Bad Princess by Julianna Keyes

Blurb:
Notorious for leaping off roofs, maiming foreign royals, and that twerking incident, Brinley Cantrella of Estau is nobody’s definition of a good princess. She’s fearless and bold, not good and gracious. And after a lifetime of being told she’s unfit to be queen, wearing the crown and helping to usher Estau into a new era is the one dream she’s never dared chase.

But when her older sister abdicates the throne, all Brinley has to do to inherit the role is not twerk, not maim anybody, and definitely not get caught fooling around topless with Prince Finn, her childhood crush, the only man she’s ever loved…and her sister’s former future husband.

Finn embodies the definition of good. Tall and handsome, serious and honorable, he always does the right thing—including agreeing to marry his ex’s sister to cover up this latest scandal. Brinley has fallen down stairs, broken teeth and broken bones, but this is the first time her heart has ever been broken. She now has the crown and the prince, and on the surface, life is good—but is being married to a man everyone swears could never love her back good enough?

     

My Review:
4.5 stars — I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

You guys…YOU GUYS.  I am in fucking love.  And I’m going to have to bleep that for Amazon.  But seriously, this was a LENORE book through and through.  And it was all Brinley!  OK, not all Brinley, Finian’s kind of da bomb as well…I’ll get to him.  But Brinley…oh Brinley.  She has made my girl crush list!!!!  And if you know me, that happens fairly infrequently.  But I was enamoured with her from practically the first page.  She made me laugh, she made my heart hurt, she was just everything I love in a heroine.  I was trying to tell my hubby about this book, and loving Brinley, and he was like “well yeah, she’s exactly your type of girl.  She sounds like Rapunzel from Tangled.”  Huh.  You know, he’s kind of right.  The stories of her misadventures when she was a child were just adorable…she sounded mischievous and incorrigible.  And it carried into who she was when we met her.  She was so true to herself, despite how often others tried to beat her down.  She was sassy, and bold, and hilarious, and curious, and just…AHHH!!  LOVE HER!

And Finn!!  I felt like I understood exactly who he was and how he felt right at the beginning, even if it wasn’t overt…  But he still surprised me along the way.  And for a book entirely from the heroine’s POV, I still felt like I got to know him.  Maybe it’s that we see the contrast between them, and how this royal life had very different effects on each of them.  But there was still a spark in him.  And he had shades of beta boy in him!  He was quiet to her bold.  But he was still strong, and he knew how to support a strong woman like Brinley.  And holy fuck was he hot.  Those kisses (and more) got me all fluttery.  He wasn’t perfect, by any means…there were times I wanted to smack him.  But the way its written, I got to understand why he made certain mistakes and bad choices, and I believed in his growth.  I love him too.

For a novella, this book sucked me in hardcore and really made me feel for its characters.  I LOVE when I feel like I can get to know them so quickly, and I become invested in the story.  I saw other reviewers say they couldn’t, so I don’t know why it was different for me…but it definitely was.  I rooted for Brinley, I was invested in what would happen to her, I was completely all in on the romance, it was just perfect for me.

Honestly, the only reason it’s not a full 5 star is because I loved it so much, I wanted more.  I could have continued reading about these two characters until they grew old and died.  I’m fully serious.  This is my first book from Ms. Keyes, but it certainly won’t be my last if this is anything to go by.  Also?  As a side shoutout, there was a romantic/erotic trope gender swap (“Finn, come”) that had me laughing my ass off.  I’m not sure if it was supposed to be funny, but I don’t even care…props Ms. Keyes.

The Perfect Couple by Ginger Scott

Blurb:
The perfect couple.

Nicole Laramie and Chase Pennington would forever be called that in their home town of Rider Springs. Chase’s grandmother, Evelyn, thought her neighbors’ only daughter and her grandson were made for each other ever since the two of them were kids.

When Chase climbed a tree, Nicole climbed it higher.
When Nicole fell from her ten-speed and skinned her knee, Chase carried her home.
And when Chase took the field for Little League, Nicole cheered the loudest.

Inseparable.

