Review: The Friend Zone

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kristen Peterson is living a good life, she has her own business, she is going to be maid of honour to her BFF Sloan, she's in a serious long-distance relationship with a Marine called Tyler and her dog Stuntman Mike, her only problem is one so very rarely talked about, infertility.

Josh Copeland is a firefighter who has just moved to San Francisco from South Dakota, he's best man to his best friend Brandon who just happens to be engaged to Sloan. He comes from a large family and split up with his last girlfriend because she didn't want children. This is a man who wants his own baseball team of kids one day.

Kristen and Josh bump into each other, literally, when Kristen borrows Brandon's truck to buy some emergencies toiletries from the Aisle of Red and brakes suddenly, Josh hits the back of the truck and they exchange witty barbs, only to be introduced to each other minutes later at Brandon's Family Day at the Fire Station. They both ignore the immediate attraction but then their lives entwine as Josh agrees to help Kristen with some rudimentary carpentry work for her business.

This is a typical chick-lit comedy romance, until it isn't. Amongst the sass and humour and romance there is also the heartbreak of infertility and the mental scars it can leave on young women. This is something I find difficult to write about because I too suffered from the same problem as Kristen. Sometimes I think Abby Jimenez doesn't go far enough in describing what it's like to live with this problem, she glosses over the less savoury aspects and doesn't touch upon the side-effects like anaemia which led to me needing blood transfusions twice and left me too weak to climb the stairs in my home. I think the blurb has got it right, this is a book that will make you laugh and cry - although as already stated I can't be unbiased about some of the issues.

I thought the characters were very relatable and believable, their emotions felt genuine and I loved the sparkling dialogue between Josh and Kristen. Maybe my only criticism is that Kristen's self-sacrifice went on a little too long, Kristen feels she knows better than Josh about his long-term desires and won't listen to him, but otherwise this was a charming, thought-provoking, well-written romance.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Blow: A Love Story

Blow: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Millie Hart is a successful romance writer, but her father has never respected her career choices or her work. After a brutal rejection at Christmas where she stood outside his bookshop looking in at him and his friends having a good time while she had her nose pressed up against the window like the little match girl, Millie decides that she will write a ‘serious’ novel, with absolutely no romance. She leaves the city and rents a cottage in Bodega Bay for four months to write seriously.

Drake Branch lives in an Airstream which is parked close to the cottage Millie has rented, he also owns a glass blowing business BP Glass Works with his best friend which is also close to Millie’s cottage. Six years ago he had a serious bike accident in which he lost his left arm. Since the accident he’s rebuilt his life in every way, relearning how to do the most basic tasks, so what if he has a few ‘issues’ that’s his business, if annoying tourists down for the weekend don’t like his loud music that’s just too bad, he can’t bear to hear the noise from the nearby metalworks (reminds him too much of the crash) and the music is the only thing that drowns out the noise.

Millie can’t believe the hot guy can be so rude, the last thing a serious writer needs is to be woken up to Wham at full blast – she needs gloom and despondency not blue skies and upbeat pop music! Try as she might, writing a dark, twisty novel full of trauma and angst just isn’t working for Millie, so she tries distracting herself by getting to know the locals.

Drake might not like Millie but he’s the only one who doesn’t, soon she giving advice to his apprentice on her university entrance essays and giving readings at his aunt’s romance book shop, in a small town everyone knows everyone else and so everywhere he turns he sees Millie or his annoying little sister trying to stir up a romance!

I am a great fan of Tracy Ewens’ novels and this was no exception, she writes engaging characters with real life problems and memorable minor characters. There was angst, but not too much, humour and good plot development. What made this romance stand out was the shout out to so many other great romance writers as Millie and Drake’s aunt compare authors and favourite books – it was fun to see with how many books/authors I was familiar, and to get recommendations for those where I wasn’t.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Covering Ollie (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha)

Covering Ollie (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ollie Rizzo has spent the past 18 years living under the radar in Durango as a landscape gardener with her daughter Trinny. Then recently widowed Joe Benedetti, the new Chief of Police, and his two young sons move in across the road. When Trinny is injured on a ski trip with Joe and his sons their two worlds collide, then Ollie's past comes back to haunt her and suddenly Joe's interest becomes just as much professional as it is personal.

