In the second book of the series, Luck of the Devil, we see this pair go through the second chapter of their journey beginning with marriage, vows and all. There are plenty of secrets that are being kept from each other, but there is also something deeper forming between Jericho and India. We do see more of the sister and quite frankly I am NOT impressed. After all India has done for her, she is pretty spoiled and acts the part. I wasn’t pleased with learning what she does to India, not willing to take accountability for her own actions. Pretty much spells “brat” but India loves and adores her and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her. And this is why India is such a solid heroine, that even at times I struggle with aspects of her character, I love her willingness to stand up and do what is right for those that she loves, no matter the cost. We see that iron clad will of spine she has and all I can say is “full respect”. We see what Jericho is willing to reveal to India in this one and his depth of feeling he holds for her throughout the story.
This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
How To Catch A Queen is the first book in a NEW spinoff series called "Runaway Royals" and I have to say when this cover was released months ago I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this book ....literally, I was leaping for joy. Because y'all know how the covers work me in all the good ways and this one.....dang ....did AVON did good or what? I know there was some criticism on the cover (I think due to the gal's hair)--which is relevant to the story, but I love it and I have no shame in that. Its very interesting to see Cole start a new series that is loosely connected to her "Reluctant Royals" series.
How To Catch A Queen is a story that begins with our hero Prince Sanyu. Who has always rebelled against being the future king of Njaza. And in a way he has been running away from his destiny and much of it is due to the strict childhood he had with little love or affection like he envied in many others. But with his father on the death bed, his destiny to be king is about to become very real and another last request from his father...he needs to be wed at the same time and to a stranger, a woman they found on a royal dating app of all things. Shanti has always dreamed of becoming Queen. She was inspired by so many great women who served their countries diligently and she wanted to be just like them....making a difference in the world. So now that she is queen she is determined to do just that...but there is one problem....no one wants her in Njaza. They practically ignore her and shut her in the queen's chambers. But when a few months go by, Shanti speaks her mind more, and draws the attention of her husband, and together they begin anew and their passion for each other and for the country of Njaza will embolden them in ways they won't quite expect...
How To Catch A Queen is a story that I was so drawn into so very quickly and what a page turner, I read this in one morning because I was so hooked into this book here. I couldn't seem to get enough of this romance and what is revealed. Not to say I didn't have some issues with this story, because there was some but overall this was superb. First I adored the setting, set in a country in Africa, so we get to see a whole different culture and traditions which was unique and eye opening. Alyssa Cole really did a tremendous job in showcasing this side of the story.
Now as for the characters....I loved them in unique ways and struggled with them at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I adored their depths and strengths and what they overcame. The hero didn't have the best childhood, and never saw "love" as being acceptable in a marriage. So he has to work his way out from the false education and realize that love is power and not weakness but it takes time and lots of pain on both sides because of it. Shanty....I liked her a LOT but I think she sometimes got too caught up in the title of "queen" and sometimes I felt that she viewed Sanya as a way to get the title and keep it and not a human being and a husband. They both have their flaws but its their journey in discovering what love and marriage is all about that is the real kicker. And while I was reading this the song "Love and Marriage" by the great Frank Sinatra was in my brain the WHOLE time. Like they needed to know that song LOL
I did admire seeing their interactions together and seeing them learn to let go of what they thought to expect in a royal marriage, and find their way through the marriage and ruling the country as a partnership. They have their ups and downs but seeing them discover each other was the beauty of this book and realizing what true love is capable of is what made this book such a gem of a read!! I definitely couldn't get enough of seeing this romance develop in such vibrant ways.
Overall I found How To Catch A Queen to be a story of delights, journeys, and gems to delight in the intricate layers that Alyssa Cole delivers in!
Mine To Keep is the latest addition to Rhenna Morgan’s “Mafia like” series and boy I have to say she keeps delivering on all the treasures here. I adore seeing it. I will say that this story was so magnificent in many ways and if you love alpha protective males in contemporary romance, what are you waiting for on this one or even this series? I have really admired the strength that we have come to see within this author’s writing. Its always interesting to see the way she will bring certain characters in the same frame as we see here. I will mention that even though this is mafia romance, I wouldn’t ever categorize it “Dark Romance” as most Mafia themed romances are also in that sub category within the romance genre. Its essential to understand that its definitely lighter toned. So if you are even curious about “mafia romance” this series is definitely a great way to get introduced into it with.
