Locey delivers a great read if you are looking for something low-key but with a TON of heat.  Life According to Liam is pretty much two guys who meet, fall for each other, have sexy time together, and decide to live HEA.  And while that means no angst, it doesn't mean that it isn't enjoyable to be taken along for the ride.  

I do wish we'd gotten just a little more of the family interactions.  I would have loved to see how suave, sophisticated Bryn learns to fit in with Mike's more middle class life.  Don't get me wrong - he doesn't ever come across as a snob but it's definitely a little different than what he's used to ... throw in rambunctious Liam and I'm sure it was quite the adjustment :)  

I think I felt it even more because these are characters I'd like to know better - Mike is the perfect amount of dorky and sweet, Bryn is just as likable in a more reserved way, and Liam (and Kelly) help bring the humor and fun.  All together they add up to an easy read for those days when you just can't handle any more drama.   

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

Cowboy for Hire is a sweet, awkward romance involving a couple of sweet, awkward characters. There're a lot of issues between these two, but I think that they work well here. Cade is caring and supporting, exactly what Sarah needs in her life. She's spent a lot of years being repressed and she's ready to stand on her own two feet. She's a little like a newborn colt, all gangly legs and clumsiness, but she's determined to stand on her own and finally do what makes her happy.

Cade has spent all of his life trying to show that he's useful, as his childhood taught him that if he wasn't then he wouldn't be kept around. It's hard for him to believe that someone, anyone, would want him around just for himself and not what he can do for them. He's made a lot of progress in the last few years, finally finding friends that treat him like family, but he's still not quite there.

This definitely causes moments of conflict between the two - his need to solve problems and her need to be involved. But together, with a little help from those who love them, they might figure out how to make things work.

While there are a lot of awesome moments with these two, Cade's struggling with his feelings and Sarah sometimes being bold then other times uncertain does create a very push/pull type of relationship that readers have to be OK with. It's handled realistically, between two characters who are trying their best to handle their hangups and a growing attraction, but some may be looking for something a little more straightforward.

I really enjoyed getting to know Cade and Sarah. They are good people and, while life hasn't always treated them well, they've managed to come out of it stronger (with a little baggage). It's sweet, complicated, and heartwarming, perfect for readers looking for a book with a little slower of a pace and not very much heat.

(Note: James starts the story with a humorous little mix-up that totally set a tone that didn't play out throughout, which I think throws readers off a little. It's something that she could have played throughout the book but unfortunately it's kind of a throw away after the first handful of pages. And while the book technically can stand on its own, there's a lot of references to things I didn't understand and I wonder if I would have had an idea about Cade's character, and an affection for him, coming into this story.)

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

There is so much going on here, I don’t even know where to start. Well, the obvious place is the fact that there are two sisters fall for the same man. I’m an only child so I don’t know how I would react in such a situation … or how I would feel about sleeping with her ex. There are so many possible problems that could come up, but I think that Kellogg handles it very well. I still got a little icked out but that was going to happen regardless. She delivers Casey and David’s growing feelings with care and heart, making it a very believable transition.

Of course, this book has so much else going on but it’s delivered in a way that doesn’t feel crowded or rushed. Through it all you have some serious issues of family – resentment between siblings and parents, selfishness and selflessness, love, forgiveness and truth. There are some pretty complex things swirling beneath the surface not only between Casey and Brianna or the twins and David, but also between all three of them and their parents. Some soul searching and a few hard truths that needed to be said bring to light some heavy things that have been wearing them all down for a long time. But with love and caring, everything gets set to rights.

No Exchanges, No Returns is a complex new spin on The Gift of the Magi. One that made me laugh but also had me tearing up. It’s wonderfully compelling to get to know this complicated group and work through all of the intricacies needed to get them all to a happy ending.

Full review available at http://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/book-review-no-exchanges-no-returns/.

(Copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.)

I really enjoyed Bennett’s newest – it’s straight-forward, sweet, and relatable. Some of the others in the series may have had more drama or action or heartbreak but I have to say that the one thing they all have in common is the author’s ability to deliver a satisfying read every time. And this time is NO different.

I like Clarke. She’s normal, spunky, and willing to move out of her comfort zone here and there. Nothing can really prepare her for Aaron Wylde, and she makes him work for dates, but he’s charming (doesn’t he know it) and manages to wrangle a few outings out of her … she’s a goner after that.

While Wylde has been living up to his name, I think that life was telling him that it was time for something more by putting Clarke into his path. No one is going to make a relationship work if they aren’t ready for it and it is obvious pretty quickly that Aaron’s wild days are over. Bennett probably could have made it harder for him, especially with his childhood, but the family that he’s making with the Vengeance has done a good job of showing him what it is all about. He’s had awesome examples of coupledom and he steps up like a pro when he needs to.

It’s pretty obvious from the start that Clarke’s issues are going to play a roll in the story but once Aaron wriggles his way into her life she does try pretty darn hard to get over her past. And I appreciate that Bennett doesn’t make it into too much of a dramafest. Instead she gives us an charming story of two people getting to know each other, falling in love, and working through a rough patch, which they handle like adults.