I love Freya Barker novels. They feature 40-somethings with real lives and real issues (usually a disability) with a hint of suspense and a whole boatload of romance, and this is no exception. Ollie has brought up her daughter alone, carved out her own business, away from her family's drama. But she's lonely and has been without support all that time. Then suddenly her neighbour is shouldering some of the burden, looking after her and protecting her from the spectre of the past.

Joe is struggling to look after his two young sons and his new job after the death of his wife. He doesn't need his prickly, argumentative neighbour disturbing his new world. But when her past comes back to haunt her he can't stop his natural instincts to serve and protect.

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Review: Welcome to Paradise

Welcome to Paradise by Rosalind James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine a reality TV show where contestants live like settlers in 1885.

Mira Walker is a management consultant with a distant and judgemental father, she and her boyfriend Scott enter a reality TV show where the winning couple can win $1 million. Scott is a lawyer and convinced that he has a winning strategy, highly competitive he wants to win at any cost.

Gabe and Alec Kincaid are brothers who have entered the competition for different reasons. Good looking and charming, the brothers have obviously been selected for their visual appeal.

From the moment Gabe first lays eyes on Mira as she stands watching a sunset outside their hotel on the eve of the competition he is struck by her smile and her capacity for joy.

When I got an email alert from eReaderIQ that this book was free (BTW check this site out - alerts when books by your favourite authors go down in price, or specific books, as well as general alerts when books drop significantly in price) I was intrigued because I had never seen/heard of this book from one of my favourite authors. This actually 'felt' more like a book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips than Rosalind James and I got the feeling that this might have been an old book from her back catalogue, although Goodreads informs me that this was first published in 2013, which is not that long ago.

Nevertheless, my feelings about the style and age of the novel aside, this was a fun read as the typical mixed bag of stereotypical contestants (token black couple, token hispanic couple, glamorous young women, intellectual couple, gay brother and sister, famous couple etc) learn to live like settlers, building fences, milking cows, living off the land and entering weekly competitions to survive being voted off the competition by their teammates. As always the competition has a few twists for the contestants, friendships are forged, alliances are formed and people reveal their true selves under pressure.

I read somewhere that everyone wants a Gabe and I couldn't agree more, a handsome charming Doctor with a heart of gold, he and Mira are destined for each other - although they aren't alone in showing well in adversity. Intrigued I have been drawn into buying the second book in the series, which I assume will feature Alec.

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Review: A Perfect Cornish Summer

A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Centred around the Porthmellow 10th annual food festival this story features Sam(phire) Lovell, the festival's organiser. When the celebrity chef they had booked to star at the festival declares bankruptcy Sam's assistant Chloe manages to book Gabe Matthias, former Portmellow resident as a late replacement. Little does she know that Sam and Gabe dated, until the night he shopped her brother to the police and got him sent to prison. 10 years later can Sam ever forgive Gabe?

Sam's assistant Chloe is hiding a secret or two of her own, will ship's captain Drew still like her when he finds out she's not quite who he thought she was?

This is a typical English cosy romance featuring an ensemble cast, elderly locals with 'charming' accents, hunky chefs, awkward villagers, lots of evenings at the pub and quaint village life. I didn't hate it but I also wasn't enthralled by it. I spend so much of time these days complaining about the amount of sex in books that I feel a bit of a fraud complaining about the lack in this one, but I'm pretty sure the first time we see even a proper kiss was at 61% on my Kindle - balance people, balance!

Anyway, if you are looking for a gentle, sweet, non-taxing romance, perfect for the beach then I reckon this will fit the bill.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: HWY 550

HWY 550 by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Special Agent Luna Roosberg might be a pint-sized blonde blue-eyed doll but she's tough as nails. A string of robberies of pharmacies may be linked to a motorcycle club so she agrees to go undercover as the club chief's new girlfriend.

