What I've Been Reading
As many of you know, I took a mini blogging break in June. It was a culmination of not
feeling like my blogging was appropriate at the time given the justified racial and cultural unrest. I also lost my family dog - which is minor in comparison but it definitely was a blow to me personally. The month just didn't feel like the right time to be putting out content.
During my mini-hiatus, I did read quite a few books, mainly kindle ebooks, and, now that I'm back, I think it's time to break down my ratings for each and every one. And boy do I have a lot of opinions to share with you.
Disclaimer: This blog post will contain affiliate and referral links. I may earn a small commission to feed my book hoarding tendencies if you use these links to make a purchase. This in no way impacts my opinions of the books listed - they are all my own.
Title: Cyclone
Author: Janie Crouch
Genre: Romance, Romantic Suspense
Description: He’d protect her from any threat…
But what if the biggest threat is him?
Doctor Anne Nichols is back in Oak Creek, Wyoming, only because she has no other options. Here, she was always the shy, stuttering girl, invisible to everyone.
Except Zac Mackay. The very reason she left in the first place.
Zac’s years in Special Forces taught him survival skills, and he’s created a company—Linear Tactical—to teach those skills to others, so they never have to live in fear.
Then why is Annie, the last person he’d ever want to hurt, afraid ofhim?
Zac’s determined to wipe the fear from the eyes of the woman who has never been far from his mind. And fix the mistakes—hismistakes—that put that look there in the first place.
But a predator has set his sights on Annie. And nowsurvival skillswill become much more than lessons…
Rating:★★★★★ (5/5)
Trigger Warnings: Death, Murder, Rape Cases, Military
Cyclone was a book that completely took me by surprise with my love for it. This book was such a great second chance romance. It is a story grounded in missed chances, misshapen encounters, and bone-crushing mistakes. The delicate intimacy of a relationship with a long shared history and pain alongside it makes for a perfectly tantalizing tale of romance. If you're more into real-world, plausibly human romances I would say this should be at the top of your list.
Title: Dirty Like Me
Author: Jaine Diamond
Genre: Romance
Description: A gorgeous rock star.
An indecent proposal.
How can a girl resist?
Struggling barista Katie Bloom doesn’t even know who Jesse Mayes is until she inadvertently wins the coveted role of sex kitten in his hot new music video. But by the time she’s in bed with him, she knows his reputation.
Love maker. Heartbreaker.
Making out with a stranger in front of a camera crew isn’t how Katie imagined herself getting over a broken heart, but when Jesse touches her, sparks fly. The sex is fake but the chemistry is real, and soon the steamy video is blazing up the charts.
Then Jesse makes Katie an irresistible offer: act as his girlfriend for six weeks while he promotes his new album. The only catch? Their sizzling make-out sessions will be for the cameras only.
Which is fine with Katie, since she's not about to trust her heart to rock's most legendary lover. Her body? Maybe…
Rating:★★★★ (4/5)
Rockstar romances can be hit or miss with me. Sometimes they're killer and other times they just miss the mark. Dirty Like Me by Jaine Diamond was one that found its sure footing. I couldn't have asked for a better combination of fun rockstar antics, sexy shenanigans, and emotionally charged scenes. This book, while premised in the 1% of fame, feels as real as you could ever get to the truth of the matter.
Title: Beauty's Beast
Author: Lee Savino and Stasia Black
Genre: Dark Romance
Description: She'll pay her family's debt one way or another...
Daphne’s beautiful, but she doesn’t know it.
A wallflower blossoming into the belle of the ball.
Years ago her father stole from me and it’s time for my revenge
I’m the monster in the darkness. The Minotaur in the labyrinth.
The evil her father warned her about.
I’ll steal her away to my castle. Lock her in my tower. Make her mine in every way
She’ll atone for her family’s sins...forever.
She’s Beauty, and I’m the Beast.
Rating:★ (1/5)
TW: Rape, Abuse, Controlling Men
I've sporadically enjoyed books by both Lee Savino and Stasia Black. To say this one was not my favorite would be an understatement. Beauty's Beast was downright offensive in its objectification and emphasis on a need for purity in women. Aside from that, it just felt like everything was an overreaction on the part of the "beast". All the conflict was trivial and shallow yet it always managed to be blown out of proportion.
Title: Faking It For Daddy
Author: B.B. Hamel
Genre: Romance
Description: She just has to fake it once…
Then I’ll have her begging me to make it real.
I’ve never had a girl fake it before… but now that’s all I need. Just one fake… you know, to help close a business deal.
My new business partner from Monaco is a little too… friendly, and I don’t mix business and pleasure. That’s where my new tasty little assistant Paige comes in.
She just has to fake it, pretend to be my girl, and I can seal this deal. Fool them once then move on. Paige gets paid, I get this new hotel, we all win. Totally simple, right?
Except when I see her fake it, I know I have to taste the real thing. The way her eyes lock on mine, the way she grips the bathroom sink, her whole body shaking, I swear…
I don’t care if it might sink decades of work… I’m taking her for real.
Rating:★★★ (3/5)
I was recommended Fake it For Daddy by B.B. Hamel on bookstagram from a mainly romance account. I don't know if it was because this gave me super high expectations but I ended up finding this romance merely passable. It wasn't anything epic to me and I was just left feeling a little deflated as my hopes for it evaporated.
It's a good book, don't get me wrong, I just don't think it's a must-read, heartstopping one.
If you're interested in these titles or others be sure to check out Book Depository .
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