Until they were strangers.

While Chase climbed the social ladder in high school, Nicole climbed the academic one. Two best friends became enemies. And when the senior class voted them MOST PERFECT COUPLE in the yearbook, it was meant as a joke.

Only Evelyn, she never thought it was funny. She thought it was fate. And she was willing to wait 10 years just to prove she was right.

     

My Review:
4 stars — I received a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

This was surprisingly satisfying for a novella!  I’m always on the fence about standalone novellas for exactly that reason, usually they’re too short to really get you invested in the characters or to feel like you have a complete plot.  I love them for bonuses on series though.  This is a complete standalone however, and I ended it with a smile on my face.

I will say that the blurb is a bit misleading…we didn’t get to see the childhood friendship that’s described there.  Some of it, yes, but Chase and Nicole seem to have had a bit of an unusual childhood friendship.  I did love the flip through the photo album though, to fill in a few of those gaps.  To be honest, I forgot what this story was supposed to be about, so I kind of forgot they were childhood best friends until at least a third of the way through the story.

I was completely sucked in, and while I hadn’t intended to read it all last night when I started it after midnight, I found I couldn’t stop once I’d started.  I was sucked in by the interactions between our characters.  They both felt very real, and like people I would enjoy hanging out with.  Nicole was harder to pin down at first, b/c she’s described as very awkward, and I almost got the mistaken impression that perhaps she was on the autism spectrum.  But no, just socially awkward.

I loved the way Chase took care of Nicole when she was sick, and while the date kind of came out of nowhere for me, I did enjoy how the relationship developed into more.  And while I really felt Chase’s remorse in his POV, I wouldn’t have minded a more frank apology to Nicole for the way he behaved (though I might be misremembering).

And strangely enough, while the ending came a bit quick, I loved how unconventional it was!  Showed strength of character by both of them.  Would love to see an epilogue short story with these two!

 

Get It (Enemies to Lovers #2.5) by Anyta Sunday

Blurb: Unrequited love is a bitch. It sucks you into a narrowly focused world and leaves you blind as a bat to other things…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 stars

This was a cute short story.  I loved how we got to see them come together.  It was nice to see Benny finally see what he had right in front of him.

James was quite the forgiving character. I’ve been where he is and I had to walk away.  I’m a huge fan of this author so I expected to love it as much as I did.

Sunlit Surrender by Jess Dee

Blurb:
Bianca Rogers is ready to forget her worries for a while and celebrate her brother’s wedding at the exotic Bandicoot Cove resort. The last thing she expects is to be knocked off her feet—literally—by Brody Evans.

The chemistry between Brody and Bianca is undeniable. She’s everything he wants in a woman. She’s sexy, warm, friendly…delicious, and overwhelming attraction quickly grows to full-blown lust.

But they’ve come to the island with baggage that can’t be ignored forever, and their previous mistakes and the circumstances that have led them to the island soon demand attention. As desire transforms into love, it’s time to see if the past is going to get in the way of any happy-ever-after there could be in their future.

     

My Review:
DNF — I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

OK, technically I did get to the end of this book.  But at 34% I started skipping to get to a point, and after that I skimmed to the end.  This book’s “hook” did NOT work for me.  Not only did it not work for me, it actually made me irrationally angry.  I’m not even kidding.  I started reading, got to the point where our heroine and hero meet, started getting REALLY confused, had a theory, then read something that nullified that theory, then got more confused, then wondered if my theory was correct despite inner musings that made it truly unbelievable, and finally couldn’t take it anymore and started skipping until I could confirm my theory.  Then I got really really mad because the way the heroine’s inner thoughts were written, it did NOT make sense.  So not only did I not like this hook (my theory) in general, but I felt like it was not done well.

The stupid thing is, I’ve read a few books by this author before, though granted they were a few years ago, so I’d been anticipating an enjoyable read.  But despite all the anger from above, I was actually pretty bored.  Bored with the characters, even bored with the sex!  And being bored with the sex is not a good sign for an erotica type book.  Maybe I was bored because I didn’t like the characters, or because I was already so irrationally angry; it’s a distinct possibility.