Ouray is the chief of the Arrow's Edge MC, since he took control he has steered the club away from guns and drugs and into legitimate businesses like the boxing club, property rentals and even a yoga studio. He knows Luna is only here for her job but the sparks are definitely flying and at 50 years old he knows to grab hold of what he wants.

I'm not a fan of MC romances and this one skirted the edges for me, I get that Luna had to wear sexy clothes in order to seem authentic as Ouray's latest squeeze but it still grated that a woman has to change her whole appearance to please a man. I also detest the way that favoured women are referred to as a man's 'Old Lady'. But those are my personal gripes about the genre.

Overall, Freya Barker delivers yet another of her trademark slightly angsty, over 40, romances featuring characters who have overcome adversity and a dash of suspense. I just love her novels and no sooner finished this one than I downloaded another. A go-to author for me.

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Review: Meet Cute

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kailyn Flowers was a megafan of the teen series It's My Life and its heartthrob star Daxton Hughes, she has a wonderful meet cute with the former actor at college when he knocks her over while playing frisbee. They spend the college years as arch-rivals in law classes, Kailyn still fangirling behind his back, until Dax sabotages Kailyn's degree.

Fast forward eight years, Kailyn is a Trust lawyer and Dax is an entertainment lawyer. When Dax's parents are killed in a car crash he is shock to discover that his parents have left him as sole guardian of his 13 year old sister Emme, rather than his aunt Linda. As the lawyer who drew up Dax's sister's trust, Kailyn is approached by Dax to understand the details. Then, when Aunt Linda petitions for custody Kailyn is appointed as Emme's conservator to mediate between Dax and Linda. The old attraction to Dax is still there but which is the real Dax, does he really want to look after Emme and is he just looking for comfort from someone safe?

I received an extract of this book from NetGalley which I enjoyed so I went ahead and got the book, unfortunately for me the book did not live up to the first few chapters. I felt the book was heavy on the sex and light on the plot, every time I got interested in the plot off we swerved into pages and pages of kissing and fumbling and sex - after a while I just started flicking past until I got to the plot again. Overall I thought it was just too predictable.

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Review: The Legacy Human

The Legacy Human by Susan Kaye Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Set in a future world where most of humanity has 'Ascended' and become immortal part human part machines, Elijah Brighton is one of a small number of legacy humans, descendants of those who refused to ascend for religious or other reasons. Treated as second-class citizens, almost pets, by the Ascended, the legacies live in what is left of the old cities, dependant on the Ascended for food and money. Elijah is an artist, supported by his sponsor Lenora, what she doesn't know is that Elijah's best work is created when he is in a fugue state, something he has no control over. His mother has cancer, something that the Ascended can easily cure, but will die unless Elijah can get her the drugs she needs or persuade Lenora to let them ascend, something that is now forbidden to legacies.

Then Elijah is offered the opportunity to compete in the artistic Olympics, the gold medal prize is ascension for the winner and his/her family, by Lenora's second, Marcus. This is where the book started to feel very much like The Hunger Games, young people competing for an audience of sophisticated, superior beings. Just like THG, the competitors and their sponsors are not above trying to nobble the opposition, put them off or kill them and each competitor has a sponsor to guide them and advocate on their behalf.

I liked this but I didn't love it. I felt that the story kind of lost its way a bit in the middle, the focus changed to add in a romantic element and I didn't really understand the twist about Elijah and his fugue state, there were too many strands pulling together and then the introduction of a Resistance group became a bit too much.

However, having said that, this was an interesting take on a future world where humans are the inferior race and I will probably read the second book in the series to see how the Resistance continue with their quest for the answer to The Question.

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Review: The Rebel and The Cowboy

The Rebel and The Cowboy by Sarah Mayberry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Eva King has spent five years supporting her boyfriend in all ways, emotionally, professionally etc but when she asks for similar support he ridicules her and says she is basically not his collaborator but his assistant (with benefits), now with no professional credentials her only hope of building a professional reputation is by inviting herself along as a potential candidate for an ambitious mural on a disused grain elevator in the small town of Marietta. With very little money she is looking for a place to stay when Sierra Carmody offers the Airstream sitting outside their barn.

When Sierra's brother Casey sees Eva he is immediately drawn to the fiery artist, but unless she wins the commission she'll go back to LA in a day or two and Casey is tied to his family's farm to deeply to move. Following the deaths of their parents in a car crash Casey, Sierra and their brother Jed have tried to keep the family farm going but a few tough years have really pushed them to the edge, when Casey gets a chance to take his band further than just headlining in the local bar he just can't take the chance of losing the family farm and the family can't afford to replace him.

This was a pleasant romance but I felt the plot was sacrificed for the sexy times. There were the two strands: Eva and her slimy ex competing for the grain elevator commission; and Casey and his band getting a chance at success. Both were built up and then resolved bish-bash-bosh whereas I lost count of the sex scenes and almost sex scenes in the book - just tell me a story and stop having sex!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Warleader

Warleader by Susan Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved this, reminiscent of Star Trek Voyager.

Admiral Brit Bandar is the Coalition's greatest starship commander. For years she has been chasing after an outlaw known as the Scourge of the Borderlands until peace was declared. Now to show galactic unity she has been put in charge of a new ship, with her old enemy Warleader Finn Rorkken as her second in command.

Brit and Finn have to find a way to work together, unite their respective crew members (or at least stave off a riot) and solve the mystery of who is killing off the inhabitants of remote outposts.

I read this about six weeks ago, borrowed from Amazon Prime, but didn't get around to writing a review at the time. It was a well-imagined. lighthearted romp which also had some pointed comments about the need for acceptance and understanding of other peoples' customs and behaviours. I really enjoyed reading it and I'm itching to find the second book in e-book format (of any description) but currently drawing a blank even though Goodreads suggests it should have been released in January 2019.

If you like your sci-fi light on the science, romance, opposites-attract, pirates and space opera I think you will love this space romp.

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Review: Alpha's Promise

Alpha's Promise by Rebecca Zanetti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars, I knocked half a star off because I'm bored of the hero with Dom tendencies.

This is perfect (see above) Rebecca Zanetti paranormal escapism. Ivar Kjeidsen the hybrid vampire/demon Viking was trapped in a hell dimension/bubble for eons and has finally been released, but his mission is to get back and rescue Quade, his fellow member of the Seven, who is still trapped.

Dr Promise Williams is a brilliant physicist with poor people skills, at the funeral of a colleague who was ripped apart by savage animals she is almost kidnapped by Ivar until her quick thinking lets her get away but she meets him again when applying for a monumental grant and learns that Ivar is trying to protect her from whoever/whatever is murdering physicists.

The Seven want Promise to theorise about how to rescue Quade, but their sworn enemies, the Kurjan are trying to capture Promise.

Do you like stories with vampires, demons, fae, hybrids, immortals, larger than life characters and super powers? If so I think you'll love this. There's a whole host of characters, most of whom I can't keep straight, overreaching arcs, sub-plots, set ups for future novels, true love, mating, branding, travel to different dimensions (the immortals which they'd never given humans that word), cute moppets who may just save the universe, double-crossing exes, geniuses and a whole boat load of alpha male testosterone. Rebecca Zanetti never takes her self too seriously and this is a sexy rip-roaring read from start to finish.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Blood Vows

Blood Vows by Cara Carnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

This is the turn of Dallas Mason. Formerly a hit man for The Collective he found out at the end of the last book that he has a son by Marla, his former handler.

Kamren Garrett is pretty much living off grid, seeking the truth about her father's death even though her sister Rachelle and brother Cliff show no enthusiasm and are glad he's dead. Kamren might not be book smart, being dyslexic meant she dropped out of school really early, but she can hunt, track and shoot better than most other people.

When Dallas comes into the Sip and Spin in Marvell he stirs up a hornets nest which puts Kamren front and centre in the sights of the local lowlifes, the Marvell Dogs. It's not clear if it's her investigations that get her followed and almost killed or Dallas' unwarranted interest, either way her only hope of survival is with The Arsenal.

Dallas soon learns that his preconceptions about Kamren were incorrect, far from being a drug-addicted member of the Marvell Dogs she's a crack shot and unbelievably brave. Her skills could be the edge he needs to rescue his son from whoever is hiding him away.

