Category: Love Story

Review: More Than Friends

12/12/2016

More Than Friends
by Jody Holford

Synopisis

Owen Burnett planned on a quiet, easygoing Christmas, hanging out with his best friend and neighbor, Gabby Michaelson. So when his mom pressures him to come home for the holidays, he tells a little white lie...that he’s spending the holidays with his new girlfriend. But when his family shows up unexpectedly, Owen pulls the best friend card and asks Gabby to play his fake girlfriend.
Gabby’s been hopelessly in love with her best friend Owen for what feels like forever, but playing his "fake" girlfriend when the entire boisterous Burnett clan visits is easier said than done. The more she tries to deny the attraction between them, the more obvious their chemistry becomes. But even though she's not the only one feeling it, putting their friendship on the line is a risk she can’t take.

Review

I will tell you that one thing that usually makes me stray away from a book is if I learn it has a friends-to-lovers theme. I am more likely to want to read an enemies-to-lovers story. I don't know what that says about me. Let's move on.

This story is a friends-to-lovers, and its a Christmas story *sigh* It's everything youd expect: cheesy, sweet, and all things Christmassy. Gabby is in love with her neighbor/best friend, Owen, and then one day he asks her to be his pretend-girlfriend because his family is visiting - and well, maybe you can guess the rest.

Because it is a story that we can guess at and probably be right, I appreciated that the story went to the point right away. After that, there was always something happening, and because the author included dual POVs (yay!), we were able understand this couple a lot easier than other enigmatic "will-they-won't-they" stories. This was something I appreciated in a quick Christmas read.

Also - I loved the family in this book. Owen's family is warm and inviting, while also being realistic when shit goes down. That's all I'm gonna say.

This book took me a couple to a few hours to read - it was fast, and enjoyable for the season!

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Review: Right Billionaire, Wrong Wedding

11/10/2016

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Right Billionaire, Wrong Wedding
by Victoria Davies

Synopsis

Darian King has never met a challenge he couldn’t handle. Running a billion-dollar corporation? Piece of cake. Hostile takeovers? A walk in the park. But when his little sister begs him to plan her wedding, Darian finds himself less than prepared for the task. Luckily, he knows just who to ask for help.

Allison Reed wants nothing more than to leave King Enterprises behind. Being the personal assistant to a man like Darian is a 24/7 job. Asking her to help plan a wedding is simply the icing on the stress-filled cake but to leave she needs a glowing reference and will do anything to get it. Even plan a wedding with the man of her dreams.

Stepping outside the office has unexpected consequences. Darian doesn’t believe in relationships, yet he’s starting to see Allison in a whole new light. But he doesn’t know her secret, and she fears that by the time the vows are exchanged, she won’t just be leaving her job behind but her heart as well.

Review

Excuse me while I mop up my drool and happy tears (I'm not actually crying or drooling, but it sets an image, doesn't it?). It's books like this one that make me oh so happy to have gotten into reading romance books. There is plenty of catnip for this blogger - billionaire with a heart of gold, intelligent and strong woman, misunderstandings, an "agreement", and an ending that doesn't make me want to stab something.

Darian is a billionaire who lost his parents at a young age, and has had to care for his younger sister since then. Ali is his loyal assistant who finds herself wanting a normal job with normal hours in hopes of finding a "normal" man to spend her life with. Then, Darian's sister, Jenny, unleashes the big news - she's getting married! And needs Darian (and by default, Ali) to help with the wedding planning. Why, hello! Is that forced proximity? I think soooo.

Usually talk about weddings in romance stories make me want gag. This is due mostly to the utter disappointment that was The Wager. I was pleasantly surprised that the wedding talk in this story did not bother me at all. I really loved seeing Darian and Ali figure out their feelings for each other.

P.S. I tagged this with "billionaire bad boy," but I really don't consider Darian a bad boy. If anything, he is a truly sweet male protagonist with a lack of insight lol

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Review: To Find You

11/4/2016

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To Find You
by Cerece Rennie Murphy

Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: November 29, 2016

Two Souls
One Desire
To Find Each Other...Again

The journey begins with Ama and Ekow ~ Two lovers betrothed, then torn apart by an enemy disguised as a friend. And in the midst of an unthinkable bargain, their freedom is sold for a bag of gold.

But what their enemies thought would break them only unleashed a power greater than life itself.

From the ancient shores of Ghana to the streets of pre-colonial India,
From the burning embers of Oahu to the heart of a nation’s capitol,
Their souls risked war, death, and betrayal to bend destiny to their will.

Will they survive?
Will they succeed?

Join them on this timeless journey and see…

Review

First of all - can we talk about that gorgeous cover??? I know people say not to judge a book by its cover, but we have to admit that the cover is what draws us in most of the time. And that up there, dear reader, is a fantastic cover. Gorgeous.

Okay, now on to the book. Murphy does a fantastic job writing a well-thought out and thought-provoking novel. The teaser tempts us with describing this work as a timeless tale and it is so fitting, because together (and separately) with Ama and Ekow, we travel to distant lands and times to find out their story. What the reader might be surprised in realizing is that we get the story through 4 individually told tales. There is dealings with reincarnation, so you don't let go of the characters of each story. Entwined and connected, Ama and Ekow somehow find their way back to each other.

