I didn’t find Reforming the Playboy wholly terrible, but I also can’t say it was an amazing experience either. Despite the fact that my notes are full of exclamation points and guttural words, my goal here is not to be overly negative. It’s too easy and besides, after a few days, I’m feeling more blah than bloodthirsty. So let’s just get started with it. The book’s setup did not give me a good impression of … Continue reading Reforming the Playboy by Inara Scott →
My reading taste sits squarely in the historical capital city of Almackistan. I don’t read contemporaries and I’ve never been interested in buying one. But when I saw Caitie Quinn’s Worth The Fall needed a reviewer, I decided to get a little out of my comfort zone. I figured that, given my distaste for contemporaries, I could give it the sort of distanced, intellectual review that a blog like Smart Bitches, Trashy Books deserves. Sorry, … Continue reading Worth the Fall by Caitie Quinn →
This is a RITA nominee that the reviewer could not finish, and who knows that and hears, “I triple dog dare you”? Me. I hear a triple dog dare where none was given and here we are. It’s a good thing I read this on an airplane, because that kept me from throwing things. The set up is that Sedona is a lawyer who works at a women’s shelter, and Tatum, a 16 year old girl, … Continue reading Once a Family by Tara Taylor Quinn →
The novel opens with Becky being confronted by her violent and abusive ex-boyfriend, fresh out of jail and determined to get custody of her 3 month old baby. He is, in fact, the father, though this is a matter of biology only – he definitely did not want it, and the implication is that he is out for custody simply to get revenge on Becky. Since his family is extremely wealthy and influential, and Becky … Continue reading Her Temporary Hero by Jennifer Apodaca →
In the interest of full disclosure, Lucky Harbor is a real comfort collection for me. I’ve revisited the series on many occasions and have had many squees and swoons across the twelve-book arc. Because I love a gimmick, I love that all the major titles are classic and pop love songs (“At Last” by Etta James; “Simply Irresistible” by Robert Palmer). There are many songs titled “One in a Million” so I’m not sure which … Continue reading One in a Million by Jill Shalvis →
As a lifetime resident of small towns, I recognize that a small town can be a wondrous and unique thing. It’s never just a place of residency; it’s a community filled with friends and neighbors. Because of this, it can take a long time before one truly feels like they belong. Despite this being the final book in the series, this was my first visit to Lucky Harbor. Unfortunately, as a first-time visitor, I couldn’t … Continue reading One in a Million by Jill Shalvis →
I chose to review this book because I’d already read the first in the series (Carolina Home), as well as a number of other Virginia Kantra books. I really like her voice, and her story-lines and characters generally seem realistic to me. Carolina Man is the third in a series set on Dare Island, North Carolina, and it didn’t disappoint. The second is Carolina Girl, which I quickly read before reading the one that is … Continue reading Carolina Man by Virginia Kantra →
Carolina Man is the third book in the Dare Island series, and it’s my favorite so far. Early in book one (Carolina Home), we’re introduced to Matt’s dog Fezzik, who’s named after a character in the movie The Princess Bride. Quotes and characters and bits from some of my favorite movies are a continuing theme throughout this series. Do you like The Princess Bride, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and When Harry Met Sally? … Continue reading Carolina Man by Virginia Kantra →
Reading the description of the book, I really wanted to like it. We’ve got a heroine, Becky, who’s a survivor. Growing up was tough after her father and brother die, leaving her mother and her to scrape by. When she finds herself pregnant, her boyfriend, Dylan, demands she terminate and when she refuses he accidentally runs over a homeless person. He lands in jail after she calls the police, and as the story begins … Continue reading Her Temporary Hero by Jennifer Apodaca →
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 →
It’s not often that I find myself loving the heroine in a novel more than I love the hero. The best scenario is when I love them both equally flaws and all, knowing that they are perfect for each other. While I did feel the h/h got their deserved happy ending, it wasn’t until the very end that I began to soften for the hero and even then, I felt there should have been more … Continue reading Starting with June by Emilie Rose →