So the story….well its fire and crazy in many elements but simply fantastic. Bonnie Drummond is from the other side. She grew up with her father and brother and is always having to use her savings to get them out of trouble financially. She is the responsible one of the family, working towards getting to a better place, but they are definitely a drain on her both financially and emotionally. But her love for her family never allows her on giving up on them until….now. When her brother gets involved with some dangerous people in town, and both her brother and father are taken, she needs help. So she reaches out to her friend who is affiliated with the New Orleans Mafia family and what she never expected to find is friendship, acceptance and love with Roman Kozlov. But her life is in danger and she will need to learn to humble herself and open herself up to this new found family, before she loses all of whom she loves dearly.
Mine To Keep is a powerful story and quite addicting. The writing that Rhenna Morgan implements within this book is empowering on a variety of levels. The moment I picked this one up, I just couldn’t put this treasure down and was captivated by Roman and Bonnie’s romance. Bonnie, I will admit was difficult at times. Her pride and stubborness really get in the way and she has learn along the way to open herself to others. For so long, she has had to be closed off to others to protect herself, but with Roman and the others, we see her grow and accept the changes that are happening within her life. The romance that builds between between these two is beautiful and I just couldn’t help but be consummed by the level of emotion this author conveys within the story. Superb in every way.
Shiver is a story where after reading “The Favor” that I just knew I had to grab up and I am so glad I did because it proved that “The Favor” was no fluke and that Suzanne Wright blossoms in this genre just as she has in the paranormal genre. And she really blends the characterization so flawlessly and you just want to cheer these two on as their journey begins and ends together. The heroine especially I was so drawn to, she has such inner strength and love how she keeps everything together so tightly. She has so much on her shoulders, but also lets herself lean on her new boyfriend she its needed. Even though she has some feminist vibes, she also respects and uplifts her man too and really found that empowering throughout the story here ,at least from my own personal perspective. Its so interesting to see the dynamic form of elements that come together in this one. Its not your typical contempoary romance, and it beholdens such inner values and strength that you can only admire the more you read.
This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from ImaJinn Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Xavier is the latest in the "Vampires in America" series and to be honest I wasn't sure what to expect with this book as I have seen quite a few mixed reviews with this one and even though I have so much love for this author especially in her portrayal of the 'myths' of vampire lore and really adds the perfect touch of spooky that I love to look for in my vampire romances. And to be real, the first few chapters are SLOW going so even though I received this book as an ARC, I was highly tempted to DNF it and I hardly if ever have to do that with ARC's as I am picky with what I grab up when offered. But surprise .....surprise, this book ended up being a page turner and really grabbing my attention and I am normally not a fan of this level of angst between a pairing but it WORKED??!! LOL And I loved the wonderful thrilling ride this pair takes me on and if you love vampires than you definitely need to grab this one up here.
Our story of Xavier ...well starts with our hero named Xavier and we see his beginnings in becoming the lord over Spain. And the amounts of power that he holds and the way in which he was able to secure it and in much the same way we have seen previous vampires and I found him most similar to Rafael to be honest. He had very similar power vibes at least in my feel of it. And then we are taken to current time where Xavier is having problems within his territory, there are attacks happening to his people and he needs to bring someone in that can take care of the situation and start an investigation ....there is one person he would trust this delicate situation to....his mate and the woman he has yet to claim and hurt years previous. Layla fell in love with Xavier when she was only nineteen and when she made her move on him, he rejected her in a most painful way and ever since she has stayed as far from his and his 'territory' as possible despite the fact that her parents work for him and are his faithful servants even though human. She has dedicated her life to the military and private sector until now. She is drawn into Xavier's life when her father has medical issues, and Layla is going to have to face her feelings for Xavier, which she has kept deeply hidden until ....now.
Xavier is a never ending thrilling romance that kept me on my toes from the suspense plot points to the actual romance....I found this story to give me the "curl my toes" from head to feet and I wanted to just be in this book forever because there is a tone by which D.B. Reynolds sets her books and you just crave more and more of it. And you end up falling so hard and fast for her stories as they are slightly addictive in many respects and I found this to hold true within Xavier. First off lets talk the suspense plot points...I really was intrigued by this because this is the first time I have seen magic elements. Our villain is an evil sorcerer and from my memory from the series this is the FIRST time I have witnessed this and I have a feeling we are going to see a shift within the series to mix up magic with vampires and I am all down for it.
