Reading Fanatic Reviews
Contemporary RomanceA Heart’s Design by Natalee Cooper
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
A Heart's Design*
Billionaire Romance with All the Feels
A sweet and lovely contemporary romance. For once, backstory was seamlessly integrated into the story: precisely the right amount and just when it was needed; I don’t see that often enough, and I so appreciate it! Both the hero and heroine were relatable and interesting people, and watching their story unfold brought all the feels. The hero has a secret in his past that haunts him still. The heroine is an up-and-coming architect who lost out on the contract for the hero’s big project, but he wants her for a small personal one. The book is well written and engaging, so much so that I kept reading rather than go on to other things I should have been doing!
The Sky over Brigadier Station by Sarah Williams
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
The Sky over Brigadier Station*
Slow-Burn Romance and Strong Setting
This is a sweet, slow-burn romance with a strong sense of place. While I have read a few other books set in the Australian Outback, few have been able to give such a clear picture of what the world is like for people who live as the characters in this story do. I felt I could sense Riley’s excitement for the muster as well as see it clearly from the author’s descriptions. I’m a very visual reader, and I appreciate it when an author is able to give such incredible word pictures that put you right in the story but don’t distract you by being too much; in this story, the writer got the correct balance. I enjoyed the characters, in particular the brothers. Noah is at a true crossroads in his life, and the way he thinks about his options and Riley throughout his story arc feels realistic. A thoroughly enjoyable romance!
Cupcake of the Month by Abigail Sharpe
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Angus & Robertson
Cupcake of the Month*
The Best Part of this Book was the Recipe
I read the first book of this series and was ambivalent about it, so I wanted to give the next book of the series a try as I like to give authors a second chance to impress me when they have failed to do so the first time around. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by this book either. I could never quite buy the hero and heroine as a couple. They didn’t really have any chemistry, and the need that they both felt to keep such ultimately silly secrets got in the way of any sparks between them (and also my own enjoyment of the book). When I say silly, I don’t mean funny; rather, I didn’t understand why the characters felt the need for all these secrets. Once I realized what the “cupcake of the month” was meant to signify, I found it to be sexist and more than just a little icky. The best part about this book was the delicious-sounding peach whiskey cupcake recipe in the back. I doubt I will be checking out other books in this series or other books by this author.
Girl by Any Other Names by M. K. Schiller
Available at Amazon only
NOT with Kindle Unlimited
Girl By Any Other Name*
Back from the Dead?
An intriguing take on a topic that is sometimes seen in suspense or thrillers: someone seems to come back from the dead. I don’t want to give too much away, but I found it interesting the way that the story moved back and forth between a fictionalized past of the couple and they’re present. The true source of the mystery and suspense is not known for quite a while, and not until the end do we really understand what happened in the past. The hero had quite a tendre for the heroine, even when all thought she was dead. The author was successful in making the “back from the dead” theme work, and I enjoyed the interplay between the couple both in the past and the present; kids can be kids, and adulting is sometimes complicated! Books that have so much flashback can feel disjointed, but the past illuminated the present in a variety of ways. I will admit that I was a little confused at first about what Raven Girl was and if it was meant to be told from the perspective of a young person or from an older person looking back at their childhood. But I decided just to trust the author and go with it, and it actually did work. A well-done, unique story.
Love Repaired by Deana Birch
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), and Bol.de
Love Repaired*
Had Potential, But…
This one didn’t do it for me. I will admit that I am more of a fan of historical romance than contemporary, though I have been reading more modern romances this year. As swearing is often nonexistent or very minimal in historicals, I’m often surprised at the level of profanity in many of these contemporary romances. I know the blurb did warn about it, but the story sounded interesting enough that I thought I’d give it a try. However, the constant f-bombs and other crude words overwhelmed what could have been an interesting story about an overstressed mom and a hot younger man.
In My Heart by Nora Everly
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
In My Heart*
Well-Done Heartfelt Contemporary Romance
What a beautifully written second-chance-at-love story! Lily is blindsided when she moves back to town after her life was shattered, and her family lets her know that her former fiance, and father of her son, has recently returned to town as well. Lily is still reeling from the loss of her husband and went through a difficult pregnancy without him. Luke never knew he was a dad until he came back to Sweetbriar, suffering from PTSD and injuries from his time in the Army. The author did a good job describing how Luke felt, the struggles he faced and the pressure to be a good father to his new-found son. Dylan is such a big-hearted little man; he acted his age at some moment, but at other times, was so insightful. Parts of the story were very sweet while others were heartbreaking. A very well-written contemporary romance.
