Review: Home For Christmas

Home For Christmas by Tracey Alvarez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is most definitely a holiday novella, we see all our old favourite families, the newly engaged, the newly wed, the just pregnant and the new parents. If you haven't read at least some of the preceding novels in this series you won't have a clue what is going on - this is definitely an ensemble piece rather than a stand-alone about one character.

Christmas Eve dawns on Oban and the weather (bearing in mind this is Summer in New Zealand) is bad so that Carly and Kip (Christmas with You) can't get away for their Christmas ski-ing in the USA and Bree and Harley (Drawing Me In) can't get away to their beach holiday with Bree's sister. Then the freezer at the pub breaks down and can't be fixed. Oh, and Mrs Betsy Taylor seems to have a mystery admirer who leaves thoughtful gifts on her doorstep.

So what we have is a small town New Zealand community Christmas, complete with hangi, in which Christmas presents are given and received and secrets revealed. For followers of this series it is just 133 pages of sheer joy.

I requested a free ARC copy of this book and I’m writing an honest review of it. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

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Review: Dirty Scoundrel

Dirty Scoundrel by Jessica Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disir has a great shelf entitled "indifferent shrugs" and I couldn't agree with her more.

I love the idea of a group of roughneck brothers who become oil billionaires and then each meets the woman of their dreams. I enjoyed the first book so I was looking forward to this one.

Clay Price lost the love of his life on the night he was going to ask her father for her hand in marriage. He might have been dirt poor but he was in live. Instead, he got dumped by proxy and, somehow, seven years later, he has never found anyone to replace her AT ALL, despite now being a billionaire.

Natalie Weston had it all seven years ago, the daughter of a fading movie star she was in love with Clay Price and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, until her father told her that Clay didn't want her to go to University and basically wanted her barefoot and pregnant in his trailer. As it happens she never got to go to University because that night her father had a heart attack and her life imploded. Now, seven years later she is broke, looking after her ailing father and trying to make ends meet by running a museum in their home dedicated to her father and his movie memorabilia. She hasn't had a chance to find anyone to replace Clay.

When Clay and Natalie meet again Clay decides he will be ruthless, he will offer Natalie, who has clearly fallen on hard times, a terrible bargain. He will solve all her financial woes if she will be his 'personal assistant' for as long as he wants. And he wants to lose his virginity to the girl he loved all those years ago.

Clay was kind of sweet (also, he comes across as maybe half a sandwich short of a picnic) but he also had a crude way of speaking, which I guess tells the reader he's roughneck! I found the constant use of the C word kind of offensive.

Natalie is a bit of a doormat, her father is manipulative and she lets him get away with it, she has self-esteem issues and jumps at the chance to be with the only man she's ever loved.

Basically, it's a comedy of errors in which Clay and Natalie are too nice to realise that they are in love, Cay throws money at every issue and Natalie worries about her weight.

It was sweet but I didn't love it.

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Review: Van

Van by Sawyer Bennett
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 20%.

I hate to abandon a book so early on but I had to for my mental health. In my defence I started reading this THREE times and each time a put it down in irritation.

Van Turner shares a home with his Carolina Cold Fury team mate Lucas, he's got a tortured past blah, blah, blah which I read about so long ago I can't remember. Whatever it is means he can never get close to anyone yadda, yadda, yadda. Lucas' sister Simone lands on their doorstep unannounced and insists on sleeping on their sofa - because her brothers are hockey players and couldn't afford a hotel room, right? She's a bit of a loser, dropped out of college and is making a 'living' as a waitress in a bar which makes the Hooters' waitresses' uniforms look like nun's habits (although I'll have to take that on faith as I have no idea what the waitresses wear at Hooters).

Simone thinks being aggressive and having a filthy mouth will wear Van down into sleeping with her, under her brother's roof because that's the kind of classy gal she is. Van of course is all deny, deny, deny and avoidance. Every so often she breaks down his resistance, they share a hot kiss and grope then he is disgusted with himself and walks away (usually to masturbate in his room).

You've probably guessed it already but I found Van to be a whiny cry baby and Simone to be (frankly) a sex pest. I have real trouble when female characters behave in a way that we would find objectionable if a man did the same. You just can't have different standards and she was harassing Van, okay he fancied her too but she was pushy and wouldn't take no for an answer. How many times do we women say "No, means no" and then allow female characters to ignore a very loud, clear "NO"? Sorry, I had a lot of spleen to vent for not very much reading.

When Van decides to spend his downtime in Simone's bar drowning his sorrows and is simultaneously (i) indignant on behalf of Simone's brothers that she is working there, (ii) turned on by barely there bikini top and micro shorts, and (iii) angry that other en are ogling her - so he takes her into the car park where he decides to dry hump her against a wall I decided to bail.

I have read quite a few Sawyer Bennett books before, I've even read one of the other books in the Cold Fury series and really enjoyed it so I'll chalk this up to experience. You can't love them all.

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

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Review: Deacon

Deacon by Kit Rocha
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Awesome.

