mollyreadsandcrafts's Reviews (978)

After sitting on this a while, I feel like the rating needs to be changed to reflect the book more accurately, from 3 to 2.5. 

I will start by saying I absolutely loved the first two in the Loyal Boys series. They were surprisingly good reads. I was really excited for my ARC of the next in the series, but unfortunately I just didn't vibe this book.

I liked Ryder and Fallon. I'm always down for a grumpy/sunshine couple, especially with a golden retriever type character. I liked how patient and endearing Ryder was, and how he wanted to help and protect Fallon. Fallon is a sweetheart and I loved him working through his grief and trauma to finally open up and let others in (though therapy wouldn't have been a bad option either). 

Now what didn't work for me...first, where were the parents? The kids are in high school and they are gone like every weekend while Fallon is over here getting over his traumatic past. I also did not like the younger sister Sofie at all. She is 14, though acts very much younger, and all of these 18 year old high school seniors want to date her? I also hate hate hate the word "giggle", which she does about 90% of the time. There's also a lot of jokes with chef/housekeeper which I didn't really get. Then the whole mom thing was random and wasn't really a side plot that got flushed through all the way. 

The writing seemed a bit all over the place and the conflict was very anticlimactic. You don't settle an almost drowning and being left half naked, tied up, and alone in the woods "on the (basketball) court". There was also barely any basketball, which is weird considering it's Ryder's entire purpose in life. 

I also couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to believe that all the guys got drafted to the NBA or signed to a music label and all became rich and famous. 

So overall I had some issues with some things, but I did like Ryder and Fallon. Maybe if they were aged up half the things that happened would make at least some sense. I just felt like everything else in the book didn't do Ryder and Fallon justice. A little disappointed after the first two books in the series. 

Read if you like: 
• opposites attract
• hurt/comfort 
• forced proximity

I laughed, I cried, I want to go to an all inclusive Cancun resort, and live on a Texas ranch/winery. I loved this book, it had everything I love in a couple and in a story. Tal Bauer knows how to write to get me right in the feels every time, his style is just the right mix of emotional angst and sweet happily ever afters. 

I would do absolutely everything to protect Wyatt. He's a sweet Texan cinnamon roll and just the best. He's put his personal life on hold to support his family and is a romantic at heart. Noël grew on me, but I did like him. He's a bit of a mess after being left at the altar and goes on his honeymoon, where he's rescued from misery by a certain big Texas sweetheart. He had some really funny moments and a dynamic personality. Wyatt was just the star of the show here. He's thoughtful, patient, kind, and just an all around dreamboat. Their relationship had ups and downs but I loved where they ended up, strong and oh, so sweet. They felt like true partners. 

This book wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, but I still enjoyed it so much. It has some humorous moments but it deals with grief, heartbreak, and feeling lost. Wyatt and Noël were definitely a couple who, at the end, I wanted to have a low angst conflict because they deserved happiness and love and all that mushy stuff after everything. I loved Wyatt's family, his town, and support system. I feel very invested and could read even more about Wyatt and Noël building their life together. Just a good book all around. 

Read if you like: 
• opposites attract
• fake husbands/honeymoon 
• friends to lovers

•more spoilers than usual• 

I like West and I like Eli, and normally loving the characters even when I'm not vibing with the rest of the book is enough. But I felt like this was lacking a bit. 

This was probably one of the cheesiest stories I've read in a while, but in a cute way. Eli and West are all mushy, sweet, and kind, and I love their relationship dynamic. After they confess feelings, a lot of their relationship development takes place off page. Like they take a trip and we don't get one scene of West whisking Eli away on an adventure. Compared to the rest of the books in this series, there was a lot less spice too with mentions of things happening off page again. 

The whole concept is falling for your brother's rival. But when the conflict between it all played out it was very anticlimactic and open ended. We didn't get any scenes of West meeting the family, or an interaction between Eli, West, and Gray. And even in the epilogue it never mentions how West won them over or anything. 

The epilogue was very sweet and I might've teared up a bit. I also stand by the fact that Eli was nothing like how I expected him to be when we met him in book 1, before he got this kind of persona in book 2. I know Gray and the club get a series, and while I'm interested I'm a bit cautious after this 3 star series. 

Read if you like: 
• forced proximity 
• enemies to friends to lovers 
• found family

I liked this enough. It was kind of cheesy, kind of repetitive, but overall a good quick read. 

Rod and Landon were likable but they were both very stereotypical characters. Rod was a classic play everything off as casual because he's emotionally closed off, and Landon was a commitment-phobe because of his past family issues. They both frustrated me a little because they used their pasts as excuses all the time. It was a very repetitive theme, even though they did eventually move past it. I liked that Landon was the one who decided to pursue their relationship, but I felt he could've maybe made it more obvious. He just started doing all these couple-y things randomly so it was no wonder Rod was confused. I'm also still kind of angry at him for the fireworks, because I just wanted Rod to get a sweet romancey moment like that. Rod was a low-key sweetheart when he wasn't drowning in self-doubt. They were a good match and I liked that they both had to work through their own biases about relationships and love, but knew that they were worth it. 

I would say it's pretty slow paced plot wise. A lot of the drama happens at the end and has a quick resolution. I've read a bunch of Riley Hart books and have loved them, but I wasn't a fan of the writing here. I thought some of the conversations didn't come naturally and it was kind of cheesy. Lots of motorcycle metaphors. I loved the beginning but as it went on the story kind of lost me. Still looking forward to the last in the series! I can't wait to see how it turns out with the two main characters we get a glimpse of in this story. 

Read if you like: 
• friends to lovers
• daddy issues
• low angst