And after my theory was confirmed, I started skimming to see where this all was going to go, and got mad at the miscommunications that were continually perpetuated for no reason I could understand.  And I just didn’t care about their problems.

Take all this with a grain of salt.  I can’t divulge the hook, b/c that would be spoilery to the extreme, but not everyone will have a problem with it.  And since I think that affected my enjoyment of every aspect, it kind of makes the rest of my opinions null and void outside of that.  Sometimes I just get heated, you know?  And yesterday was definitely a day for that.  Since I did skim to the end, if I rated it it would probably be a 1 star for me.  But since I didn’t honestly read the whole thing, I usually don’t give a rating.  I can’t decide if the skimming was enough to validate my opinion.  I almost think it was.  *shrugs*

Leo Tops Aries (Signs of Love #1.5) by Anyta Sunday

Blurb: Why did Theo ever bet that a Leo could outwait an Aries?

Blue balls have never been so blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 stars

This book is FREE!

Yes, this book is about what you think its about! A sensual steamy experience from beginning to end! Theo is too cute for words.  His unfamiliarity with his new lifestyle is oddly endearing and not at all clumsy or awkward.  This is a fabulous follow up to Leo Loves Aries.

I found Jamie to be a bit over smug in this novella.  His described facial expressions came off that way to me.  And I loved their competitive interaction with regards to their bet.

But holy hell this book was explicit!  And tastefully so.  My cheeks reddened and I had to fan myself multiple times to cool down.  I would advise you to read the first one so you can experience their full depth of characters.

Make Lemonade by Cassie Mae

Blurb:
Beth’s dream has always been Disneyland, and with the way life has been going, a trip to the magical world was just the ticket she needed. But with a broken transmission halfway there, Beth and her boyfriend Ben get stranded in the town of Hope Falls, and she is not in the best of moods.

As things continue to take a dive, Ben is determined to turn this situation around. With a knack for fixing cars and a ring in his pocket, he prepares to turn the sourest lemon into the sweetest lemonade, all for the woman he loves.

But the problem might just run deeper than a broken down car and a delayed vacation.

     

My Review:
5 stars — I beta read this book, which sometimes makes it hard to review, but not in this case.  It was basically a masterpiece as written and I just spent a lot of my time swearing at Cassie for making me cry (for realz, poor girl took some abuse in the comments).

So how does she do it?  I don’t get it folks.  I don’t get how Ms. Mae writes these masterpieces of realism and awesomeness, but she’s done it again.  Honestly I shake my head.  It’s like she has a direct line to my consciousness and thoughts and feelings and decided to put them all in a novella, and rename the heroine Beth.  You know what that shows?  It provides incontrovertible proof that I’m not alone.  That all these feelings I feel, are shared by so many.  That depression is a stupid jerk that should be taken out back and shot.

Seriously though, this little novella took me through the wringer.  And part of that is because it hit so freaking close to home.  I highlighted so many passages and commented with “I’ve felt that!” and “I’ve been here!”  For that reason alone this book was a masterpiece for me.  Because it made me feel validated, and represented, and even loved.  And through Beth’s relationship with Ben (we’ll get to him), it reminded me that the dark times are sprinkled with awesomeness.  That experiencing depression does not preclude you from having these amazing moments.  Heck, Beth and Ben reminded me of my hubby and I.  They really and truly are the epitome of relationship goals.  And not because everything is easy, but because it’s NOT.  Because they struggled.  But they made it through.

And it was so heartbreaking to watch Ben struggle with his side of Beth’s depression.  To see how it could bring out his own insecurities.  I just wanted to hug him to freaking death.  He is pretty much the most amazing guy (though not without his own flaws), and I just can’t even right now.  Seriously.

So enough with the heavy.  Because while there is heavy, there is a heck of a lot of light in this novella too.  And I cannot even tell you how much I laughed and smiled and just lit up inside reading about Beth and Ben’s romance.  I LOVE that Ms. Mae is not afraid to give us an established couple and show us that even they still have a story to tell.  From the bowling to the whole Disney day, my heart was just FULL.

I hate saying this, b/c it feels disloyal, but I do believe I have a new favourite Cassie Mae couple.  Beth and Ben were amazing.  And even though it’s not a full blown book, I’m pretty sure it’s trying to take top place as my favourite Cassie Mae book.  I don’t know if it’s because it hit so close to home, or if it’s because she basically just wrote awesomeness personified, but it was a treat.  It was everything my heart was wanting and needing.  I know I always sound like one of those people who’s being disingenuous with my effusive praise, but I guess Ms. Mae just writes what I want to read.  I’m never afraid to state my whole opinion, but in this case I have nothing but good to say.  *happy fulfilled sigh*

Big Package by Opal Carew

Blurb:
Baby it’s cold outside…but things are about to heat up.

I missed the last bus to my sister’s for Christmas, and now I’m stranded in a bus station—in the middle of a blizzard—with a giant package covered in naughty wrapping paper.

Then he shows up: Kalen Welles, the football star from my high school fantasies—and offers me a ride.

Just when the car is getting cozy, the roads get shut down due to snow.

Luckily there’s a nearby cabin where we can hole up for the night.

A warm fireplace, cozy blankets, pent-up longing we both spent years ignoring… maybe I’ll be able to unwrap Kalen’s big package before Christmas morning.

But when the snow clears and the ice melts, will the former football star and the shy nerd finally get a happy ending?

Unwrap this sexy holiday story from Opal Carew!

     

My Review:
3 stars — I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

OK, I will admit that I picked this book to read as my first HoHoHo Read-A-Thon book b/c the reviews were kind of lukewarm, and having finished a book hangover type book, I knew the next book wasn’t going to live up to expectations.  Honestly, this is probably more of a 2.5 star read, but I bumped it up a half star b/c it partially takes place in Ottawa, and it brought back some good memories from when I lived there a decade and a half ago…  Especially when they mentioned Bayshore Mall!  I lived across from that mall!  So high fives for the great reminiscing.

Otherwise this was a pretty shallow book…it was a bit corny, a bit cheesy, the characters were pretty surface, and there were a lot of cliches.  It was pretty standard Harlequin type fare.  I would classify it as erotica, since there was an awful lot of sex.  And the plot had the usual stupid, AVOIDABLE misunderstandings that were resolved by just talking.  Not a huge fan of those, so hence why without the Ottawa stuff, it would have been a 2.5 star or lower.

I was amused that Ms. Carew dealt with some interesting sexual…insecurities?  Like a guy having to deal with a “big package”, and how that’s not always a blessing.  And female ejaculation.  Props to Ms. Carew, she did not a bad job with that either.

All in all very meh.  Didn’t keep my attention super well, but in some ways was less annoying than I had been expecting.  On to my next Christmas read!

Things Liars Fake by Sara Ney

Blurb:
What if…

Someone you barely knew asked you for a favor.

What if…

They needed you to be something you weren’t, in exchange for nothing. Unless you count a mouth full of lies and a half-broken heart. Faker. Pretender. Liar. There are worse things to be called.

So would you do it? Would you?

Daphne Winthrop did.

And you’re about to find out what happens in the end.

    

My Review:
3.5 stars — This book suffered from my own misconceptions and my mood (and broken up reading times, which sucks for a novella).  I don’t know if it was the cover, or the blurb, but honest to goodness I thought this was a YA.  My fault, definitely, but I chose to read this book at this moment b/c I wanted a geeky little YA novella, you know?  So when I got an adult book right away, I had to sort of rearrange my expectations.  Like when you’re expecting Coke, but you get root beer, and initially it tastes funny because it wasn’t what you were expecting, even though you normally love root beer.

Oh, and while I’m getting misconceptions out of the way, I’m not sure exactly why (their names, some words used like pisser), but I started thinking this was based in the UK, and so I was surprised when it was set somewhere in the US.  But that’s a me thing.

