Tag Archives: Excessive Drama

Rebel (Rebel Wheels #1)

By Elle Casey

Synopsis

Teagan Cross, college senior, rebel, and wiseass extraordinaire, goes from princess to pauper in a single phone call. Overnight, her life of privilege becomes one of survival, and no matter where she turns, it seems like the world is out to get her. She’s not going to fall apart, though. She’s a rebel and she’s strong … determined to live life on her own terms … and nothing’s going to stop her from getting things done and making things right. But when a twist of fate brings her to the doorstep of a different kind of Rebel, she’s forced to figure out when something’s worth fighting for and when something’s worth letting go.

Review

Rebel is a Romantic Comedy with a suspense story simmering in the background which kept me intrigued until the end where it takes center stage.

Quin and Teagan have great chemistry as friends and many times caused me to laugh out loud. Their one-liners are just so funny and light-hearted.

Teagan has some emotional moments where I felt true heartache for her, but I loved her determination.

Teagan and Rebel, well some moments are great and others I struggled with. However, once I knew his story I forgave and understood his silent treatment. The relationship with the brothers I enjoyed immensely and how they became attached and protective of Teagan.

Now I have to admit I am unhappy with her dad’s story not being resolved. I did find myself smiling at the conclusion about how Rebel stood up and took charge.

This is not a college romance, it takes place over college break. There are some great passionate moments. The verbal Diahorrea between Quin and Teagan will make you laugh, cringe and fall in love with their friendship.

Overall, I enjoyed this story.

Quote: I was asking for Trouble. Instead, I got something special

Rebel (Rebel Wheels #1)

My Rating:

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Road-Tripped (Ad Agency # 1)

By Nicole Archer

Synopsis

What’s worse than driving across country in a phallic-shaped RV with a coworker you hate? Falling in love with them.

Copywriter Callie Murphy has a bad attitude, a vicious tongue, and a serious aversion to Shimura Advertising’s resident manwhore, Walker Rhodes. Know where he can stick his good looks and Southern charm? She can think of a few creative places. Avoiding him wouldn’t be a problem, except her boss threatens to fire her if she doesn’t go along with him on their RV client’s cross-country tour.

Walker is sick of his job, tired of women, and in a big old creative rut. The upcoming client road trip is just what he needs to shake things up and rediscover his lost passion. But his plans go south when his partner drops out at the last minute, and Callie, the foul-mouthed tiny terror, takes her place. Unless he can find a way to thaw his icy coworker, he’s looking at two months of pure hell.

Review

I am clearly in the minority here because I did not enjoy ROAD-TRIPPED like so many others have.

I wasn’t a fan of either Walker or Callie, who both frustrated me beyond belief. For almost the entire story, one of them would be moody and unpleasant while the other tried to win them over, and every time they were finally in a good place, some comment would send them spiraling back into enemy territory. Don’t even get me started on Walker taking a photo of a half-naked Callie while she was asleep (before they became friends and lovers) and then lying to her about it when he was caught. Or that he insulted and slut-shamed a female co-worker to her face AND in front of another co-worker.

I found the story hard to get through and not as funny as other reviewers had made it out to be, though there were a handful of good scenes which is why I’m giving this debut novel 2❤ instead of 1❤. ROAD-TRIPPED is told in dual POVs and ended with a HEA for Walker and Callie.

Road-Tripped (Ad Agency # 1)

My Rating:

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Ad Agency Series

Mogul

By Katy Evans

Synopsis

A brand new contemporary romance from New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

He’s my most delicious secret.
The hot Suit I had a one-night stand with one evening.
I didn’t know anything about him, not even his name.
Only that we shared a taxi, and he was staying at the hotel where I worked.
We met in room 1103. Where he commanded not only my body but my soul.
The next day he was gone and I only had a memory of him.
I could still taste his kisses, feel his demanding touch.
I searched for him for months. Daydreaming about him. Wondering if I’d ever find him.
Until the day I find myself staring face to face with his jeweled black eyes again.
He says lets keep it casual, and my heart knows that falling for this workaholic in a three-thousand-dollar suit is off the table.
Because he has a secret. One that’s a deal breaker for me.
My Suit has a name.
Ian Ford.
And this is our story.

