Book Review: Promise Me ~ Samanthe Beck and Robin Bielman

Title: Promise Me
Author: Robin Bielman and Samanthe Beck
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: NA, Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Embrace
Date of Release: April 15, 2019
Pages: 278
Format: Kindle (NetGalley)

As Kendall tries to escape memories of her past, she decides to house sit for her aunt in sunny California. Her first night there, she meets Vaughn and saves his life… not knowing her life will not be the same. She’s struggling with the decision of becoming a lawyer like her father or following her dreams of being an actress. Can Vaughn teach her to live in the moment?

Told from a dual point of view, you see the demons both Kendall and Vaughn are facing. This looks as though it’s set up to become a series, I think is great. You meet Kendall’s two step sisters and Vaughn’s two roommates. In the beginning, I wasn’t fond of her two sisters  due to their treatment of Kendall, but as the three sisters grow close, you grow to like them. I thought was absolutely adorable. He was understanding and patient… sometimes too patient, but I appreciated that about him. Kendall was trying at moments, but given her circumstances, I understood.

This was my introduction to Samanthe Beck and Robin Bielman and it was absolutely wonderful! I hope this becomes a series because I can’t wait to see where this goes!

Advertisements

Book Review: Breaking His Rules ~ Aliza Mann

Title: Breaking His Rules
Author: Aliza Mann
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Romance
Publisher: LoveSwept
Date of Release: April 2, 2019
Pages: 241
Format: Kindle (NetGalley)

Ashton lived his dating life by a set of rules: 1.) Never date the prettiest girl in the room. 2.) No dates on Friday or Saturday night. 3.) No discussing family history… you get the gist. His mind is completely blown when he meets Terra, who makes him challenge every one of those rules. Terra has her own set of drama, in the name of an ex-husband. As they get to know each other a little better, the drama unfolds. Can Ashton get past her walls? Can Terra make him forget all of his rules?

I initially wanted to read this because I love interracial romance, and it had a great synopsis. LoveSwept hasn’t produced a book I didn’t like. Upon reading it I will say I was a bit nervous. Could this be the first book that doesn’t live up to my expectation? I have to say, it did live up to my expectations. I did have to get past a chapter or two, but it was totally worth it. While it does start off a bit slow, getting to know the characters, watching them interact with each other, watching the development… it gave the story so much depth and kept me enthralled. I am new to Aliza Mann’s work, but I would enjoy reading more of her work.

Book Review: The Boy with the Broken Nose ~ C.S.T. Harding

Title: The Boy With the Broken Nose (Henrietta Jones, Book 2)
Author: C.S.T. Harding
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: purplepamplemoose
Date of Release: November 27, 2018
Pages: 318
Format: Kindle (AXP Authors)

It’s the year 1895, and two young women are throwing caution to the wind and thinking for themselves. They are extremely intelligent, capable, strong-willed, but mostly just downright infuriating… to a weaker man! These ladies are Henrietta Jones and her friend, Fonzie Jowels-Fink, and they are seeking an adventure of a lifetime… but first, we need them to save England!

Henrietta, affectionately known as Harry, has been training her whole life for this one case… she just doesn’t know it. Someone is murdering inventors and the reasoning is unknown. Lady Jones, Harry’s mother, has asked Harry and Fonzie to go to London, set up shop, and solve the case. All Harry wants to do is buy an automobile and red laced up boots! In the process of setting up shop, Harry meets the most infuriating man she has ever laid eyes on, Mr. Joshua Quinn, the American with a slightly crooked nose. Someone is killing off members of the elite Automobile Club, and Quinn is next on the list! Can Harry, along with her friends save Quinn and stop the destruction that would bring England to its knees?

I must admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one. The cover is stunning (yes, I do judge a book by its cover) and the synopsis was appealing. I just wasn’t sure what to make of it. After a few pages, I was hooked! Harry is such a strong, intelligent woman. She is an inventor, and one hell of a detective… when the need arises. Her banter with Quinn was quite entertaining. They kept each other on their toes, and it was fun to watch. Fonzie is also brilliant, but not well-bred according to society’s standards; which puts a chip on her shoulder. While it’s understandable, at times she was off-putting… especially in her interactions with Louis, who is madly in love with her. She sees him as this big oaf who needs protection, when in reality… he’s quite brilliant himself and is one of England’s top spies. What was even more interesting is the brilliant villain! It was like watching Sherlock go toe-to-toe with Moriarty. This was extremely well written and will hold your attention. There were a few minor issues, but I assume it’s down to the copy of the book I received. Overall, I thought this was quite witty, and thoroughly enjoyed Henrietta Jones and all of her antics!