Both characters were pretty endearing.  There were some great adorable moments in their little romance.  They had some pretty good chemistry…I didn’t always feel it, sometimes it felt a bit more like I was told, but  all in all it was ok.  I adored the geekiness of Dexter.  Loved that Daphne was attracted to his glasses and suspenders and bowties.  I initially totally vibed with Dexter’s insecurity, and it made me sad that his disbelief in her attraction for him made her feel like he wasn’t into her.  But at a certain point it got dragged out too much and I lost interest and it just made me cranky at Dexter.

The twin sisters were pretty fun, but for me I found their ages to be a bit unbelievable.  They felt a bit more like 11 year olds than 16 year olds.  But maybe I’m being cynical.

The highlight for me was definitely the geeky flirting.  So awesome.

Alas, in the end it just wasn’t the right book at the right time for me.

On the Brink by Kate Willoughby

Blurb:
Due to popular demand, Kate Willoughby brings you Hart Griffin and Jeremy Fenton’s origin story. Find out how these two met and fell in love…

Holtzer University junior Hart Griffin won’t let anything interfere with his future as a professional hockey player. No way, no how. He’s the star forward of his college team and a first round NHL draft pick.

One hot night with a male super fan calls into question everything Hart thought he knew about his sexuality and launches him on a soul-searching journey in which nothing is as it seems and his entire world is turned upside down.

    

My Review:
3 stars — I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

Not a bad M/M romance novella…probably would have enjoyed it more if I’d actually read the 2nd book in this series so I could see them interact in the future.  In the end it suffered from the trap many novellas fall under — too short to really get enough story out of them.  And in this case, probably b/c they’re cameo’d in the 2nd book, we didn’t really get a satisfying ending.  It was ok, but for readers who are coming in with this being the first book for them, it would have been nice to have a peek (epilogue?).  I guess the thought is that I could then buy and read the other books in the series, but in the end I wasn’t sucked in enough for that.

Pretty good chemistry as far as the steam factor went.  The relationship chemistry was glossed over a bit more (like a montage of friendship scenes).  Would have liked to see more of what attracted them to each other besides the physical.  Especially because the words love were thrown around kind of early then.

Wasn’t really taken with either book boy.  Jeremy was not bad, and I felt for him when he was initially targeted, but then it just sort of went on from there and I didn’t know him enough to love him.  And Hart unfortunately behaved pretty badly after the experimentation encounter, which was sort of believable I guess, but it didn’t really endear him to me and I never fell in love.

So all in all it was entertaining, but ultimately not satisfying enough.  *shrugs*

 

Point of Origin by Rebecca Yarros

Blurb:
In Legacy, Colorado, our inheritance is simple: Fire and Heartbreak.
Sebastian Vargas…he’s both.
He was my best friend. My first love. My everything.
Until he was my nothing.
It’s been ten years since the wildfire that turned our small town to ashes, taking the lives of our fathers and their elite hotshot crew.
Six years since Bash disappeared with my heart.
No explanation. No goodbye.
But now he’s home, fighting to resurrect the very thing that destroyed us both.
One look, and I’m breathless.
One touch, and he’s relentless.
And I’m not careful, he’ll burn me to the ground again.

    

My Review:
4.5 stars — Oooooo!!!  I sincerely hope this is the start of a new series by Ms. Yarros, b/c I want to know ALL THE STORIES!!  This little novella was a great introduction to the town of Legacy and the Hotshots.

And Bash and Emerson were fantastic!  Lots of angst and heartbreak, but also lots of great sexy times and genuine love.  I started this one late last night and actually had a hard time putting it down and not reading until the wee hours.  And normally a novella just leaves me unfulfilled, but their romance just fit perfectly.  I think if the drama had been drawn out more it might have gotten annoying.

I loved how strong Emerson was…the way she stood up for herself and up to the council impressed me.  And the way she handled Bash especially.  Bash was actually the more screwed up one of the two.  But he pulled it out in the end (and wow, that sounded dirty).

And now I just need to wait for more in what I’m hoping is a series.  Knox and Harper???  YES PLEASE!!