I jumped at the chance to review this book, because it’s a Harlequin Presents, my category romance of choice since I was about 16. If you have read more than 1 or 2 Harlequin Presents, then much of this book will seem like familiar territory. What the Greek Can’t Resist employs many of the standard HP tropes. In fact, what makes it unique is that it uses pretty much ALL OF THEM. Like every single … Continue reading What the Greek Can’t Resist by Maya Blake →
After I finished this novella, I had a hard time deciding whether or not I liked the ending. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn’t so much the ending itself that bothered me (I had been really invested in this couple getting their HEA, after all) but rather the choice the heroine had to make in order to facilitate said HEA. Since it is impossible to describe this without … Continue reading The Headmaster by Tiffany Reisz →
I have to admit right up front that I would not have picked this book if I had been one of the first to sign up for Smart Bitches’ RITA Reviews instead of one of the last. But holy cow, am I glad I did. Nate is an old man in a wheelchair who has had a stroke and is living with his daughter. His grandson has come by to take him out to Times Square to listen … Continue reading The Bells of Times Square by Amy Lane →
How deliciously ridiculous does that description sound? A long lost duke, whose day job is that of an undercover agent, falls in love with an amnesiac who happens to be the very woman he now blames for his current predicament. Of course I had to add the book to my review list–despite my crazy schedule. Unfortunately, the actual book wasn’t quite as delicious as the description. Her Unforgettable Royal Lover started okay. It’s part of … Continue reading Her Unforgettable Royal Lover by Merline Lovelace →
I chose Her Unforgettable Royal Lover by Merline Lovelace based only by the title, because I imagined there would be a prince involved. I was soooo excited because this could be so Kate-and-William! This book is about Natalie, an archivist with secrets, and Dom, an Interpol undercover agent who suddenly discovers he is duke to some long lost duchy in Hungary. Naturally the press is absolutely raving mad about this new duke so when Dom’s cover is … Continue reading Her Unforgettable Royal Lover by Merline Lovelace →
It’s not that I disliked Blueprint for a Kiss, it’s more that I found it kind of bland – it had some potential (Man who isolates himself in serene, sterile work life. Woman who disrupts his life but also helps him reconnect with family and appreciate chaos. Hot sex. Family feels!), but it just didn’t do anything all that interesting with that set up. The thing is, there was a lot to like about this … Continue reading Blueprint for a Kiss by Nancy Warren →
This book is part of Harlequin Intrigue NOIR, a digital-first line. The book was originally titled The Precinct: After Dark and is set in the world of Miller’s fictional Fourth Precinct. Her long-running The Precinct series for Harlequin Intrigue started back in 2005 and includes over 25 books. But unlike many of her miniseries within The Precinct series, this book totally works as a stand-alone. The heroine’s teenaged sister has gone missing and she puts … Continue reading Bad Girl by Julie Miller →
If you are looking for a contemporary without a crazy gimmick, this is the book for you. Quinn and Diana meet at a fancy event, talk, dance, get together, and learn to navigate their issues. No fake engagements, no secret relationships, no trauma. The conflict that drives this story is a simple one: can these two people fit into each other’s lives? Diana is a cheerful, bubbly person whose goal is to make other people … Continue reading The Bachelor Doctor’s Bride by Caro Carson →
“A Game of Brides” started out in a promising way with its vivid prose. Emmy Mathis is in shock after meeting Griffin Hyatt, her childhood crush, again while traveling to her sister’s wedding to be her maid of honor. The strongest selling point with this novella is the writing. I’ve lived in Montana, but I was pretty amused that Crane’s descriptive rendering paints the place as some kind of alternate universe paradise. But as the … Continue reading A Game of Brides by Megan Crane →
This selection was nominated in the Romance Novella category; I don’t read many novellas, because I tend to prefer characters with deep questions that I can watch them struggle to answer throughout the book. Shorter novellas do not usually fulfill me in that regard. Now that I’ve shared that bias, here’s my review: We are first introduced to Harper, a free-spirited artist who hates to sit still. While both of those adjectives would not be used … Continue reading Pushing the Line by Kimberly Kincaid →
This story could have made an excellent full length novel. The tale begins with a two page journal entry written by the hero detailing his entire backstory. If this was a novel, it would have taken chapters but to keep the page count down the author tells us everything we need to know about him in 3 pages. Starting a book off by showing not telling tends to drive me crazy. Our heroine, the Duchess … Continue reading The Last Wicked Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath →
