Once a Family is basically a Lifetime movie—full of melodrama with nowhere near enough pay off for it to be worth the time and energy spent with it. I got about four chapters into it when I had to step away from it because there was absolutely nothing about it that I liked. The plot was ridiculous, which, if we’re talking Lifetime movies is pretty standard: Talia/Tatum (she used the name Talia with the staff … Continue reading Once a Family by Tara Taylor Quinn →
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 →
Sometimes you pick up a book and it’s not even a little bit what you expected. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Sometimes you get Larry and his sweaty balls. If I had to sum up my reaction to this book in one sentence it would be “WTF did I even just read?” I picked up His Hidden Agenda by Fiona Murphy because it was marketed as an erotic office romance with an alpha male hero, and I loved … Continue reading His Hidden Agenda by Fiona Murphy →
I hate DNF’ing a book. My OCD tendencies mean I like to finish everything I start, even if the book is awful. So I think, for me, a DNF grade is actually the worst you can get. I was still riding the New Adult-normal-girl-dates-celebrity-vibe when I picked up Kristin Proby’s Come Away with Me but literally nothing about this book worked for me. I made it to the midway point, then gave up entirely. My … Continue reading Come Away With Me By Kristen Proby →
We all know that wackadoo historical is where my heart truly lies. But I have been trying to expand my horizons, so here I am reviewing a New Adult (which is a genre name I have so many issues with but this is neither the time nor the place). But this was so badly written that I couldn’t finish it. I only made it 50% of the way through the book before throwing in the … Continue reading The Glass Heart Girl by Michelle Diana Lowe →
As I mentioned, I decided recently to dip my toe back into the world of paranormals. These used to be my favorite romances back in the day, but when they started flooding the market I became overwhelmed and gave up on them. I read the first three books in Christine Feehan's Carpathian series when they were first published, and while they weren't my favorite vampire romances, I did enjoy them. I figured a good place … Continue reading Review: Dark Lycan by Christine Feehan →
Caveats to this review: 1. In this review, I discuss sexual assault, gang rape, and the events in Maryville, Steubenville, and elsewhere. If discussions of assault and rape culture are upsetting or traumatic for you, please be warned before reading more. 2. I read this book through the lens of my own experience and my own awareness. Which seems like an obvious thing — of course I read through the lens of my own experience. … Continue reading Dance With Me by Emmie Dark →
I really thought I might have an F book on my hands when I was reading Lady in Red: A Novel of Mad Passions by Maire Claremont. It may well have been an F book, but I couldn’t push myself past the casual violence it contained to finish it. Basically if you gave Tim Burton the plot for a Victorian romance novel and a bottle of absinthe, you’d have Lady in Red. It’s a dark, … Continue reading Lady in Red by Maire Claremont →
I got just over halfway through Beauty and the Wolf, and then I couldn’t do it anymore. Normally I’m not a fan of paranormals (the last one I really enjoyed was Moon Awakening by Lucy Monroe and that was back in '07), but this werewolf Regency had a lot of elements I like. It’s a beauty and the beast story, and it’s got a gothic vibe. It actually wasn’t the supernatural element that drove me … Continue reading Beauty and the Wolf by Marina Myles →
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by SisterSadie . This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Best Contemporary Single Title category. The summary: When a hurricane roars through Lacey Armstrong's home on the coast of Barefoot Bay, she decides all that remains in the rubble is opportunity. A new hotel is just what Mimosa Key needs, and Lacey and her teenage daughter are due for a fresh start. And nothing, … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge: Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire →
The Dark Heroine reads exactly as though it was written by a very talented teenage Twilight fan. That's because it was, in fact, written by a very talented teenaged Twilight fan. As an adult, I found the content to be almost unbearably bad, but the technical quality of the writing was good and my fifteen-year-old self would have snarfed it down quicker than a pan of brownies. Spoilers ahead, but not for anything, including every … Continue reading The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs: A Guest Review by CarrieS →