Now onto the actual romance between Xavier and Layla. Boy these two and their sexual tension is OFF THE CHARTS in all the best of ways. We do get to see a flashback to when Layla was rejected and this "rejection" was the only thing I was disappointed by in that this wasn't really delved into further except the beginning, I felt like it wasn't fully resolved. But maybe that is just my personal perspective or I missed it ?? somehow? Not sure but I never felt these two really never focused much on that when that is the reason they had been separated for so long. Now other than that particular aspect I truly fell in love these two and seeing them learning to overcome the past and see how good they were together. They have both such strong personalities and really fit so well together.
Overall I found Xavier to be a stimulating and action packed thrilling romance that keeps one on their toes and unsuspecting plot twists to keep one on a delicious edge from beginning to end.....SUPERB
Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose is the first book in "Christmas Chronicles" series and I will say that when we chose this for a buddy read I really didn't know what to expect with this one going into it and I will admit that I stayed far away from looking at any reviews, I just wanted to be surprised with this book here and as much as I found enjoyment out of this book, Its definitely not a full four star read for me. This book is not very long, for the price you pay, its less than half of what I normally read so I do feel the kindle price should have been a bit lower considering. But also there is more to this book than just a "romance" so I do want to make that clear especially to those that prefer just romance focused on anything that they read that you might fight the focus of it less than expected.
The story begins with Lady Osbaldestone who has taken charge of her grandchildren and taken them to one of her country estates, which she has been neglecting of late. But her grandchildren are causing ruckus and drama, and then with Christmas time closing in, all the geese in the area have completely vanished and so she takes her grandchildren along to discover what happened to them. But then she discovers two single people who need each other and endeavors with the help of her grandchildren, to matchmake them together.
I found the set up of the story to be so endearing and adorable in a handful of ways and I truly loved Lady Osbaldestone, she is hilarious. I know she is in other books that this author has written but let me tell you I don't read this author as much as I think I probably should. I do love the "realism" that she displays in her stories as far as the era is concerned. I never have a issue with how she writes regency era romance because she doesn't sugar coat it or modernize it of feminize it, she just writes it where it feels more real to the time period without taking anything from the characters or their endeavors. I found in this story while the romance wasn't super focused, I loved the focus we gained on the characters that are involved within the story. From the local folk, to the minister, to the grandchildren, and to our main couple.
Now lets talk about the romance for a moment. I ADORED seeing these two together. You couldn't see two more opposite personalities than these two to be honest. Eugenia and Christian are delightful characters but so unique from each other. Eugenia is kind and compassionate and responsible and has a deep love for the Christmas season. Christian, is a military hero vet, but is scarred and has a lame leg because of the war and basically hides within the shadows of his own home. Until his whole community including a woman he has known most of his life forces him to breathe life and brave the community and not fear it. I actually enjoyed seeing Christian and Eugenia have their romance build here, I never felt quite satisfied as I wanted but it was cute and endearing.
Overall I found Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose to be a story of lifting others with the Christmas spirit, a mystery of geese chasing and a sweet spirit filled romance that was beyond endearing.
Hold On is the final installment in the "Burg'" series and I am FINALLY finished with this series and I thought it would take me forever. I have to admit as much of a fan I am of Kristen Ashley, this series isn't my favorite to be honest. These books while I had a fondness and love for, I still struggled with at times with being as fully into as many of her other books. Now Hold On might be my least favorite of the series, but despite my issues with this book, I still had a solid time with it and enjoyed what KA brought to the table with this book here.
Hold On is a story where two people who have been friends for years, get a little drunk and have crazy passionate sex together and now they have to face the consequences that they find together here. Cher Rivers has been in love with Merrick for such a long time but he has never seen her more than a friend...until now. Merrick is just coming off of a relationship which has ended pretty bitterly in many respects. Cher is used to putting a fence around herself to protect herself from being hurt, and she knows she needs to do that with Merrick. But Merrick knows her so well he is determined to break down her defenses. Cher is a single mother and she has her ex and his wife trying to make her life difficult and now the drama with Merrick and Cher is coming to a crossroads in deciding what she is willing to take a risk on and if its worth it for the long haul.
I will be honest the beginning of this book really threw me a wrinkle because the heroine I so didn't like and she really had to grow on me. She is very cold through the beginning of it and yes there are reasons for that, but I felt the way she treats Merrick in the beginning to be so "untouchable" and I struggled with seeing a hero treated in the way she treats him. But I love that she does learn and she is willing to fight for her man and boy when she fights for Merrick BAM....I fell for this heroine and grew to really respect her for it. Merrick is having a rough time, but I love how dedicated he proves to be for Cher and her son. The bond the Merrick and Ethan (Cher's eleven year old son) was simply adorbs. I had a blast seeing these two form such a bond and Cher was such a interactive mother, I love how involved she is in her son's life.
