Romance Rehab

Blind Reader Wanted by Georgia Le Carre

5/31/2018

NEW ADULT ROMANCE

Publication date: 01/06/2017
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

I’m confused and kind of at a loss with this one.

First of all, the beginning is GREAT. I was able to overlook the fact that the hero advertising for a blind reader is more than a little odd. I figured there was a good reason for it, and that he wasn’t a deranged serial killer who liked to keep blind girls in a pit in his basement before wearing their heads around like hats or something. (Good news: the hero wasn’t a serial killer. Bad news: there wasn’t really any good reason for the man to hire a blind female reader. He was both literate and sighted, so...yeah. No clue.) Once I overlooked that, the first half of the story was super intriguing, and I was SURE this was going to be a 5-star read. But somewhere around the halfway point, things got...weird.

Fault Lines by Rebecca Shea

5/30/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 10/28/2017
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

Right up until the end, I was loving this one. I mean, the cover’s beautiful, the writing is great, and there’s a nice, steady level of angst that kind of reminded me of a good soap opera. (Don’t judge. Back in the day, I loved a good soap opera. I was a HUGE Guiding Light fan years and years and years ago.) But then there was an ugly shift at the end that really irked the crap out of me and knocked my rating from a 5 down to a 3.

I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting

5/29/2018

ROMANTIC COMEDY

Publication date: 05/29/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I love Helena Hunting. Her books have appeared on a crap-ton of our Friday “best of” lists. I’ve read every book she’s written, and I’ve enjoyed every last word. This one is no exception.

I would’ve read the book regardless of what it was about because, you know, Helena Hunting. But the fact that it was about a hero and heroine who flip houses? Score!! It’s like it was written just for ME! (I might have mentioned I’m an HGTV addict a time or ten, right?) And Pierce and Rian are good at what they do. I really enjoyed their competence porn.

Trigger warnings: helpful to readers, or censorship?

5/28/2018

Trigger warnings: helpful to readers, or censorship?

If you want to get a group of authors to argue about something, ask them what they think about trigger warnings. Trust us: the debate will get feisty, and at least a few authors will storm off in disgust.

Top 11 romance heroes who are virgins

5/25/2018

Top 11 romance heroes who are virgins

Sick of all the manwhores in romance? Well, this is the list for you. Here are our top picks for 11 romance heroes who are virgins. You’re welcome.

Let Me by Cecy Robson

5/24/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 04/19/2016
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I’ll admit right up front to being a big fan of this author. Her Weird Girls series is one of my all-time favorites in paranormal romance. And I’ve read all the other books in the O’Brien family series and loved them. So, it should come as no surprise that I enjoyed this book as well. Here’s the stuff that worked for me:

Sol is Latina. I think there is a staggering lack of representation of non-caucasian heroes and heroines in romance today. Sol was smart and tough and caring and everything a reader could want from a romance heroine AND she wasn’t white. (Take note of that, publishers who say characters who aren’t white “don’t sell.”)

Can't Fight the Feeling by Sandy James

5/23/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 05/08/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: I dunno

This is another one of those technically well-written books that I just couldn’t bring myself to finish. Wanna know why? Sure you do! (Kind of like when you ask your significant other if the milk smells bad, then you shove it under their nose so they can take a big whiff, because that’s what people do. We smell the milk. So, smell the milk with me, people. And always remember that what I think stinks, lots of other people enjoy.)