Is this book a romance? Fantasy? Science Fiction? All of the above? I think that is for the reader to decide. Although the reader can definitely tell there is a formula to each story, I did not find that it took away from the main concept of these two lovers finding their way back to each other. If anything, it cemented the idea of soulmates for me. Murphy is able to tell this tale without it seeming cliche. If anything, it felt monumental - important. So, whether it's the love story or the concepts of reincarnation and fantasy that get you hooked - no worries. It is definitely a work to be read.

About the Author

Cerece Rennie Murphy fell in love with writing and science fiction at an early age. It’s a love affair that has grown ever since.

In addition to working on the release of the 2nd book in the Ellis and The Magic Mirror children’s book series with her son, Mrs. Murphy is developing a 2-part science fiction thriller set in outer space. Mrs. Murphy lives and writes in her hometown of Washington, DC with her husband, two children and the family dog, Yoda. To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, please visit her website at www.cerecerenniemurphy.com.

Twitter: @cerecermurphy
https://www.facebook.com/Cerece-Rennie-Murphy-205753729546299/
www.cerecerenniemurphy.com

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Review: Hardwired

10/13/2016

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Hardwired
Hacker Series: One
by Meredith Wild

Synopsis

Determined to overcome a difficult past, Erica Hathaway learns early on how to make it on her own. Days after her college graduation she finds herself face to face with a panel of investors who will make or break her fledgling startup. The only thing she didn't prepare for was going weak in the knees over an arrogant and gorgeous investor who's seemingly determined to derail her presentation.

Billionaire and rumored hacker Blake Landon has already made his fortune in software, and he's used to getting what he wants with very little resistance. Captivated by Erica's drive and unassuming beauty, he's wanted nothing more since she stepped into his boardroom. Determined to win her over, he breaks down her defenses and fights for her trust, even if that means sacrificing a level of control he's grown accustomed to.

But when Blake uncovers a dark secret from Erica's past, he threatens not just her trust, but the life she's fought so hard to create.

Review

I know a lot of romance readers get tired of the billionaire bad boy falling/lusting/obsessing after a woman trying to make something for herself. I don't like every billionaire romance I read, but I think that it's all about 1) the chemistry, and 2) external "interesting" factors. Hardwired is one of those books. Erica is a strong woman whose goal is to make sure her startup succeeds. She's success oriented and is looking for an investor for said start up. Enter Blake, a billionaire and rumored hacker who drives Erica insane and ultimately becomes determined to have her fall for him.

The chemistry between Blake and Erica is white hot and part of that is because it stems from the anger Erica feels toward Blake. They say there's a thin line between love and hate for a reason of course, and this duo straddles that line just right (no pun intended, I promise).

Now, the "interesting" factors are part of my trope-love: geeky, nerdy goodness. First of all, Erica has an appreciation for things technology and the only way this could be so much better is if she, herself, was a hacker. But alas, I wasn't blessed with that bit. Blake, however, is a super-hacker, something made more attractive by the fact that he doesn't constantly flaunt his skills. They simply are an asset.

If you have a penchant for billionaire romances (because what is more fictional than a super rich, intelligent man with a streak of sweetness and all the time in the world to pay attention to one woman?), take a look at this series. I am looking forward to the rest of it myself!

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Review: The Boyfriend Bet

8/26/2016

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The Boyfriend Bet
by Chris Cannon

Synopsis
Zoe Cain knows that Grant Evertide is way out of her league. So naturally, she kisses him. Out of spite. Not only is Grant her brother’s number-one nemesis, but he has zero interest in being tied down to one girl. She’s shocked—and secretly thrilled—when they start spending more time together.

Zoe’s brother claims Grant is trying to make her his “Ringer,” an oh-so-charming tradition where a popular guy dates a non-popular girl until he hooks up with her, then dumps her. Zoe threatens to neuter Grant with hedge clippers if he's lying but Grant swears he isn’t trying to trick her. Still, that doesn’t mean Grant is the commitment type—even if winning a bet is on the line.

Review

So - I have a penchant for cute contemporary romances and this fit the bill. It had an awesome heroine in Zoe because she is funny and strong and just..different. But in a really great way. She likes to play pranks, and bake, and she has an awesome friend in Delia. The two of them together was quite a love story in itself. They were a great fictionalization of an awesome friendship. At the same time, even though Zoe is this wonderful girl, she shows that she's not full of confidence and lets some self-doubt show through. This keeps her character real for me and even more endearing.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed the male characters of this book as much as I did the female characters. I didn't like Grant and I felt that his character stayed relatively the same throughout the book. Not everyone gains insight in contemporaries, I get it, but why wouldn't you want your character to gain some insight and grow from their experiences?

I'm glad I read it because of Zoe and Delia and I am a sucker for fantabulous female friendships. I wish I could have liked every aspect of this - still give it a shot and tell me what you think!