free ARC for review.

Photographer Josie moves back to her childhood home when her grandmother and Aunt leave the family bookstore in her and her mom's care-taking. Josie hasn't stepped foot in Beauty since her mom and grandma's epic, drag-out fight, a fight she is still hazy on the details on, many years ago. Josie is hoping to keep her head down, graduate, and eventually move to LA to be with her famous photographer father, a man she barely knows. She is not prepared for the major glow-up of her former best friend or his troubled ways, but is soon drawn back in to Lucky's life.

A nice YA romance and coming of age story, but not my favorite of Bennett's work.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Beth and Finn loathe each other, barely keeping their simmering tension under wraps during work meetings. But as it turns out hate is as ever far closer to love than both want to admit, especially since Finn is a confirmed bachelor and Beth is on the hunt for a husband and father to her future children. But as they struggle to keep from kissing each other and they finally succumb to their urges for one wild night, can Finn change?

Lots of great sexual tension in this novella from Zoe York, with a great payoff during the night they are stuck in the winery together. I had not read any of the other books in this series but had no problem following along with the characters

I always struggle a bit when one character is dead set against marriage and babies and ends up changing their mind. Ultimately I believed in this HEA for the most part, but Finn definitely had completely change his wants and needs to be with Beth.

I listened to this on audio from Hoopla!

One sentence summary: FUCK YEAH FLORENCE

Florence Greene is a beautiful society darling, certainly not someone who should be sneaking her way into a men-only casino run by one Clayton Madden and challenging even his best dealers. While she is an excellent gambler, Florence is intent on forging her own future as a casino owner in 1890s NYC, a move that will lose her place in nice society but will make her secure in her own future with no need for a marriage or a man to control her. And she needs Clay's help.

Clayton is intrigued and attracted to the daughter of his enemy while he agrees to help, it is on his terms. Just because Clayton agrees to help her does not mean he won't stop seeking revenge against her father or offering to tutor her in more than just the odds.

What follows is sizzling seduction of the wills as Clayton introduces Florence to his world and falls madly for a woman who's only goal is her own future.

So much fun, so absolutely sexy, and one of the best and most feminist HEAs I've read in a long time. Plus, some really great sexy times involving voyeurism, scandalous paintings, and great bathrooms. If you haven't read [b:The Rogue of Fifth Avenue|40972467|The Rogue of Fifth Avenue (Uptown Girls, #1)|Joanna Shupe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1542444506l/40972467._SY75_.jpg|63926684] this can stand alone, but the events of this book run concurrently and you will be a bit spoiled for Mamie and Frank's story.

I re-read this book as it is fast becoming a comfort read for me. Florence is my everything and she can have whatever she wants. See Clay just be completely bamboozled off his feet for this breath of fresh air will never ever get old.

idc this book makes me so happy every single time i re-read it. i don't care that Florence is a spoiled brat; she gets what she wants and with gusto. Clay, while some may say is 'one-dimensional' still has as much verve as most romance heroines who let their heroes outshine them. this isn't his book and he is far more of a gentleman than those straw boat hat wearing toffs around new york.

After her ship is badly damaged in a shoot-out and a wild ride through a black hole, Captain Tess Bailey and her crew come to reluctantly rely on the swash-buckling Shade Ganavan. Tess is on the run from her family who are desperate for something within her, a secret that can both a medical cure or a military weapon, depending who gets there hands on it.

What Tess doesn't know is that Shade is a mercenary with his own secrets and he knows about the bounty on Tess's head, a bounty that will finally allow him to retire from his bounty hunting business.

But why isn't Shade turning Tess in? Probably because he's captivated by the tall, beautiful, and badass Captain who is fighting to right the wrong's of an evil ruler, one mission at a time.

For those looking for an epic space opera that is exciting, funny, and has SPACE CATS, this will be the perfect way to start your 2019!

*free copy received in exchange for a fair review.

Nothing like an amazingly self-assured grifter to keep you company on a sleepless night. Gosh I loved this story, the perfect blend of fun, fast banter, and fucks. Heist romances are hard to come by and Grand Theft N.Y.E. did not disappoint.

