What I've Been Reading
Updated: Oct 20, 2020
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Title: Beauty and The Billionaire
Author: Lauren Landish
Genre: Romance
Description: Ruthless Bastard. White Knight. But I just call him “boss.”
Thomas Goldstone. A man of billion dollar deals in custom-tailored suits, he demands more than your best.
He’s scary. Driven. Haunted by inner demons that have taken him to the brink. But beneath the arrogant, controlling façade lies a heart of gold. It makes me want to solve him one growly, messy piece at a time. To be the only one who sees the truth of the man.
But I’m... me. A pink-haired, anime-loving, data-crunching geek with an office in the basement of Goldstone HQ. My chances with the big boss? Statistically insignificant.
His burning gaze and clenched jaw say otherwise though. Gives me hope and ignites a flame so hot my glasses fog up. I shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. Shouldn’t tempt the beast upstairs. Shouldn't keep wondering...
Do fairy tales really come true?
Rating: ★★★(3/5)
Beauty and The Billionaire was a quirky retelling that had quite a vibrant cast of characters. The main character was a nerdy, anime-loving woman with pink hair. She truly was my favorite part of the story. If I could transplant this character into a story with more wow factor it would be heaven. Sadly the rest of the book was just meh in my opinion.
I read another book by this author that ended up with the same rating. It saddens me because I wanted to fall in love with these books. Their premises looked absolutely amazing. And they were definitely good, I think others may even really enjoy them, but they just weren't for me.
Title: Vicious
Author: L.J. Shen
Genre: Romance
Description: Emilia
They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true. The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. He is a brilliant lawyer. A skilled criminal. A beautiful liar. A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.
Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.
Vicious
She is a starving artist. Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom. Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down. She paid the price.
Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate. That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t. So she hates me. Big fucking deal. She better get used to me.
Rating: ★★★★(4/5)
Vicious by LJ Shen is the cherry on top of morally grey love stories. The main character Emilia is so lovable to read about. The moral greyness comes in the form of her love interest Vicious. He is everything you want in a darker character with a tragic past, a history of bad decisions, mistakes lining every stop he's ever made, a tilted sense of justice, and an eye on one person: Emilia.
Together they are electric and set the pages they inhabit on fire. Their relationship is one you love to hate because of the amount of regret and angst covering every inch of it. Whether you end up wanting them to be together or hoping they blow apart, this book will make you feel all the emotions.
Purchase Links: Book Depository
Title: The Penalty Box
Author: Odette Stone
Genre: Romance
Description: He's a professional hockey player that lives on the edge. I prefer to play life by the rules.
I’m the personal assistant at a sports agency that no one notices. Unless they need coffee. I don’t like sports and I like professional athletes even less. I’m indifferent to the mostly male clientele, except for one. Mica “the savage” Petrov.
When it comes to wild antics, Mica is the biggest offender of them all. He’s reckless, wild and carelessly charming. I’m mortified that I find him attractive. But it doesn’t matter because the guy hasn’t taken a second look at me. Not once. In two years.
Mica's career jeopardizing situation requires drastic measures to be taken to keep him in the game. He’s got money, I’ve got debt and my boss has a crazy idea. Which is how I found myself stepping up to save him from himself. But at what cost?
How long can I keep fighting my attraction? What ghosts from his past is he brawling with? All I know is that I need to defend my heart before this big defenseman steals it away. Can we win this game? Or is it too late for either of us?
Rating: ★★★★★(5/5)
The Penalty Box by Odette Stone fell into quite a few tropes - but do I care? The answer is no. This was such a good sports fake relationship book that I devoured excitedly. The story checks every box you want in a romance novel, including some very cheesy cliches that the author manages to pull off.
The Romance? Swoony
The Love Interest? Drool Worthy
The Actual Book? Next Level Amazing
If you're interested in these titles or others be sure to check out Book Depository
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