While returning readers will enjoy seeing past couples again, Wylde can easily stand on its own. (Although new readers might want to make space on their bookshelf for the backlist …)

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

I’ll be honest – I didn’t particularly like Addie or Justine at first. Justine seemed a little cold & distant and Addie was ineffectual. But as the story moved along I found myself looking forward to seeing how they would grow and where their lives would end up. (And I think it takes a special sort of skill to create characters that, even though you don’t particularly like them, you can’t help but keep reading about them :) )

Part of the appeal was that the sisters had a chance to discover themselves and build a relationship with each other that due to age difference & circumstances they hadn’t had before. The people they become are more assured and more comfortable with themselves & where they are going with their lives, which makes them much more appealing.

While there isn’t a whole lot romance involved, there is a lot of growth and discovery. It may be difficult, and at times unpleasant, but it’s also real and that is one of the things Carr impressively brings her readers every time.

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

Aislin brings her readers quite the steamy little read! Because it is a second chance romance a lot of the get to know you back and forth is missing, which allows them to pretty much slide back into a relationship (of sorts). And it is quite the steamy relationship too so make sure you have an icy drink to help cool things down.

Christian and Riley have been friends forever and that is very obvious in the connection that allows them to basically pick up where they left off years ago. While there are no getting to know you moments, a lot of their issues have stemmed from their poor communication skills … and those really haven’t gotten any better with age. A lot of their troubles could have been avoided with a few heart to heart conversations, but then we wouldn’t have much of a story, would we? But while miscommunication is definitely a third party to their relationship, Aislin does a good job of making sure that their issues don’t move too far into the overly dramatic.

Sweet, real, hawt, and frustrating at times, The Play of His Life is the perfect read for those that are looking for a good down-home love story.

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

I adored this book.  It's got the perfect mix of humor and fun, with the perfect level of heat and the tiniest bit of angst.  From the cute-meet moment to the big gesture finish, I just couldn't put it down.  

Our heroine is quirky and enthusiastic about life.  She's got just the right amount of goofiness that makes her playful but not annoying.  (I kinda want to be her when I grow up.)  He's also just a hoot.  Sexy, smart, and also charmingly goofy - a great match for our girl.  The flirty banter just flows between them and it makes for a highly entertaining read. 

With characters who are adorably dorky (and who own in), Unzipped is lighthearted, charming, funny, and easy to read.  I highly recommend it to anyone who loves romantic comedies and/or a lot of fun in their reads.  

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**

Don't let the title fool you, this isn't your typical holiday romance and a perfect feel good read for July. There's a ton of feels, cute little kids and adorable puppies, and a couple that you just can't help but pull for.

Ford does his best to use humor and innocent flirting to keep people at arms length. But while his lightheartedness and fun-loving attitude doesn't let anyone too close, underneath he's hoping to find someone that can see past it to the loneliness underneath. It's all fun & games, and a lot of laughter, until he meets Lila.

Lila is normally considered the serious and staid one but there's something about Ford & his daughter that brings out a more playful side. And every bit of her coming out of her shell is adorable and fun. I really liked how much she started to see herself differently and found a way to mesh well with the Ford family.

Full of humor and feels, Puppy Christmas is just the happy, funny escape you are looking for.

(Review is entirely my own and not influenced in any way.)

Nina is a delightful character - a great mix of romantic and scholar. She sees the world with such wonder and fun, and is a good foil to Tate who has seen some of the darker side of life. Recently burned by a bad relationship, he's not looking to get involved but Nina has a certain draw to her that he just can't resist.

As much as I loved Nina (and wish I could be more like her), Tate did take a little more warming up to. I also feel like, for all his fighting getting involved, he moved pretty quickly into falling in love. I think that his attitude either needed to be a little less adamant or a little more time spent in the progression of their relationship.

Overall though, it was definitely a minor quibble that was easily overcome by the great characters, the enjoyable interactions between them, and the nicely developed suspense element. Cross also nicely sets up more stories in the series and I'm ready to see what she brings us next.

(All opinions are my own.)

These two have so much baggage that they are going to need a cart when they meet up again. They had that amazingly perfect young love … until it all fell apart. Unfortunately when things went bad, they were very, very bad and they’ve let it impact things (even if they won’t admit it to anyone) for over a decade. Being forced to work together, though, means they have to get their acts together, fast.

Part of me thinks that Sam got over it a little quick but MOST of me enjoyed the lack of drama. As I mentioned, I wasn’t looking forward to a whole book of his hurt pride (although I’m pretty sure that Crowne could make even that good!) but luckily we didn’t have to deal with that. Instead, with a little help from their friends, they reflected on their past, addressed it and then moved forward.

Now, there were a couple of moments when I wished Sam had stepped up. First, he allowed everyone to say nasty things about V in their home town, which made it uncomfortable for her to come see her mom. Granted, her relationship with her mom isn’t the best and she didn’t want to go home, but he could have manned up at some point and been all “we were young and did stupid things”. Instead he waited 15 years, and for them to start having to spend time together, to do anything about it.

The other thing was the fact that he buried his hurt feelings in other women and became a man-whore. Now, I’m all for reformed rakes making the best husbands but his seemed a little petty. And it was made all the worse by the fact that V reverted to being celibate. Again, she had her reasons for not getting involved with anyone (and it wasn’t necessarily that she was pining for him), but some readers may have a problem with the double standard.

Personally, I like how Crowne gives both of them intriguing motivations for their actions and pulled it together with their second chance romance. Their love story is complicated for a lot of reasons but characters with depth and a hard to put down storyline made it … well, hard to put down :)

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***