The first half of this for me was spot on regarding the push pull as well as one of the headiest unresolved sexual tensions I have read in a 3.5 Stars
The first half of this for me was spot on regarding the push pull as well as one of the headiest unresolved sexual tensions I have read in a long while. It was so thick, one would have to put in considerable effort to barely be able to scratch the surface with a sharp knife.
And then, it dissolved into pure smut with a side of angst.
Not gonna lie, this made me squirm in the best and worst ways but overall, I’m calling it a win. Colt was top notch possessive, commanding and bossy, and (mostly) honorable as he struggles with his tortured past and history of abuse. Layla was no different as she’s been neglected and on her own for most of her entire life.
Again, a fabulous start that petered out due to too much redundancy (as evidenced by being 460 pages long) with dramatic crude side characters. However, if you want a cowboy sex god with plenty of dirty talk, age gap daddy vibes, falling for your son’s ex, grumpy sunshine, and forced proximity dynamics then this naughty little number will provide you with the escapism you crave! Enjoy!...more
An unassuming book that turned out to be quite the find!
As per the blurb, Emmy Ryder has been recently traumatized by a horse accident wh4 Easy Stars!
An unassuming book that turned out to be quite the find!
As per the blurb, Emmy Ryder has been recently traumatized by a horse accident while doing what she does best - barrel riding. She’s so shaken that she hasn’t been able to get back on a horse in months and defeatedly returns home to lick her wounds and figure out what to do next in her life. What Emmy doesn’t expect is to find herself attracted to the resident bad boy Luke Brooks who is now a responsible respectable bar owner. Luke and Emmy have always antagonistically noticed the other in their periphery as Luke was basically raised by the Ryder patriarch, but the difference in their ages and life paths/goals never really truly crossed. Until now.
This had the makings of what I enjoy the most out of romance. *A plucky heroine who is relatable and doesn't have any TSTL moments. *A sexy hero who’s confident, take charge, protective and possessive, *A palpable buildup with a nicely explicit follow through with a side of dirty talk.
Again, this was a fabulous easy read with a great supporting cast, sexy fun, and good hurt comfort and healing for both Emmy and Luke. So, if you want a cowboy/cowgirl vibe, falling for your brother's best friend, annoyance to lust to love, with some yummy spice to whet your whistle then this will surely satisfy!...more
This isn’t really your typical contemporary romance. Anything with a hunt for treasure can easily, and most likely, devolve into some zany ou3.5 Stars
This isn’t really your typical contemporary romance. Anything with a hunt for treasure can easily, and most likely, devolve into some zany outrageous situations, and this did not fail on that front.
At its heart though, this is about Lily and Leo. They fell in love at a young age and multiple circumstances (mostly out of their control) have kept them apart for the past decade, but when a random guys’ trip brings Leo back into Lily’s life, they both quickly realize that those ardent feelings have not dimmed one bit.
I continue to remain pleasantly surprised that this year of CLo reads has yet to disappoint. Perhaps I’ve lowered my expectations a bit on the smut, but I call it a win when Lily didn’t annoy or piss me off, and like most of CLo’s heroes, Leo was a steadfast rock with an understated smart resiliency, wearing his lovely heart on his sleeve.
Not a lot of flash and bang on the romance front but the peripheral goings-on more than makes up for it. This has second chance romance, forced proximity, guns and chases, trekking dangerous rough terrain, and plenty of clues and puzzles to mull over for a chance at millions. Again, not your typical CLo, but it should be a breath of fresh air if you want a dash of implausible adventure to your next love story!...more
As per the blurb, Evelyn and Beckett shared a wonderful weekend of passion, and since then neither can forget what transpired. When Evelyn be3.5 Stars
As per the blurb, Evelyn and Beckett shared a wonderful weekend of passion, and since then neither can forget what transpired. When Evelyn becomes dissatisfied with her life, she’s drawn back to Lovelight Farms and the man who sparked a flame within her. Beckett tries to resist her alluring appeal, feeling he isn’t enough to keep Evelyn with him for forever.
Sooo mainly this book is a back and forth on Evelyn and Beckett daydreaming about their sexy times and them being polite and tiptoeing around each other despite the fact that there’s really absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t give it a go. If you like gentle giants who are grumpy introverts who will do anything for the ones they care about, then Beckett gets top marks!
Overall, this was a very sedate romance filled with not much going on except an over abundance of waxing about small town life, its denizens who love to meddle, plenty of cute animals, and tasty food and drink. Admittedly, this was well written, but in all honesty, I was a bit bored and am pausing on continuing this series. However, if you want a love story that’s laid back with a northeastern quaint setting, then this might be for you!
I’ll be honest. Even though I’ve read more MF this year than I have in ages, it’s rare to find that perfect mix of heady he3.5 Stars
An overall MF win!
I’ll be honest. Even though I’ve read more MF this year than I have in ages, it’s rare to find that perfect mix of heady hero and no frills heroine. The last thing I want is to spend several hours in the headspace of another neurotic woman who’s too afraid of a relationship because she’s got a deep rooted fear of abandonment (no matter how reasonable and understandable), but often, that is a common theme in many of these sorts of stories, and this was no different.
So, this starts with Stella with the aforementioned issue and in an effort to save her failing farm, she lies on her application for a monetary contest that she and her bestie fell in love and bought the place together. Her reasoning is that the social media guru running this contest always seems to favor a romantic angle, hence the “lie”. When Stella propositions Luka with clear adamant reassurance that this won’t ruin their friendship, he says yes to a week of subterfuge where they’re free to indulge in each other with no awkwardness or restrictions.