*Mogul contains characters from Tycoon, but is written to be read as a standalone

Review

Mogul began with heat, passion and two characters, in particular, Ian who I immediately felt a connection to. I admit I struggled with Sara and by the end, I found her annoying.

This is mostly told from Sara’s perspective and when we were given moments of Ian’s thoughts it helped the story, perhaps if it had been more balanced with POV I may have connected more to this story.

Firstly by the end, I began skipping the sex scenes as it seemed that is all they did. I wanted more emotional moments between Ian and Sara as we built to the ending and we did not get that. The last few chapters I really enjoyed as finally, I saw the interaction between Cordelia, Ian and also Sara which created some drama.

I would have liked Ian to be more dominant, at the beginning I felt him and thought this was going to be a hot read and then he lost his fizz just like his whole divorce proceedings.

The terms of endearment like Dancer and Suit were classy and relevant to their characters. The other nicknames for Ian were awful and ruined the story for me.

Mogul

My Rating:

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Trusting Liam (Taking Chances #2)

By Molly McAdams

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Taking Chances, From Ashes, and Stealing Harper, comes the new unforgettable adult romance Molly McAdams’ fans have been waiting for—the sizzling story of a young woman who must place her trust in the one man who can break through her defenses.

A night they will always remember…a connection neither can deny…a secret that could destroy it all…

When Kennedy Ryan moves to California, she never expects to come face-to-face with Liam Taylor—the intriguing man who has haunted her thoughts for a year. A man who led her to breaking every one of her rules for a single night of passion that ended up meaning more than it was ever supposed to. Accustomed to disastrous experiences with men, Kennedy shields herself before he can break down more of the carefully built control she’s clung to for the last four years. But every time she sees Liam, she feels her resolve weakening.

Liam Taylor has been asked to help socialize his boss’s nieces. But what he thinks sounds more like a babysitting job ends up leading him to the only girl who ever slipped away before morning—a girl he thought he’d never find again. And now that she’s within reach, Liam’s determined to never let her go.

But when a secret from her past tests their relationship, will they be able to cling to the trust Liam has worked so hard to build?

Review

Trusting Liam is a slow burn romance and unfortunately towards the end wore me down and lost my interest.

I had not read Taking Chances the first book in this series and honestly, you do not have to.

Kennedy became annoying by the end with her indecision and Kira just faded to the background for me. Blown out of proportion were Kennedy’s issues and I became confused by her.

The danger to the girls just faded to the background and became a non-issue. I was expecting her dad and uncle to play more of a part in this story.

Liam was a great character as were his family. The family actually provided me with enough interest to finish this story. The relationship Liam had with all the adults in his life was heartwarming and showed his great character. Liam, in the end, made me accept Kennedy in his life.

The epilogue for Trusting Liam was a wonderful surprise. Upon finishing it had me wanting to know more about this twelve months.

Trusting Liam (TakingChances #2)

My Rating:

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Wish You Were Mine

By Tara Sivec

Synopsis

Five years. I would’ve stayed away longer if I hadn’t received the letter. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about her, haven’t missed her smile, haven’t wished that things were different.

The last time I saw my two best friends, I vowed to not stand in the way of their happiness, even if that meant I couldn’t be a part of their lives. Cameron James and her emerald-green eyes were too much of a temptation and I couldn’t stay and watch them together. Cameron deserved better than me. She deserved him.

But now that I am back, things are different. I’m not going to stand by and watch the woman I’ve always loved slip away again. I’m done living my life with regrets and I’m ready to tell her the truth. And I’ll do whatever it takes to show her that I always wished she was mine.

Review

I’m sad to say that I really struggled getting through WISH YOU WERE MINE. I found myself wanting to give it up several times, but I’ve read and liked this author before, so I kept going. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the end, my feelings towards this book did not improve.