I liked this but I didn't love it. I didn't really think that the character of Kamren worked, she was supposed to be some kind of genius hunter, brought up almost entirely by her father, left school scarily early, living in her car and yet most of the time she spoke and acted just like all the other women in The Arsenal. Also, unlike in the other books, Dallas keeps trying to protect the little woman, which really irritated me because Kamren was more than capable of taking care of herself, although this was framed as Dallas having to learn not to try to protect her.

This book did see some resolution of the issues with the nearby town of Marvell and Dallas' son so that was good but overall my least favourite of the series so far.

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Review: Blood Vows

Blood Vows by Cara Carnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

This is the turn of Dallas Mason. Formerly a hit man for The Collective he found out at the end of the last book that he has a son by Marla, his former handler.

Kamren Garrett is pretty much living off grid, seeking the truth about her father's death even though her sister Rachelle and brother Cliff show no enthusiasm and are glad he's dead. Kamren might not be book smart, being dyslexic meant she dropped out of school really early, but she can hunt, track and shoot better than most other people.

When Dallas comes into the Sip and Spin in Marvell he stirs up a hornets nest which puts Kamren front and centre in the sights of the local lowlifes, the Marvell Dogs. It's not clear if it's her investigations that get her followed and almost killed or Dallas' unwarranted interest, either way her only hope of survival is with The Arsenal.

Dallas soon learns that his preconceptions about Kamren were incorrect, far from being a drug-addicted member of the Marvell Dogs she's a crack shot and unbelievably brave. Her skills could be the edge he needs to rescue his son from whoever is hiding him away.

I liked this but I didn't love it. I didn't really think that the character of Kamren worked, she was supposed to be some kind of genius hunter, brought up almost entirely by her father, left school scarily early, living in her car and yet most of the time she spoke and acted just like all the other women in The Arsenal. Also, unlike in the other books, Dallas keeps trying to protect the little woman, which really irritated me because Kamren was more than capable of taking care of herself, although this was framed as Dallas having to learn not to try to protect her.

This book did see some resolution of the issues with the nearby town of Marvell and Dallas' son so that was good but overall my least favourite of the series so far.

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Review: Ross

Ross by Jennifer Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Not sure why it's taken me nearly a year to read this, started it, put it down and I've only just picked it up again.

This fifth book in the Riding Hard series features Ross Campbell, the brother who has become a deputy sheriff. On patrol one day, Ross comes across a car with a flat tire at the side of the road, complete with bride who turns out to be Callie Jones. The Jones family are wealthy and influential, way above the boisterous Campbell boys, Ross always had a soft spot for Callie when they were at school but he was too nervous ever to ask her out. Ross takes Callie to the church for her wedding, only to discover that the groom didn't bother to wait!

Can Callie and Ross overcome the prejudices of their small town and have a romance?

Set against danger in a small town from gangs and an unscrupulous sheriff, this was a fun romance with just a dash of suspense. Once I got reading I really enjoyed the romance between these two unlikely characters and the young boy/man Manny who they try to pull onto the straight and narrow.

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Review: The Perfect Date

The Perfect Date by Evelyn Lozada
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 32%

Kudos to Angelica who perfectly captured my feelings about the book, here, glad to see I didn't miss anything by giving up part way.

Angel Gomez is a single mom, nurse, part-time bartender studying to get a better life for herself and her son who suffers from asthma.

Caleb Lewis is a baseball player nursing an ankle injury following a shooting, seeking medical assistance on the downlow.

I didn't like either character, it all seemed like a cookie-cutter single-mom meets famous sports star, right down to the mom being a nurse (have you got the idea? She's called Angel and she's a nurse - ie perfect, nurturing, above all other women) working two jobs and having a sick kid (do all nurses have sick kids, is it like a prerequisite?). Duke on the other hand allegedly has a bad reputation but honestly he doesn't seem to do anything to deserve it. There's a lot of casual misogyny but also women putting women down. When Angel is supposed to be studying for her final exams (or something) but is clearly wavering towards going to a party thrown by a reality TV star (who just happens to send her a fancy dress and shoes to wear so she doesn't feel out of place) instead (I didn't stick around to see what she was going to do about her sick kid) I decided to bail.