Living in the Lower Chakras by Linda Jordan
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Smashwords, and Bol.de
Living in the Lower Chakras*
Just a Weird Story
What a bizarre story! I usually don’t read celebrity-type romances, but I was intrigued by the concept of the chakras, so I thought I’d give this book a try. I was put off on the first page by a misspelling. I might be too picky, but seeing an error on page one just kind of sets the tone for the whole book for me. The author calls this a slapstick and screwball romantic comedy, but I didn’t really find this humorous at all; I just found it strange. Actually, I would say that the book alternated between typical romance and just odd. The plot felt disjointed and all over the map. There was some emphasis early on about peripheral people who ultimately didn’t end up to be that important to the story. As a whole, the story just didn’t work for me.
Secret Sky by J. P. McLean
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Thalia, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, Indigo (Chapters), amd Bol.de
Secret Sky*
Good Fantasy Elements; But Unbalanced Overall
This book is a quirky combination of fantasy, romance, and suspense. I know the description of the book says it as a thriller, but I wouldn’t call it that. Even the suspense part doesn’t really happen until the end. The heroine is given a gift that feels more like a curse until she meets others who have it. Much of the book has to do with her trying to understand her gifts, first on her own and then with the group. The middle section seems to be heavily into the romance aspect of the story while the end is more suspenseful; the book did feel unbalanced to me; I would have liked to see the suspense element woven more throughout.
The first scene pulled me in right away because the action was just allowed to happen without a lot of backstory; authors of fantasy worlds are usually too tempted to describe their world (and sometimes in great detail) and let that to take up much of the beginning pages. But after these good early scenes after her “accident,” the pace of the book really slowed down as the heroine tried to figure out her gift. There was quite a long lull period before things got interesting again.
The author did an excellent job creating a fantasy world that coexists alongside the normal one; it felt believable. I felt like there were some cringe-worthy moments in the romance aspect of the book. This book is a long one, and I do feel it could have benefited from some judicious developmental editing.
Mission: Impossible to Love by Jacki Delecki
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Mission: Impossible to Love*
Tech Aspects Interesting, Other Elements Not
Sometimes, it’s the little things that irritate you. For some reason, I had a hard time just getting past the names of these characters, Izzy and Sten, especially the hero’s. His name, in particular, seems like a cheesy romantic hero name, Sten Jenkins. I was intrigued initially by this book because of the hacking and dark web aspects of it. I find technical thrillers and suspense to be fascinating subgenres. This book was interesting in that respect, but I felt like it lacked in others. I didn’t quite buy the romantic relationship between Izzy and Sten. Some of the story was just implausible, like the idea that Izzy went to Stanford at 15 and got her first Ph.D. by 19–even if you’re smart, there are mandatory classes that must be taken in a certain order in college. I felt like the beginning spent a little too much time on information that didn’t really end up to matter. I like my pacing to be a little tighter in a suspense book like this.
As Sweet as Honey by Anna Klein
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
As Sweet as Honey*
Light, Lovely Contemporary Romance
What a sweet and lovely little romance! You could feel for the heroine immediately with the troubled morning she was having. Right off the bat, the hero and the heroine had very good interactions and banter. The heroine definitely couldn’t stop her mouth to save her life, but endearingly so, and at times her statements were very funny, cringe-worthy, or insightful. The hero was definitely much more buttoned up, but as the book went along, he loosened up some. A lot of books call themselves romantic comedies these days and quite a few miss the mark, going over the top and trying too hard (which falls flat for me). This book, however, hit all the right comedic notes, both in what actually happened in the story itself, like one of the problematic situations that the hero and heroine find themselves in, as well as with the characters themselves–mercy, some of that girl’s thoughts! The book hit all the romance notes, too: the hero did perfectly swoon-worthy things right from the start, and some of the settings were very romantic. All in all, an entertaining, light read.
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