WISH YOU WERE MINE is the story of Everett and Cameron, who have been in love with each other for about twenty years, but neither have had the courage to confess their feelings. Their inability to be open and honest with each other takes up the first 75% of the story, which I found very frustrating. What was more frustrating was that when they finally did get together, it did not bring about an end to the drama. In the final 25%, their relationship is endangered two times, which I won’t go into because of spoilers. Ultimately, it was just too much drama for me to take to get to the happy ending.

I also didn’t like that Cameron and her best friend called almost every other woman in this story a skank. Worse, Cameron thought Aiden’s manwhore ways were a part of his charm, yet the women who slept with him were all skanks. It’s a derogatory word that was used too easily and frequently throughout the story, and it’s hard to like a character who speaks about her fellow women that way.

WISH YOU WERE MINE is a friends-to-lovers stand-alone that comes with a HEA for Everett and Cameron. It is told in dual POVs and also includes flashbacks. In fact, the first half of the story is told in a mixture of the past and the present, and this did affect the flow of the story a little bit. However, the flashbacks into the past were informative and showed the times that Everett and Cameron had missed their chance to say something to the other.

Wish You Were Mine

My Rating:

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Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas

By Carolyn Brown

Synopsis

A heartwarming holiday read from USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown

Nash Lamont is a man about as solitary as they come. That’s exactly why ranch life in middle-of-nowhere Happy, Texas suits him. So what the heck is he doing letting a beautiful widow and her three rambunctious children temporarily move in? Before he knows it, they’re stringing Christmas lights and decorating the tree… and he’s having the time of his life. But after everything he’s been through, Nash knows this kind of happiness doesn’t last.
Kasey Dawson thought she’d never get over the death of her husband. Nash, with his strong hands and infinite patience, is stirring something she hasn’t felt in a long time. Kasey knows the sexy cowboy isn’t telling her everything about this past, though. And she refuses to risk heartbreak all over again. But her kids have a plan of their own: Nothing will keep them from having a real family again-even if it takes a little help from Santa himself.

The Happy, Texas series: Toughest Cowboy in TexasLong, Tall Cowboy ChristmasThe Luckiest Cowboy of AlL

Review

Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas is a sweet romance however for me was really slow at the beginning. I probably enjoyed the last 30% of the book more and at times found myself pushing through the filler stories in the middle.

Kasey was a great mother character and her interactions with her children helped develop the story. I do admit I found it hard to connect Nash and her romantically as he was so closed off. As their relationship was progressing both emotionally and physically the story would all of a sudden stop and turn elsewhere. I did become frustrated at times with their about-face with each other and it wore me down in the end.

Nash was wonderful and nurturing with Kasey’s children and I suppose I needed him to be that for her. The children were my favourite part of this whole story and kept me reading till the end.

Onto the other family, I am sorry but some of them just rubbed me the wrong way with their small town gossip and judgment. There are a number of religious references in this story so if that is not your thing you probably will not enjoy this.

I had not read book 1 of this series and could easily follow the characters referencing past memories and moments that happened in the first book.

Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas

My Rating:

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Lucas (Cold Fury Hockey # 8)

By Sawyer Bennett

Synopsis

Lucas Fournier is only serious about one thing: hockey. The league’s fun-loving charmer, Luc is always up for a good prank or a great lay, and he has no intention of settling down. But being traded to the Carolina Cold Fury—and to play alongside his big brother, Max—is no joke. With another title in sight, the last thing Luc wants is to let his new teammates down. To succeed, Luc will need to keep his head in the game and the most . . . er, demanding member of his anatomy in check. But when temptation hits, Luc hits back harder.

Museum curator Stephanie Frazier has always put business before pleasure, which just about explains her nonexistent sex life. But when Stephanie meets Luc at a champagne-fueled gala, she finds herself flirting like crazy—and going home with the uninhibited athlete. For one night, she learns what passion is all about. She just never counted on the little surprise Luc leaves behind. And that’s when things really start to get . . . interesting.

Review

I’m going to start my review by saying that I love Sawyer Bennett, so it sucks to give her a low rating, but I just can’t rate LUCAS any higher than 3❤️. Apart from the scorching hot sex, I just didn’t feel the connection between Lucas and Stephanie, and I couldn’t get my head around the type of sexual non-relationship they were trying to have.

