bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)

Pride & Prejudice featuring an Afro-Latina girl facing off with her "not from this neighborhood" rich nemesis Darius Darcy in the Bronx. With themes of gentrification, class, and love, this is a great read for those looking for both another P&P fix or just a wonderful young adult title.

I read this to prepare for the December 2018 "Great Big Romance Read" being put on by the Ripped Bodice Bookstore and book clubs/stores throughout the world!

Pre-Med student Honey is hot for her English Professor and sets out to seduce him. He says no, but is secretly obsessed with his 19 year old student. He says no until he accidentally kisses her in a dark closet at a party, and then they cannot keep their hands off of one another, no matter how wrong it is for both of them.

Of course, Ben messes things up, Honey runs home to Kentucky, he follows her, the reconnect in some super hot sexy times, then he fucks up again. Later, with not enough grovel in my opinion, they get their HEA.

The rare Tessa Bailey that didn't work for me. Too icky, didn't like the Lolita reference, and there's no way a 25 year old is a professor at Columbia University. Why couldn't Ben be a teaching assistant? Plus, the whole horrible letter Ben wrote to "pre-defend" Honey accusing him of sexual misconduct was gross, even if he didn't ever turn it in.

Still loved seeing references to some of the other characters and I did enjoy the first book in this series and the last book.

Pinky Grover is confused by her attraction to the obviously no good, bad boy motorcycle club enforcer who visits her family's Indian restaurant once a week. Why does she feel so many sparks with someone so obviously wrong for her and why does she think there is more hiding underneath that delicious motorcycle jacket?

After running in to Trucker Carrigan in the parking lot at Walmart, Pinky learns there is something more to Trucker, including that they definitely can both fit into his truck's backseat...

With excellent witty banter, fantastically funny and nerdy references (all hail to the Captain American references and the obvious reference to the Superior Chris), this is a perfect novella to give you heart eyes.

When Bailey finds herself quitting her much needed barista job in protest over the owner's treatment of a John, a homeless person, she's stunned to find the sexy red-haired, tattooed, white boy she's been flirting with over his coffee order jumping into the fray.
Cash Evans tried to limit his visit to Bailey's work, as he's firmly enchanted by the adorable black girl, and he's afraid if he pursues anything futher he'll end up obsessed with her. But, he can't help but offer her a job at his tattoo parlor and help her friend John find a place to live and also a job.
The beautiful spirit of Bailey, which he thought had to be too good to be true, turns out to be even better as he gets to know her. But, the demons from Cash's past prevent him from committing or pursuing anything real.
But, the spirit of the season and true love can't keep these two from falling for each other.
Lovely and steamy holiday novella, with excellent writing and great secondary characters. I'll read anything Talia Hibbert puts out.!

Back in NYC for a well-deserved break from her demanding job managing the affairs of the Prince of Thesolo, Likotsi is also hoping to finally forget the woman she met the last time she was in NYC a year ago.

A stalled subway train and a chance check-in to a dating app puts Likotsi right back where she left off, scared to death the woman she fell in love with a year ago, the woman who was just supposed to be a fling, is going to hurt her again.

Ignoring her head but listening to her heart, Likotsi agrees to a cup of tea with Fabiola, the pin-up pretty accountant who swiped right one year ago. As tea turns into checking off all of the items on Likotsi's NYC list, Fabiola is hoping she'll be able to persuade the diligent Likotsi to delete the last item - forgetting Fabiola forever.

Super sweet, Cole knows how to perfectly craft a novella that captures the spirit, heart, and joy of both characters who each receive ample page time. I also enjoyed the Then/Now time changes, as it led to an extremely poignant HEA. Just the right amount of heat and so much heart. Must read for 2019!

Thank you to Avon for the advanced reading copy!

Take one stuffy Earl with some decidely non-stuffy pastimes, add one plucky Lady who's best intentions often land in her trouble and what you get is the best slow-burn, sensual, and beautiful historical romance I've readin 2018. Phew.