Book Review: The Darkest Star ~ Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: The Darkest Star (Origin Series, Book 1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Publisher: Tor Teen
Date of Release: October 30, 2018
Pages: 358
Format: Kindle (NetGalley)

I’m not even sure where to start! We finally get Luc’s story! And it all starts with a broken promise…

Evie Dasher is probably one of the best friends you can ever have. Not wanting to let her friend, Heidi, go clubbing alone. What she did not anticipate was the club getting raided and meeting Luc, the club owner. Evie can’t explain it, but she is drawn to Luc, not realizing there was something special about her. She makes all types of assumptions about Luc, some are close, but others are way more than even she can imagine. As she gets closer to Luc, danger lurks and she’s closer to finding out the truth. Is it a truth she can handle?

OMG… I loved this story! You get updates from some of your favorite characters of the Luxen series, kinda like a “Where are they now?” situation. Luc is an awesome character. He’s witty, highly intelligent, literally has the best collection of t-shirts, and has a depth to him you don’t get in previous books. It’s interesting how close to reality some of the actions in this story are. You get to meet some interesting characters and some you will just out and out hate. The story doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but I can’t wait for book 2!

Book Review: What Happens at Midnight ~ Laura Chapman

Title: What Happens at Midnight
Author: Laura Chapman
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Laura Chapman, Narrator: Kay Heart
Date of Release: November 8, 2016 (ebook), January 11, 2018 (audio)
Pages: 125 (2 Hours, 55 Minutes)

After a bad encounter at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, Natalie had just about given up… but then Rob came to her rescue. Every year since they meet on New Year’s Eve… until one year they didn’t, due to a misunderstanding.

While I enjoyed the story, I was frustrated with Natalie. She had a backbone, which I appreciated. What frustrated me about her was when she chose to assert the backbone. There were moments when I thought she was too hard on Rob, but not nearly as hard as she should be with her ex-boyfriend. I understood why she was hard on Rob. I truly understood; a conversation could have saved them both some heartache, especially the hopeless romantic, Natalie. However, she felt like a pushover with ex-boyfriend, Troy. For me, her brother Ian made up for what annoyed me about Natalie. What I did like about Natalie was in the end, she owned up to her own faults and misgivings.

The fun and easy banter between Natalie and Rob were endearing and they made a fantastic couple. The narration was spot on. The voices for each character matched what I saw in my imagination. It’s an enjoyable and quick read/listen. Give it a try!

Book Review: Clipped ~ Remy Blake

Title: Clipped (Men at Work, Book 1)
Author: Remy Blake
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Remy Blake
Date of Release: July 16, 2017
Pages: 143
Format: Kindle (Kindle Unlimited)

Sometimes people don’t realize how much names can hurt. In high school, names can hurt. No one knows that better than “Anal Avery”. That was a name she couldn’t escape when in high school. It was a name given to her by Wes, who had a massive crush on her… because that’s what you do when you really like someone, you tease them. As a result, Avery couldn’t wait to leave her hometown at the first opportunity, which is college!

Unfortunately, an emergency brings Avery home after being away for 8 years. The first person she sees is Wes, and the sparks fly. Wes is a completely different person than Avery remembers. He helps her sister with her 5-year-old son, he’s a successful business owner, and he wants her! Wes is relentless in his pursuit of Avery, but a misunderstanding can completely undo all the damage he caused back in high school.

Where has Remy Blake been all my life?! Her writing was engaging and I felt like I’ve known Avery and Wes my whole life. The story was funny and heartfelt. It’s the first book in the series and if the second book of the series is as good as the first, I’m in for a really good treat!

Book Review: Fighting for Mr. Beautiful ~ Caterina Passarelli

Title: Fighting for Mr. Beautiful (The Eternal City Love Series, Book 2)
Author: Caterina Passarelli
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Shakera
Genre: Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Caterina Passarelli
Date of Release: November 21, 2015
Pages: 145
Format: Kindle (Kindle Unlimited)

Fighting for Mr. Beautiful picks up, literally, where we left off. Elena saves Leo’s life, but it may be at the expense of her own. Waking up in a hospital with no recollection of how she got there or why she’s in Italy at all was jarring, to say the least for Leo. It means she doesn’t remember falling in love with him. Leo needs a plan and he needs one now! Good thing he’s prepared. He either needs to help her regain her memory or make her fall in love with him again! Easy, right?! Hold your horses! Everything you remember about Elena isn’t the “Elena” she knows. With the help of her friends, can Elena regain the happiness she once knew?

There were a few discrepancies in this one… it didn’t take away from the story, but it could make it hard to follow. There were moments I was absolutely in love with Leo. He was endearing and patient. He was understanding and dealing with a lot. He was fun, flirty, he was perfect. The hashtag usage after a while started to become too much. Not a deal breaker, but it felt like there was #this or #that on every page. With that being said, I devoured this story in one sitting. I read this entire series in one night. I think this could have been flushed out a bit, but that could just be me trying to get a third book out of this series!