Not the sweet, charming romance I was hoping for.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Top Secret

Top Secret by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Luke Bailey has won a scholarship to Darby College, he's a local but his family is toxic so he rushed Alpha Delta fraternity in order to get housing. He's working two jobs (bar and stripper) just to afford the rent on the smallest room in the frat house and living off cheese sandwiches. He's got a plan, the President gets free board at the frat house so he's going to stand for President against preppy, entitled jock Keaton Hayward.

Keaton Hayward III is third generation Apha Delta, his father (the CEO of a bif pharmaceutical company) and grandfather were both Presidents of the fraternity and he is aiming to do the same. When his sweet, but vanilla high school girlfriend says she wants a three-way for her twenty-first birthday present Keaton is surprised but happy to go along. He signs them up (anonymously) to a hook-up site called Kink and starts vetting potential matches for his gf's big surprise.

When Keaton and Luke start messaging on the app as LobsterShorts and SinnerThree things start off business-like with Luke testing whether Keaton is really happy with the ramifications of his gf's choices, but soon Keaton is sharing his geeky facts about mating in the animal kingdom and the two of them are developing a relationship.

What can I say, two of my favourite authors. I've noticed a theme in their college novels which tend to start off really raunchy and factor 100 on the phoar scale but become sweeter as the characters develop their relationship. This is definitely a rich-guy/poor-guy romance, it's about reaching for what you really want and standing up for yourself and what's right. It's 100% Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy sweet, sexy, articulate, romantic, funny love conquers all.

Wonderful.

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Review: Sight Lines

Sight Lines by Cara Carnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

I read the first book in this series a couple of years ago, at that time I likened the novel to Elle Kennedy's excellent Killer Instincts series or Julie Ann Walker's Black Knights Inc series. Having read the second book I'm going to downgrade my initial euphoria. This is the spec-ops equivalent of space opera (in my opinion).

So, a brief recap, Viviana “Quillery” Chambers is 50% of the operational powerhouse known as the Quillery Edge, her BFF Mary is The Edge. Together she and Mary have masterminded more SpecOps missions than anyone else. They were the brains behind the business known as The Hive, which turned out to be a front for a group of terrorists called The Collective.

Mary and Vi developed the cutting edge HERA security program and The Collective will do anything to get its hands on the tech.

In the last book Mary got together with Dylan Mason. He and his six brothers run a rival organisation, The Arsenal, based in their small home town.

Jud 'the Judge" Jensen is an assassin working within The Collective but somehow aloof, when The Collective put a $6 million hit on Vi he steps in to threaten to kill anyone who attempts the assassination because years ago Vi saved his brother Danny when a mission went sideways. When The Collective ups the ante by kidnapping Jud's brother Jud realises he has to make a choice and he chooses to walk away from the dark side and join up with Quillery Edge and The Arsenal.

If you love high octane suspense where everyone has unique skills, everyone belongs to a group with a shadowy name (The Hive, The Arsenal, The Collective, Quillery Edge etc), there are geniuses and spec-ops heroes everywhere and mysterious faceless enemies you will adore this. It's fast-paced, engaging crack-cocaine that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Having said that, Cara Carnes doesn't need her spec-op heroes to rescue her heroines, these gals are more likely to be the ones doing the rescuing! Her heroines are (mentally) strong, extraordinarily bright, focused and loyal through and through. I thought this novel was going to focus on the troubles in the local town rather than Quillery - can't wait to see where the next novel leads us.

If you don't take this too seriously I think you will love this.

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Review: Storm Cursed

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How does Patricia Briggs do it? Installment eleven, Mercy and Adam are married and yet the writing is as gripping and enthralling as ever. After the last book where Mercy and the Columbia Basin werewolf pack took a stand to defend humanity against the fae there has been an uneasy peace.

Now Adam has been forced into providing protection to US politicians in a meeting with the Gray Lords of the fae while Mercy is fighting zombie pygmy goats and a coven of witches who are looking to take over. As old allies reveal themselves to be something else Mercy must make alliances with old enemies in order to protect the peace and the citizens she has claimed as her territory.