Unsurprisingly, as most MF stories go, Luka is a dreamy dreamboat. He’s perfect - caring, kind, intuitive, handsome, and oh so sexy. Stella is your classic internally rambly character that is trying to hide her feelings so things can continue like they always have so she can feel safe in the sure and steady. These two have been pining for each other for ten years. Yes. Ten years.
Of course, Stella freaks, but thankfully, the drama isn’t protracted, and Luka is an absolute saint. Points for the charming small town atmosphere, romanticized farm life, and a supporting cast that was quite engaging (and who will get their own HEA’s in this series).
If this fits your requirements of a romance - friends to lovers, quasi fake dating, a good amount of spice - I don’t think this will fail you. Despite my complaints, I’m going to continue this series in the hopes that future stories will deliver more than the usual hangups.
As I sit here and wait for the next Hawthorne brother to get his happy ending I thought I’d hop on over to a different series to get baby sis3.5 Stars
As I sit here and wait for the next Hawthorne brother to get his happy ending I thought I’d hop on over to a different series to get baby sister Olivia’s story in the hopes of getting a little fix.
Well… it backfired. It could’ve been a lot worse in different hands, but Olivia’s self imposed denial to not get involved with one of the most wonderful fictional men on the planet was aggravating like most of these MF romance “heroines” typically are. It was not empowering. It was not strong and smart of Olivia but only served to make her and Tyler miserable for no other reason than this strong and smart girl couldn't get the courage to have a serious conversation with her dad and her brother to clear up hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Sadly now, I look at Perry and their dad in a different light that I just can’t ever get back.
Overall, still top notch writing (and chasteness with an actual plausible reason), but this right here is why MF stories often drive me bonkers. The hero is amazing as he gets shit on for awhile, and all the good parts are overshadowed by the fact that the love of his life can’t get her head out of her ass soon enough. Extra points for 3 of the 4 Hawthorne brothers and a cute baby goat.
Picture the grumpiest grump, made even grumpier due to divorce but who slowly comes alive when he fi4 Stars
This second installment did not disappoint!
Picture the grumpiest grump, made even grumpier due to divorce but who slowly comes alive when he finally meets his virtual assistant in person.
Picture said assistant whose sole focus has been raising her son after her husband passed away who slowly comes alive especially when she sees who she’s working for.
The standout star will come as no surprise. Perry’s gruff exterior didn’t cover up a macho man but one who has real hurts and fears. In turn, Lila’s strong and never pissed me off. She has realistic doubts and insecurities, but she doesn’t let that interfere with her personal forward momentum, and I’m so thankful she didn’t drive me bonkers.
This was fun and funny (but still so very tame), peppered with authentic worries and conflicts. Both Perry and Lila were awkward and had genuine vulnerabilities. What’s also great is their willingness to be brave enough to step out of their comfort zone to take a second chance on happiness.
The supporting cast dynamic is more developed here which I absolutely loved. Toss in a cute kid, a full on promoting of farm glam life, and a family that loves to call you out on your shit, and this had just enough humor and emotions to satisfy!
If you know me well, you know I don’t often delve back into the world of M/F easily or often. However, Sarina Bowen is the rare author that4 M/F Stars
If you know me well, you know I don’t often delve back into the world of M/F easily or often. However, Sarina Bowen is the rare author that grabs me, and I was curious to see if her M/F stories could live up to her fabulous M/M ones. It sure doesn’t hurt that this is loosely tied to Goodbye Paradise.
Sooooo, in the realm of M/F, I’m giving this a solid 4 stars. The female character, who is often the reason why I no longer read these kinds of stories on the regular, was thankfully not annoying, not stupid, and didn’t play frustrating mind games. I so appreciate that - you just don’t know how much I do.
As usual, the male protagonist here is what contributes to most of the points. Griff is a grump, but he has totally valid reasons. He’s a yummy giant, albeit not as gentle as some, but still warm and gooey under that curmudgeon crust, and he’s held a torch for Audrey for many years. It’s serendipity that she shows up on his property trying to buy his farm-ery goods. When the opportunity to mix business with pleasure arises, neither is too hesitant to indulge. *wink wink *
While these two get it on, they also try to fulfill their everyday obligations and accomplish their future goals. Griff wants more financial stability despite an ever dicey and fickle market for what he produces. He’s under an extreme amount of pressure, and a wrong decision can result in devastating consequences. Audrey wants to prove her own self reliance and make it big so she can eventually have her own restaurant. She, however, has to climb her way to the top, working as a peon for a big food and restaurant conglomerate. They’ve tasked her to get organic foodstuffs at rock bottom prices, and Griff and his fellow community farmers are understandably a hard sell. Can they reconcile these possible conflicts of interest while trying to forge something more meaningful between them?? Of course they can.
Though M/F is no longer my go to, this did make me smile, it consistently made me snort in amusement, and the smex was hot if I do say so myself. Griff is a confident sexy beast of a lover, and he’s not shy with his moves or his words. I’m also thankful for the minimal relationship melodrama because that’s just not necessary to tell a good story - thank you Sarina!
To be honest, I’m scared to move on and ruin my afterglow as the next hints at much more serious matter. I think I’ll stew in the good vibes and leave well enough alone for now - I'll save the tough decisions for later!...more
* A Reader Obsessed *
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