Lady Constance Stonewell is abashed to discover her attempt to protect a friend from marrying the uptight Julian Haywood, the Earl of Apthorp, a man who's vexed her and entranced her for over eight years, has actually ruined him on the eve of the political triumph he needs to finally drag himself out of debt and ruin. Julian is doubly ruined by the poem accusing him of enjoying have his "arsethorpe" whipped at a notorious local pleasure house.

Chagrined that her attempt to secretly warn her small set of female followers has become public and caused Julian real harm, Constance is intent on fixing her wrong. But Julian has secretly loved Constance for years and was finally about to gain the courage to tell her. Now that she's propsing they fake an engagement until she can help reclaim his place in society and get his bill passed, Julian doens't know whether he should be thrilled the beauty could finally be his or whether he can ever forgive her.

And while Constance's poem wasn't exactly right, it wasn't exactly wrong either. Lies and secret desires draw these two lovers together and tear them apart, and watching their dance to a completely fulfilling happily ever after was the best way to spend a day sick on the couch.

Also, I'll never look at an apple the same way again. Deliciously naughty.

Free copy given in exchange for a fair review. Thank you to the publisher and the author.

The Serve series isn't my favorite of Bailey's, and honestly for a series set in a BDSM club the sex, while not exactly tame, isn't as wild as some of the other things I've read.

That said, Bailey is the master of the emotional, and I just love when a uptight character is brought, literally, to her knees after judging someone for something she didn't understand.

When Millie and her four best guy friends agree to all try out a popular dating app in order to secure plus-ones to their University's annual faculty gala, she wasn't planning on being matched with one of them!

See, Millie made a fake profile to make a point, but the only thing fake about it is her name. Everything else is true, and everything else is apparently a 99% match with her best friend Reid, her best friend she just kind of also had the hottest sex of her life with.

What follows is a Roxanne-esque friends-to-lovers romance featuring a refreshing twist of tropes. Millie is far more emotionally withdrawn than Reid, and it is only through her online counterpart that she finally allows Reid in.

Christina Lauren crank out another fantastic romance in 2018! This duo can't be stopped!

Alas, while I appreciate being given the chance to review an early copy of this book, it was not really for me.

I love family dramedys, but I've read others I've enjoyed more. I liked the first half of the book focusing on the four siblings growing up on their own during a time period they call referred to as "the pause," a time when there mother was bed bound due to mental health issues and grief.

But, the second half when everyone goes their separate ways felt uneven. I didn't care about Fiona's poetry, her sex blog, or really anything about her. I didn't care about golden boy Joe's fall into disgrace, nor did I find the "betrayal" as shocking as I guess was intended? I was also distracted by the changes in narrative structure for each character. Fiona was in first person (as she is the main character) and then it would switch to third for the other characters. I guess I understand why, but usually I don't notice and here I wasn't clicking with the book so I did.

That said readers, of which I'm sure there will be many as the marketing push on this is HUGE, will definitely be flocking to pick this one up from libraries.

Thank you to the publisher and LibraryReads for the ARC.

Content warning for discussion of fat-shaming.

A grumpy, bearded sculptor meets his match when his meddling grandmother hires a professional organizer to help sort out his studio.

I loved the way Max helped how Lettie how attractive he found her, and I totally bought their sexual chemistry. I also adored the secondary characters but felt Max and Lettie didn't have enough time together on page to make me believe they were truly in love, not just wanting to bang all the time.

Lettie is described as "plus-size" and has developed huge issues regarding her weight and how she looks because her mother was terrible and her previous sex partner and boss often told her how fat she was. She also has a sister who is much thinner and is a model. I was glad her sister was not a caricature "model-type" villain but instead also helped Lettie to embrace her body and her self. I always love seeing a "plus-size" heroine especially when losing weight is not the solution to her "problems." That said, readers, including myself, may become a bit tired of the continuous reminder that Lettie is insecure about her weight.

That said, this was fun and I'll definitely be reading more from this author.