This has absolutely everything I have come to expect from Patricia Briggs, intricate plotting, a large cast of characters old and new, humour, love, tragedy, suspense. She weaves her story so effortlessly, sweeping the reader along in her wake breathless and hanging on her every word. I truly wanted to read this slowly and savour every sentence, analyse every scene and probe every ulterior motive. Instead I read this book at breakneck speed, barely able to put the book down to do my job.

I only gave it four stars because I thought it could have been waaaaay longer, I wanted to carry on reading for hours and hours. I'm still reeling from the first and last deaths, so different and both made me sad. Where does Mercy go from here?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Happiness for Beginners

Happiness for Beginners by Carole Matthews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Molly Baker is nearly 40 years old, living in a decrepit caravan she inherited from her aunt, more at home with animals than humans she runs a rescue centre for unloved or disabled animals which also serves as a therapy centre for children with disabilities or plain anti-social behaviour. Although she lives from hand to mouth, constantly robbing peter to pay paul she enjoys her life to the full. Then one day a famous TV star arrives at the farm with his teenage son Lucas in tow. Lucas has been expelled from school for starting fires and is grieving the loss of his mother to cancer.

Suddenly in Lucas Molly finds a human who she wants to help as much as any of her motley crew of animals, his father's good looks and charm don't hurt either, but when the farm comes under threat from compulsory purchase will it be the end of Molly's dreams?

I enjoyed reading this, especially Luke's poetry and the ragtag assortment of three legged, PTSD, blind animals that Molly cares for. I enjoyed the gentle humour associated with looking after animals with personality. I even enjoyed Molly and her assistant Bev's daily guesses as to the rock star t-shirt the other assistant Alan will be wearing. The biggest disappointment in my opinion was the hero, Shelby. I found him too self-centred and focussed on his career and age-inappropriate girlfriend rather than his grieving son. Also, this just seemed to be a very long book for not very much happening, I think it could have benefitted from either more plot strands or some significant pruning as I didn't feel that there was a passing of time to account for the length of the novel.

Recommended for fans of All Creatures Great And Small.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: A Random Act of Kindness

A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Fern has a stall selling vintage clothes at Camden Market in London, having lost her job as a personal shopper for a large department store. She has always had a love of fashion, probably because her mother Annabel is a former model.

A random act of kindness to a stranger introduces Fern to Kim, a pensioner buying a dress for his wife, Dinah, an 89 year old woman with an amazing haute couture wardrobe, and David. Told through sales blurb for different vintage clothes we see Fern find romance, friendship and a career.

For anyone who loves fashion the talk of Westwood, Biba, Chanel, Lagerfield et al is divine but it's also mixed up with Top Shop bargain finds and repurposing. Fern is a genius at seeing what people want from clothes, how they want clothes to make them feel, from a job interview outfit, to a mother-of-the-bride ensemble to a prom dress - she helps each of her customers feel better about themselves.

This is a feel good, fashion-forward, sweet romance, but TBH the romance is all about the clothes and our 'hero' is more of an afterthought.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.



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Review: Crashing the A-List

Crashing the A-List by Summer Heacock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clara Montgomery was a children's book editor until the publishing house she worked for was bought out by a soulless e-book retailer. Now she's unemployed, sleeping on her little brother's (extremely uncomfortable) couch and working for her brother's fiance's rather shady Uncle Charlie emptying storage units. When she comes across evidence that a famous British actor called Caspian Tiddleswich was once a male escort she and her BFF briefly consider selling the information to the gossip rags but her conscience gets the better of her. Unfortunately after one too many drinks Clara accidentally leaves a drunken rambling message on Caspian's phone. What she mean't to say was don't worry I have the information safe and I won't share it, what it sounded like was an attempt at blackmail. Clara recalls nothing of the call until an irate Caspian tracks her down and threatens to report her to the police.

Instead of reporting Clara to the police Caspian does some blackmailing of his own, forcing her to accompany him to dinners, parties and other social events to appease his 'people'. In addition, he is such a jerk that every second in his company is an exercise in self-control for Clara so that she doesn't throat-punch him.