Top 10 things you should NEVER say to a romance reader

5/21/2018

The 16 sexiest fighters in romance today

5/18/2018

The 16 sexiest fighters in romance today

I can’t explain it, but there’s something undeniably sexy about a romance hero who makes his living beating the crap out of other big, burly men. Is it the knowledge that he’s capable of protecting what’s his no matter what? Is it competence porn? Is it all the sweat-slicked muscles? Who knows, and frankly, who cares? Fighters make GREAT romance heroes. And with that in mind, here are a few of our all-time favorites:

Bayou My Love by Lauren Faulkenberry

5/17/2018

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Publication date: 09/28/2017
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: Kinda

I was sold on reading this book when I saw that it was a renovation romance. (Even though the title is a little lame) That’s all it took. I have an almost unnatural fascination with home remodeling shows. I’ve lost DAYS to HGTV binges. I’m not proud of that, by the way. I’m just letting you know how much I adore the idea of renovation romance novels. And this one started off strong, too. Too bad it didn’t quite stick the landing…

First of all, I loved that it was the heroine, Enza, (which is a name that struck me as almost too unique, bordering on weird) was the house flipper, not the hero, Jack. There was a good amount of competence porn here. (And y’all know I love me some competence porn)

Bane by LJ Shen

5/16/2018

NEW ADULT ROMANCE

Publication date: 05/06/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

This was TOTALLY not what I was expecting. After reading about Bane in Scandalous, I was prepared for a sexy surf bum, and while Bane WAS a sexy surf bum, he was much, much more than that. So, so much more. Honestly? I’m still having a little bit of a book hangover from this one, mostly because of how much MORE Bane was than what I was expecting. Gah!

First of all, Bane’s an anti-hero with a twist or two (or ten). Like all of the Hotholes, Bane is confident and magnetic and powerful. He’s also a jerk with loose morals. (Super loose) But underneath all of that (and the beard and tattoos and attitude) is a pretty freakin’ awesome romantic hero who is just as broken and in need of repair as his heroine, Jesse.

The reader's guide to knowing which online book reviews to ignore

5/14/2018

The reader's guide to knowing which online book reviews to ignore

If you’re at all like us, you take a quick peek at book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads before buying a book. Now, of course, reviews aren’t the only factor to consider when choosing a read. There are also covers, blurbs, and sample chapters to consider. But we’d be lying (and you probably would be, too) if you said you weren’t ever influenced by online book reviews. The sad thing is, fake book reviews have become a real thing these days. And we’re not even really talking about the fact that authors can pay for fake reviews and often get their friends and family members to write reviews for them. (Amazon is working on that issue, so we’re not really going to address it here) We’re talking about reviews that were written by trolls who probably haven’t even read the book and are only reviewing it out of some kind of malicious intent. Who are these people who have nothing better to do than savage authors online in the hopes of making themselves feel more important? Well, we’re glad you asked.

Top 11 single moms in romance who more than deserve their HEAs

5/11/2018

Top 11 single moms in romance who more than deserve their HEAs

When asked what the fiercest creature on the planet is, you might be tempted to say bears or wolves or honey badgers (seriously, have you SEEN those things fight?). But in reality, if you look at the evidence, it’s pretty obvious that the fiercest creature on the planet is a mom defending her young. And because single moms do everything on their own, they’re twice as fierce as the average mom. So, in honor of all the fierce moms out there, we bring you our top 11 picks for single moms in romance who more than deserved their happily ever after endings. Enjoy!

Loving the Secret Billionaire by Adriana Anders

5/10/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 04/19/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

This book could’ve gone terribly wrong for me. I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m totally over the billionaire trope. But, I ADORE the author, so I wasn’t about to NOT read the book when it came out. And as usual, I wasn’t disappointed.

First of all, just for the sake of full disclosure, this story was originally published in the Rogue Desire anthology. But even if you read it there, it’s worth a reread, because there’s some new content added this time around.

Fast Fury by Kaylea Cross

5/9/2018

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Publication date: 01/18/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

Y’all know I have some issues with romantic suspense. But Kaylea Cross is one of those rare romantic suspense authors who always gets it right, in my opinion. The balance between sexy times and real mortal danger in her books is always perfect, the plots are twisty enough to be interesting but not SO twisty that I’m confused, and the heroes are alpha without being alphaholes. There’s a reason why this author shows up so many times on our Friday “best of” lists, and her winning streak is more than upheld in Fast Fury. Here are the highlights:

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