For being such a quick read, Jackson fills each of her characters with amazing depth and I hope we get to meet up with Chloe and Robert Shimizu in future works.


Slight spoiler alert, for fans of The Pink Slip, you'll meet some friends...

And I though St. Vincent was an alpha-hole. Whew. So, Lillian is a doll and she deserved better than having Westcliffe take her virginity while she was tanked on pear brandy spirits. And the way he treated her after she woke up with a hangover? Not cool.

Honestly St. Vincent was more gentlemanly to Lillian until that whole kidnapping thing which I'm still aghast about.

Also, I found this pretty dull. Poor Lillian and her sister and her friends are at Westcliffe's estate and there's not a lot going on but girls putting on aphrodisiac perfume and getting man handled in the hedge maze.

I'm struggling with these older Kleypas titles and this may be my least favorite of all.

A fun, if slightly uneven, paranormal "rom-com" from the Queen of Dirty Talk Tessa Bailey. For a first attempt at a PNR, this was a good first and I will definitely read more in this series.

The world building was okay, but setting it up took up some page time that made the overall romance suffer a bit for me. Also, while we do get both characters POV, we are mainly in Ginny's POV except for a few chapters. I missed getting to see more of Jonas's motivation especially since he is the vampire in the story and could perhaps have better built the world for the reader.

This is also very "insta-love" and there's discussion of fated mates combined with a very "Bella & Edward" conflict about not turning Ginny into a vampire because she'd lose everything.

That said, this is a stunning cover, a fun story, and I'm very intrigued about some of the secondary characters we were introduced to, most especially the badass Vampire slayer who has some major sexual tension with one of the other vampires.

I treated myself and bought the paperback.

EXACTLY what I needed right now. Bless the internet and bless internet friends for persuading me to start this much beloved series.

Described to me as a historical series both complex and dark as IAD, I feel this hit the bill.

Temperance Dews is a widow who is atoning for a past "sin" by helping her brother (one of many siblings identified, so many AND LORD THE NAMES) run the foundling/orphanage home their father left to them. She holds herself apart emotionally from the children and does not find much joy in the work, but feels it is her due.

She meets Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire after he seeks out her assistance in trying to find the person responsible for the horrific death of his mistress. Lord Caire also has some secret sins, namely that he has some special proclivities in the bedroom that require mistresses willing to indulge them. And maybe just maybe the Widow Dews may also be interested in them as well.

As they hunt for the killer the reader meets a wide cast of characters I'm sure will be showing up in subsequent books. There are a few additional POVs besides Caire's and Temperance's, but they did not distract from the romance ARC.

And oh what a luscious romance. Caire, with his long silver hair and, his sword cane, and hang ups about being touched was so intriguing, and having a heroine who enjoys sex but is also ashamed of her joy in it because of PATRIARCHY was also great to see on page, especially as she learns there is nothing sinful about it at all if one is with a partner who consents.

Caire's scandalous proclivities were a bit tame after some of the stuff I've read, but hey, I'm all in for a some light BDSM.

Great start to this new journey and I cannot wait to read more!

CW for violence, child endangerment, sick infants, fear of infant death, implied sexual assault/rape (off page, secondary character).

*checked out from Overdrive during COVID19

If you haven't read The Kingmaker, please don't read this review! Full of mild spoilers for the first book in the duology, but I shan't spoil this book unless you click on the hidden bits.


An explosive finish to a tense Kennedy Ryan duology, I was kept on the edge of my seat as Nix and Maxim navigated their way to their ultimate happily ever after. I really wasn't expecting

the car bomb! that blew up Maxim's brother

but could smell Maxim's ultimate destiny coming. There is so much angst in this story, but I love the illicit, secretive and lust filled hookups peppered throughout the story as Ryan is a MASTER at building tension. There's no way in hell I could ever be with a man like Maxim, but it sure is fun to read about one.

Nix is a heroine for the ages, she made this entire series.

CW: death of a secondary character, grief, violence, kidnapping