I love me an enemies to lovers romance and this was a great one, full of antics, weird relatives, fancy parties, peculiar storage units, snarky repartee and lovable characters. However, I have to say the first chapter or two didn't grab me, Clara's BFF was a bit too full on and there was a lot of so-called 'zany' humour which I don't like. But once Caspian appeared the one-liners and the snark were just perfect.

I will look out for other books by Summer Heacock, she writes relatable, intelligent characters with humour and flair (also as a Brit I liked that her British hero didn't have lots of fake British sayings).

I was invited to read a free copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Kiwi Rules

Kiwi Rules by Rosalind James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After her almost-fiance sells out their start-up business and shafts her in the process Karen Sinclair falls into a depression: no flat, no fiance, no job, new city. Only her big sister and brother-in-law manage to drag her out of the pit and persuade her to fly to New Zealand to inspect a high-end glamping business which her brother-in-law is thinking of buying.

Jackson 'Jax' MacGregor is a former model turned soldier, after a roadside bomb took his leg he has returned to New Zealand to recouperate. His heavily pregnant sister has asked him to act as tour guide for an American millionaire who may want to buy her high-end glamping business.

Jax and Karen first meet by accident on the beach Karen sees him emerging from the sea like some water god and then tries to rescue him from a group of teens who have stolen his crutches. Jax can't believe this aggressive American who seems intent on saving the poor cripple and turning an irritation into a full scale battle. Sparks fly in more ways than one until they realise they have been set up by their respective families.

As they tour some of New Zealand's most beautiful countryside and enjoy some of the athletic pursuits the country has to offer the intrepid explorer Karen and Jax gradually fall in love, but if he intends to return to his regiment and she intends to return to the US what future can they have? Is this just a holiday fling?

So, the rating is a mixture of two things. The characters and the plot which I really liked and get a solid four stars, and the BDSM stuff which I personally find off-putting and which spoilt the book for me. I don't object to BDSM per se but I don't understand why it seems to be an all or nothing kind of deal - kind of like they can't have sex any other way which isn't normal. I also felt that Jax was subconsciously compensating for the loss of his leg by being so dominant and ordering Karen around. I get that outside the bedroom Karen and Jax were equals but to me that's a bit like saying he only shouts at her in private - still not acceptable. Anyway, it is obviously an issue for me - others have said that it wasn't overdone and they didn't mind it - so I guess you assess your own views.

Otherwise, this book reads like a advert for holidays to New Zealand, full of amazing scenery, beautiful food, tons of sports, amazing local culture all wrapped around a romance between two strong characters who have been battered but not defeated by what life has thrown at them. Rosalind James is a great writer and her deep love of EnZed shows through every page, I loved Jax and Karen and their story.



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Review: The Bride Test

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Esme Tran is a poor single mixed-race mother living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, cleaning toilets for a living and sharing a tiny apartment with her mother, grandmother and daughter. One day cleaning a toilet in a fancy hotel she strikes up a conversation with one of the ladies using the bathroom which results in a fairy-tale offer - come to the US and meet the woman's son and hopefully get married. Esme jumps at the chance of a better future for her daughter and the opportunity to possibly find her American father, Phil.

Khai Diep has problems expressing emotions the way others do, especially after the tragic death of his best friend a decade ago. A tax genius he nevertheless exasperates his traditional mother who desperately wants him to marry a good Vietnamese woman and have lots of lovely grandchildren. Khai doesn't have the heart to tell his mother than he can't love anyone - he just doesn't have the capability but forced by his domineering mother to play host to Esme for several months, and to squire her to three family weddings, he comes to find this strange woman oddly fascinating.

I really liked Helen Hoang's previous novel, The Kiss Quotient but this book just didn't resonate with me in the same way, maybe because Esme and Khai both, in different ways, found it hard to understand their environments and were too similar in that respect? Also I didn't really click with either character, not in the way I empathised with Stella Lane in the last book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, a bit like Crazy Rich Asians meets The Kiss Quotient but didn't have that extra wow factor of the first book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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