I really liked Lucas and he’s the reason I rated this as high as I did. There were a couple of times where he was a dick, but for the most part he was a level-headed guy with an amazing personality. He’s nice, friendly and caring, and he’s a monster in bed. Who can’t get down with that combination?

Stephanie, on the other hand, frustrated me to tears. No doubt she’s a survivor, but that’s the only thing about her I liked and respected. I was clearly not in the mood to listen to her constantly complain about how her shitty childhood affects her ability to connect with people to this day. But what really annoyed me was that Lucas, being the great guy he is, spent the entire book trying to boost her up and showing her that he cared about her…and she never believed him. But when a fairly new acquaintance tells her just once that she’s good enough, she suddenly believes it and is grateful that she finally has someone who believes in her. That was a serious WTF moment for me and really cemented my dislike of her.

LUCAS is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. The epilogue is told in Van’s POV and it sets us up for his book, which will be next. Like Lucas, he’s new to the team and while we didn’t see a lot of him in this story, what we did see was a guy who was very rude, keeps to himself and who doesn’t seem very likeable. That being said, he has me intrigued so I will be definitely be reading his book.

Lucas (Cold Fury Hockey # 8)

My Rating:

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Cold Fury Hockey Series

The Playbook

By Kelly Elliott

Synopsis

My life revolved around two things. Football and my cock. And not necessarily in that order.

Being the head football coach for a top university in Texas had its ups and its downs.

The ups? Endless women to f*ck.

The downs? The politics that came with the job.

From the moment Aubrey Cain walked into my office, she turned my world upside down. Being forced to have her follow me around for a month was going to be a pain in the ass. Especially since I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her.

The best I’d hoped to come out of this was a few nights with her in my bed. I never imagined she’d be the game changer.

Brett Owens was my assignment.

Head football coach for a top college, bad boy reputation, short temper, and handsome good looks should have scared me off. But I was tougher than that.

From the first words out of his obnoxious, dirty-talking mouth, I knew it was going to be a long month. It wasn’t five minutes after meeting him, he hit on me. If only I had known his blue eyes would haunt my dreams and awaken a desire inside of me I never knew existed.

This was business. There was no way I would be tempted by him no matter how good looking he was or how many things he whispered in my ear.

He was only supposed to be my assignment. Not the man who threatened to destroy both my heart and my career. I would follow along with his playbook for now. But who would end up winning was anyone’s guess.

Review

I’ve read a couple of books from Kelly Elliott before and I really liked them, so it’s disappointing to say that I struggled to get into THE PLAYBOOK. So much so that it ended up taking me a few days to finish it.

I’m just going to put this out there: I didn’t like any of the characters, and that includes the main ones. In the beginning, Brett comes on so strong with women it’s actually disturbing and a huge turn off. The worst example is when he was first trying to seduce Aubrey and he bragged that he f*cked another woman three times earlier that same day. While Aubrey was disgusted by this, she still found him attractive, and this is just the first time she comes off as indecisive. Other times include when she pushes Brett away but then feels disappointed that she’s successful, and that even though she’s not ready for kids yet, she gets upset when Brett wears a condom. Desperate is another word I’d use to describe her. After dating Brett for just a few weeks, she pressures him about marriage and kids and then breaks up with him when he says he’s not ready yet. I found them both to be just too much, and that’s all I can remember about them.

THE PLAYBOOK is a stand-alone, is told in dual POVs, and comes with a HEA for Brett and Aubrey. As I said at the beginning, I’ve enjoyed other books by this author, so while I didn’t like this one, I would read this author again.

The Playbook

My Rating:

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In This Breeze (Lake Shore University #1)

By Kathleen Maree

Synopsis

A nerd. A quiet art student. A nobody.

Or perhaps, just some girl.

These are the non-spoken titles I’ve been known as since I started at Lake Shore Uni almost two years ago now. When given the chance to leave my horrific childhood behind – I didn’t hesitate. In fact, I was ecstatic to have the door hit me on the ass on my way out of town; because the only two things I actually loved in my traumatic life…

Were coming with me.

