Romance Rehab

Deep Cover by Scarlett Cole

7/31/2018

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Publication date:07/31/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

In case anyone missed all of our “best of” lists that include Scarlett Cole, I’m a HUGE fan of her work. She’s one of the few authors I’ve found who can do rockstar romance that doesn’t irritate me, and other new adult romances that I don’t feel too old and grumpy to be reading. (The Strongest Steel is one of my all-time favorite reads in ANY category of romance, and I’ve read a crap-ton of romance, y’all. That’s saying something.)And while I don’t normally dig romantic suspense, that doesn’t include Ms. Cole, because I ADORE her Love Over Duty series. So, the fact that I loved Deep Cover should come as a surprise to exactly no one.

Cooper's Charm by Lori Foster

7/30/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date:07/31/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I’ll just go on the record right up front and say that I’m a huge Lori Foster fan. Her books have just the right blend of backstory, angst, sweetness, feels and sexy times to satisfy just about any romance reader. Cooper’s Charm is no exception, so it should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that I enjoyed this one a great deal.

If I had to classify Cooper’s Charm, I’d call it a feel-good read. There’s some horrible stuff that happened in the characters’ pasts, but it wasn’t harped on in such detail that it scared me or bummed me out or anything. Just the right amount of detail was given to let me get to know the characters, but there definitely wasn’t TMI. (I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate that. I hate TMI and have had more than one book that gave me nightmares as a result. I’m looking at you, Lisa Gardner.)

Butterface by Avery Flynn

7/30/2018

ROMANTIC COMEDY

Publication date:07/30/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

Hang in there with me on this one, folks. It’s going to get fangirly and gushy. I apologize in advance.

I loved everything about this book. I could probably end the review there. I loved the characters, the storyline, the dialogue, the author’s writing style...everything. It was a flawless read. But since that would make for a crappy review, here are some specifics about what I loved the most:

Top 11 romance heroines with inspiring inner strength

7/27/2018

Top 11 romance heroines with inspiring inner strength

In life, bad shit happens. It’s a sad fact. It’s the women who survive all the bad shit and come out of it stronger who really inspire me. So, that’s what I like to see in my romance heroines: strong women who overcome the worst of what life has to offer and eventually find their happily ever after. (If you’re hearing Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger in your head right now, that wasn’t my intention; it’s just a happy accident) With this list, we celebrate all you badass women out there who kick the crap out of life on a daily basis. Y’all rock!

The Nearness of You by Iris Moreland

7/26/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date:03/01/2017
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I’m giving this 2 stars because 1) The hero, Harrison, is a decent guy, and 2) It wasn’t so awful that I couldn’t finish it. But that’s about all this book is going to get from me.

I’m usually more discriminating with my downloads, but this was a BookBub freebie, and sadly, I sometimes download those without doing much research. If I would have looked at some other reviews before 1-clicking, I might’ve passed on this one. (And I kind of wish I would have) Here’s what didn’t work for me:

When I'm Gone by Jaxson Kidman

7/25/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date:05/1/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

This is a weird one for me to rate, because there were a bunch of things that bugged me, but yet I still liked it. I’ll start with the good.

Here’s what I loved:

This was a super emotional read about two characters who both had interesting, complex backstories, and the backstories never got boring. The pacing was handled perfectly.
When Kace fell for Sienna, he was all in. It terrified him, but once he came to terms with his feelings, he was pretty much the perfect book boyfriend.
Kace and Sienna were super cute together. Their dialogue was adorable, and often really funny.
The bromance between Kace and his friend Mack was also a lot of fun.
The sex scenes were HOT HOT HOT. And did I mention HOT???

The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise

7/24/2018

NEW ADULT ROMANCE

Publication date:04/16/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

There was lots to like about this one...and a few things that kind of ruined it for me. I’ll start with the good:

Zoe’s shyness and tendency to blurt out embarrassing overly verbose monologues when she gets flustered is ridiculously cute. She had some other quirks which were equally cute. I could totally see why Dylan was fascinated with her.
Dylan is a darn-near perfect book boyfriend. He’s kind and thoughtful and alpha without being an alphahole. He’s focused on his sports career, but he’s not one of these ridiculous sports romance heroes who thinks he can’t have a relationship or fall in love because of his career. He was a realist who knew that a sports career and love weren’t mutually exclusive, and I totally appreciated that.
It’s a slow burn romance. I love a good slow burn romance.