Now this book is LONG, so fair warning, this is not going to be a quick read. How KA can fit a quirky small town romance and stretch it for over 600 pages I have NO clue, its not like this is a fantasy or anything ---but she does and I am always down for it. I love how she just effortlessly can have such length in her stories but so much depth in the relationships and I love seeing that depth in many respects. I will mention the epilogue in this book is AMAZING!! I love a good epilogue but its really an epilogue for the whole series so if you have a love for the series, I highly recommend this epilogue to you because its a must. I loved seeing all of our couples in this series, get a more in depth look. I will be sad to leave The Burg as this series is over, but I had a blast delving into this series and these characters who did win my heart in many ways.
Overall I found Hold On to be a sexy and full depth emotion driven romance that might drive you up the wall at times but will have you cheering these characters on throughout their delightful journey!
A Very Vampy Christmas is a novella that is contained within the "Love At Stake" series and I had so much fun with this book here. Now I don't know how I had missed this novella all of these years and was shocked to see it when I was browsing through my local library selection but there it was and I had realized that I hadn't read it and so I instantly grabbed it up. And I have to say one....it was fantastic to be able to get swept away into this wonderful world and oh my do I miss it so much. There are so many fun moments and characters that this author has created within this world. And this novella was so different from what I was expecting it to be but what a humorous ride this author takes us on.
A Very Vampy Christmas begins with two actors in a romantic movie that are on a film set. Maggie O'Brien has always been attracted to a fellow vampire and movie star....Don Orlando. And on the surface he seems to be infamous and well known among all vamp women. But when Maggie starts to dig deeper into Don Orlando she begins to discover that this man has so many depths including a deep secret he hasn't shared with anyone....he has amnesia since he was turned. He doesn't even know if he even has family around or left anyone behind. So as Maggie and Orlando go on a search for the truth behind his amnesia and the location of his family, a love blossoms between the two.
A Very Vampy Christmas was so cheesy LOL But I have to say it had its own level of charm to it. At first I was a bit blown back by the dialogue, because its almost cringe worthy but as you read more and more you start to find yourself entertained with every page. I loved seeing these two go on a such journey together of discovery. There is a Christmas setting to this story and even though it wasn't as prominent through the story as I would have wished for, it was a nice interlude.
Overall I found A Very Vampy Christmas to be a delightful quick read that entertained me and if you are a fan of the series, definitely grab this one up here.
A Wright Christmas is a stand alone novel that is connected loosely with the Wright Brothers series. I read a review from a good blogger friend "Michele" and she recommended this and quite frankly her review had me one clicking this book and even though I am in a mad rush to read all my challenges books this month, I had to pick this one up and I will be honest I am so relieved that I took that initiative. And man I was so ready for this story and now I need to read these Wright brothers books because I can tell y'all this story made me want to pick up their stories. We don't get too much interaction where I felt that I needed to have read that series before this book, it was more of a teaser to read them. So definitely planning that for 2021.
A Wright Christmas is a story of two people that loved each other in High School. They were each other's firsts for just about everything, but then Peyton followed her dream to be a dancer in New York and Isaac, even though he fiercely loved her, gave her up so she could have her dream. And for year they haven't seen each other, until Peyton comes home for a visit for the Holidays. And when she is faced with Isaac again, she is overcome with the emotion of the love she has always had for him. But now Isaac is a widower with a young daughter. Their relationship is packed with uncertainty, not knowing what the future will hold, but as Isaac and Peyton rediscover their love and desire for each other, they will have to risk sacrifice to be together....
A Wright Christmas was a charming and emotional roller coaster of a read, and the more that I read this author, the more I am intrigued by her story telling. I am always overwhelmed by her level of captivating she portrays among her writing and this story was simply delightful in all the good ways. And I don't get to read many characters that are dancers in a romance, (we so need more of this) so I really enjoyed that aspect. I adored both characters equally in many respects. Isaac is a father who adores his daughter, a hard worker and strong ties to the community. I loved his personality and the charm he holds. Then you have Peyton, she is wonderful. She is passionate and independent. She loves being a dancer and it is a part of her, but I love the journey she goes on here, discovering new possibilities. And she does have to come to the realization of what is worth fighting for. I really adored seeing a heroine learn to fight for her man just as much as seeing the man fight for his woman....truly sexy to see it in both ways.
Overall I found A Wright Christmas to be a delightful, diverse romance that will endear you into this author's writing with this small town charm feel, a second chance at love and a adorable little girl that will leave you with a smile.....ENCHANTING!
