Tag Archives: 2017 RITA Reader Challenge
RITA Reader Challenge Review

Overwhelming Force by Janie Crouch

Overwhelming Force

A Hostage Negotiator, a Lawyer, and a Crazy Murder. Boy, Oh, Boy! Strap into your helicopters for a grand adventure. F.Y.I. Overwhelming Force by Janie Crouch is the fifth book in the Omega Sector series, but no need to worry. I feel that you do not have to read the first four books to know what is going on. You can jump or helicopter in with no problems what so ever. We are introduced to our … Continue reading Overwhelming Force by Janie Crouch

RITA Reader Challenge Review

A Malibu Kind of Romance by Synithia Williams

A Malibu Kind of Romance

Trigger warning for attempted assault and date rape. Full disclosure: I wanted to love this book. I wanted to devour every single word of it in a fit of sun loving – I am so over this winter and I really wanted to escape to someplace warm and tropical adventure. I had read Synithia Williams’ Full Court Press last month and it had hit all of those marks for me so when I saw this book … Continue reading A Malibu Kind of Romance by Synithia Williams

RITA Reader Challenge Review

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

Duke of Sin

Historicals, man. Like many a romance reader, historicals were my gateway drug. And like many a romance reader, the historicals of my youth are, in retrospect, very slightly wince-inducing. Violet eyes! Sixteen-year-old virgin heroines with improbably located hymens/no hymen due to an anachronistic fondness for riding astride! Masterful manly dudes with magic manly parts capable of bestowing multiple orgasms on said virgin heroines! Frequent use of the term “hoyden”! I wish I could say that, … Continue reading Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

RITA Reader Challenge Review

His Stolen Bride by Barbara Dunlop

His Stolen Bride

I decided to step outside my comfort zone with this book and hoo boy do I have Thoughts and Feelings. Spoilers and gifs ahead! First off, the plot is needlessly convoluted. Essentially Crista’s father put shares in a diamond mine in Crista’s name but never told her about it. The mine is now rumored to be worth millions, so Vern is marrying Crista without a prenup in order to get his hands on the shares. … Continue reading His Stolen Bride by Barbara Dunlop

RITA Reader Challenge Review

Falling for the Rancher by Tanya Michaels

Falling for the Rancher

Sierra Bailey has just been fired from her job as a physical therapist and needs a temporary job while she evaluates her future and tries to find a long-term position. A former client gives her a lead to a job in the tiny Texas town of Cupid’s Bow, which has the added bonus of being out of reach of Sierra’s overbearing mother. The job is part physical therapist, part live-in help for Vicki, a 19-year … Continue reading Falling for the Rancher by Tanya Michaels

RITA Reader Challenge Review

Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella

Ghost Gifts

My review takes a quasi-newspaper article type format, with each section being worth a point. WHO & WHY Aubrey Ellis, The Heroine: Girlfriend sees dead people, y’all. And they ask her to do stuff for ‘em, then leave her with a little token of appreciation (a couple of marbles, a bag of Skittles, flower petals). Well, they’re less tokens and more the “evidence” she will need when she approaches their loved ones with admittedly hard-to-believe tales … Continue reading Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella

RITA Reader Challenge Review

Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan

Her Every Wish

I had a hard time getting into Her Every Wish, and I know that it’s not about HEW, it’s about me. We all have tropes we dislike—also attitudes, characters, and tone. None of these things was a major issue, yet some shade of each made the novella a slog for me at times, particularly in the opening chapters. Needless to say, my reaction made grading problematic as well. I really love Courtney Milan’s writing. Her … Continue reading Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan

RITA Reader Challenge Review

How I Married a Marquess by Anna Harrington

How I Married a Marquess

OH MY FLIM-FLAMMING-FLIPPING-FLOPPING-FRICKING-FRACKING GOD! I got 99 fangirl emotions right now and 0 chill, because daaaaamn this book was a firecracker of fun! On the surface it ain’t nothing new; girl meets boy, boy needs to arrest girl, girl & boy have pants-feelings that lead to heart-boners that result in all the things. Mr Shady-As-Fuck orphanage owner hires our swoony-pants hero, Thomas, to catch a bad guy. The thing is though, the bad guy ain’t … Continue reading How I Married a Marquess by Anna Harrington

RITA Reader Challenge Review

Susana and the Scot by Sabrina York

Susana and the Scot

Susana and the Scot is utterly adequate. It has a beginning, middle and end. I finished it last night and had to go back and look at the book this morning to remember the hero’s name (it’s Andrew). The writing is perfectly acceptable, even if it does stray into purplish prose on occasion. The plot is relatively easy to remember because there were few surprises. This is a second book in a series, although it … Continue reading Susana and the Scot by Sabrina York

RITA Reader Challenge Review

Fast Connection by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell

Fast Connection

Updated March 2018: Since this review was posted, allegations have been made about Santino Hassell specifically about abuse, manipulation, and the hiding or concealing of the actual identity of the author of the books published under that name. You can read a complete summary of everything at The Salt Miner’s three part series: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three. This guest review as part of the RITA Reader Challenge project, was written and posted more … Continue reading Fast Connection by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell

RITA Reader Challenge Review

Tycoon by Joanna Shupe

Tycoon

“Tycoon” is a charming story set in the Gilded Age. I’ve not come across many historicals set in this time period, and it’s a welcome change from the ubiquitous London Season. The novella opens with a “meet cute” – a young woman, Clara, approaches a stranger at a Grand Central Station and addresses him as “husband.” Ted is, needless to say, puzzled, although not so puzzled that he fails to notice how pretty she is. … Continue reading Tycoon by Joanna Shupe