Top 10 phrases I never want to read again in romance novels

7/23/2018

Top 10 phrases I never want to read again in romance novels

I’m a voracious reader. I read probably 5 or 6 books a week, and most of them are romance. So, when I say I never want to read a certain phrase again, I REALLY mean it, because I’ve probably seen it approximately a gazillion times before. If all you fabulous romance authors out there could help me out with this, I’d really appreciate it. Please and thank you.

Top 11 super sexy male escorts in romance who are well worth the price

7/20/2018

Top 11 super sexy male escorts in romance who are well worth the price

Ever wished you could hire the perfect guy and be done with all the drama that goes along with dating? If so, this list is for you. Happy binge-reading!

Finding Bliss by Cassie Strickland

7/19/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 09/18/2015
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

Based on the blurb, I had no idea what to expect from this book. But honestly, I’m glad I went into this with no preconceived notions, because all in all, I really enjoyed Clara and Grey’s story.

I won’t spoil any plot points, but Clara is a woman who has suffered unfathomable trauma, and that trauma has led her to isolate herself and lead a rather...un-lifelike life. Grey enters her world under terrible circumstances, but ultimately rescues her from her self-imposed exile, bringing with him friends, family and, well, life.

Back on Fever Mountain by Melissa Davenport

7/18/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date:03/29/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

I was once again lured in by a hot, intense looking guy on a book cover, a decent blurb, and the promise of a grumpy recluse hero. And I once again paid the price for my shallow 1-clicking behavior. Sigh. When will I learn?

First of all, you’ll notice that this is a complete trilogy about one couple. I only read part 1. So, I won’t be complaining about how part 1 completely lacked any resolution or love declarations. It’s not a HEA because the story isn’t complete after book 1. But if you decide to read this one (and if you do, don’t say I didn’t warn you), make sure you download the complete trilogy and not just book 1, which is The Cabin Escape.

Here’s what went wrong with this one:

Kirby by Samantha Anne

7/17/2018

ROMANTIC COMEDY

Publication date: 07/02/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I can see myself joining the unpopular opinion crew on this one, frankly. Why? Because I hated the movie Serendipity, which most women my age seemed to adore and think was the most romantic thing ever. The idea that the heroine decided to leave everything up to fate and not get the hero’s number immediately irked the crap out of me. You’ve just met a great guy and you’re going to let him get away, just to prove that fate will lead you back to each other? It’s a dumbass move, so really, the whole movie didn’t work for me. (Even though I adore John Cusak. But I digress…)

Our top 9 favorite places to get totally legit free Kindle romance books

7/16/2018

Our top 9 favorite places to get totally legit free Kindle romance books

So, we all know about those unsavory pirate sites that take an author’s hard work and give it away for free (along with all manner of computer STDs) to naive readers who don’t realize they’re stealing, right? Then, of course, there are those of you who might realize you’re stealing, but think that the use of pirate sites is justified because you’re poor. But these days, there are really no excuses that justify stealing a Kindle romance when there are TONS of places to get totally legit copies at no charge (and without all the nasty computer syphilis you pick up from the pirate sites). Don’t believe me? Well, you’re in for a real treat:

Top 10 sexy nerds in romance novels

7/13/2018

Top 10 sexy nerds in romance novels

I’m a nerd. There. I’ve said it. I like superhero movies, prefer reading to doing pretty much anything outdoors, and am probably a little too fond of making weird pop culture references that few people understand or pick up on. (I could quote Buffy the Vampire Slayer all day long. All. Day. Long.) I prefer brains to brawn in just about any situation. So, this list is for all the nerds like me who like their heroes and heroines scholarly, bookish, and sometimes downright nerdy. Enjoy!

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

7/12/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date:07/10/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I think I’ve made it clear that I am both a fan of the fake boyfriend trope and Lauren Blakely. So, when I saw a Lauren Blakely new release about a fake boyfriend on NetGalley? It felt like my birthday and Christmas all rolled into one. I about broke my finger 1-clicking that bad boy so fast. And I’m soooooo glad I did.

As with all her books, the banter between main characters April and Theo is all kinds of sweet and hilarious and hot. This author has a real talent for realistic, fun, flowing dialogue that very few others have. I enjoyed the hell out of every single back-and-forth between them.

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