And whilst the three of us shared the same beat-up truck when we moved here – that’s where the similarities unfortunately end.

Ethan ‘The Mule’ Jones, is kind of a super star on campus. Everywhere he goes he seems to draw attention. I guess that’s what happens when you’re headlining papers as the star basketballer for the LS Eagles. But to me, he’s just Eth. A boy who still spends his Friday nights snuggled up watching movies with me, and who walks me to classes just to make sure I get there okay. He is my best friend in every way, and I can’t imagine my life without him in it.

And then there’s Jase.

The truth is I knew from the moment I met Jase at the local skate park, when he was smoking a cigarette and teasing Eth for his poor skating ability, of how fiercely protective he was about those he cared for. From the time he blew his warm breath over my injured knee, to when he thankfully intervened on the most horrific day of my life. A day, that still haunts me when I am alone in the dark.

He saved me.

But Jase has his own demons too. Even if he doesn’t go looking for it, trouble always seems to find him. Which is why he has been absent from our lives for the past two years.

Sometimes I wonder what he’s doing.

Quite often I worry if he’s okay.

And I always, always, think about him.

Even though I shouldn’t

Review

In this Breeze is a college romance that involves three friends and lots of drama. This is a new author for me and I enjoyed the story although some of the drama within the friendship triangle did wear me down.

At times I found myself quite angry with Bree and her inability to make decisions however she is only young and hindsight is a great thing. Ethan immediately had my heart, he was such a good friend to Bree and he is genuinely in love with this girl. The way Ethan cares for her and is so protective and does not succumb to peer group pressure is surprising.

Jase is troubled however he and Bree do share a traumatic event so have a deep connection. Jase is definitely a bad boy however his moments with Bree are special and sensitive.

The second half of this story I enjoyed far more than the first and the ending definitely although not a cliffhanger it does leave you wanting more.

I cannot wait to read about Jase in the next novel. I am truly torn with this friendship it is driving me crazy!

In This Breeze (Lake Shore University #1)

My Rating:

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Cheater (Curious Liaisons # 1)

By Rachel Van Dyken

Synopsis

Lucas Thorn wasn’t born a cheater. All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are simple: No commitments. No exceptions.

But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.

Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.

Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love…

Review

I have mixed feelings about CHEATER, which is why I’m ultimately giving it 3❤️. It held my attention and had me laughing at some scenes, but was it occasionally a little too silly? Yes. Were some of the scenes—and character behavior—unrealistic and over-the-top? Most definitely. Does it have a high school vibe to it, even though Lucas is 32 years old? Yep. But if you can put all that aside, you will find it to be an enjoyable read.

That being said, here are the main issues I had with the story.

1 – Some of the characters thoughts and conversations were quite repetitive and were almost repeated word for word in some cases. There were also several inconsistencies throughout the entire story that were so blatant I had to wonder how they were missed by everyone who had a hand in getting the book ready for publishing.

2 – Lucas is not a cheater. Does he have seven women he regularly has sex with on an almost daily basis? Yes. But he’s honest with all of his partners that their relationship is purely sexual, they’re all aware of the other women and they fully understand the situation, so I don’t classify what he does as cheating. Oh, and spoiler alert, he didn’t cheat on his fiancé either. So when I say that Lucas is not a cheater, I mean he’s truly not a cheater.

3 – I haven’t read them all, but from the reviews I have read, a lot of people have taken issue with Lucas being a manwhore. But no-one seems to blink an eye about the truly disturbing part of the story: that when Lucas was 27 years old, he lusted after and planned on seducing Avery…who was just 17 years old and still in high school. I won’t lie, that made my skin crawl.

I know it sounds like more bad than good, but I didn’t hate this story. As I said at the beginning, it held my attention and it made me laugh, so it wasn’t all bad. CHEATER comes with a happy ending for Lucas and Avery, but the ending mainly sets up the reader for the next book in the series, which is about their best friends, Thatch and Austin. Will I read their story? I’m honestly not sure at this stage.