So, this is the second series set in a future dystopia after the world was rocked by The Flare. Much like The Hunger Games one sector had all the technology and power and the other satellite sectors scraped an existence. The previous series focused on Dallas O'Kane's sector four - a sector built on bootleg booze characterised by hedonism and sexual liberation.

This series is focused on sector one, led by Gideon Rios. Sector one is a contrast to Dallas' sector four, sector one is deeply religious, believing that Gideon is a prophet, a Messiah, one step away from God. Gideon and his brothers and sisters lead sector one but the sector is protected by an elite group of holy warriors on motor bikes called Gideon's Riders who have sacrificed their immortal souls in order to protect sector one and the Rios family.

Ana is the daughter of one of the Riders, she has fought tooth and nail against the condemnation of society, friends, family and other Riders to become the first female Rider, she can't afford to allow people to doubt her place by falling for another Rider, certainly not their enigmatic, aloof leader Deacon.

For over 20 years Deacon has led the Riders, what only Gideon knows is that before he came to sector one, Deacon was a member of a mercenary group of assassins known as the Suicide Kings. But his past life is about to come rushing back to haunt him when the Suicide Kings leave a calling card for him.

Kit Rocha has a real knack for creating a totally believable, yet alien, dystopian society in which polyandry is the norm, the people are devoutly religious and a holy MC gang of elite warriors protect the populace. Deacon is a brilliant tortured hero, atoning for his past sins and holding himself apart from the other Riders. Ana is amazing as the woman trying to prove herself to everyone, herself perhaps most of all, and the Suicide Kings are a suitably evil group of baddies.

I loved every part of this book, the hot sex, the fight scenes, the vignettes of everyday life in sector one, Gideon's trials and tribulations of being worshipped, the politics of noble life - just everything.

I can not wait for Ivan's book.

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Review: Springtime at the Cider Kitchen

Springtime at the Cider Kitchen by Fay Keenan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Caroline Hemingway has a one-night stand with her sister-in-law Anna's new brother-in-law Johnathan Carter at Anna's wedding to Matthew. Unfortunately the next day he offers her a job managing the new restaurant which the family is building to showcase their cider and local produce. I have to say I was a little confused by that because Caroline's experience was in organising events, not running a restaurant.

Caroline's reasons for leaving her old job are very mysterious and involve a man - the reader is left to speculate what happened. As the restaurant opens Johnathan and Caroline dance around each other - but he has commitment issues and she thinks it would be tacky to be having an affair with the boss.

I liked this book but I didn't love it. It is clearly a sequel to Anna and Matthew's story, which I have not read, whilst it could be read as a stand-alone easily, there was a lot of typing up loose ends for Anna and Matthew in this book. I think the characters didn't really jump out of the page at me and I couldn't really see why Caroline and Johnathan thought they were in love with each other, they didn't seem to even know each other very well. Maybe if I had read the first book I would have got more of an insight into their characters.

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



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Review: The Heartbreak Cure

The Heartbreak Cure by Amanda Ashby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Cat Turner got punked by one of the popular boys at school and she is dreading going back. What with the YOuTube video and the complaints to the school she knows she is going to be a laughing stock. Even worse, she knows that the editor of the school paper won't let her write for the paper - afriad she'll use the paper to slander her ex. Until she hits on a cunning plan. Why not ask her taciturn bad boy friend Alex Locke to be her pretend boyfriend in return for her help with writing his college applications.

Poor Alex has had a tough life, his parents were junkies and his mother and baby sisters died in a car accident when he was only 13 years old. He went to live with his grandmother but she has had to move in a old people's home so at 16 years old he is working two jobs and living in a tiny, dingy apartment above a garage. Alex has been in love with the girl next door for years but he knows that Cat is destined for great things whereas he is a loser with secrets, secrets which would make Cat hate him if she ever found out.

This is typical Entangled Teen Crush - high school kids, some drama, lots of homework and school spirit. Cat is a lively, bubbly girl who likes to write fantasies based on real life. Alex, on the other hand, made some mistakes and can never forgive himself. But as they fake date, Cat and Alex get closer and discover that they have a lot in common.

This is the first Amanda Ashby novel I have read and I enjoy her lighthearted writing style.

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

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Review: The Billionaire's Forever Family

The Billionaire's Forever Family by Cate Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Billionaire Will Connelly discovers he is the father of a 13 year old daughter when her aunt, Cassie Frost approaches him. Cassie's sister Penny was a free-spirit and never told anyone who was the father of her daughter Emily but Cassie pieces it together from old photos and approaches a complete stranger.

But instead of responding in person Mr Connelly sends a trio of hard-faced lawyers to meet Cassie.

Will Connelly is beyond mad that his daughter was kept a secret and he doesn't appreciate being lied to by her aunt, but underneath it all they are both reasonable people who only want what's best for Emily. So a truce develops, Will spends much of his time in Lyonstown, upstate New York getting to know his daughter, but he can't seem to stop himself from trying to 'fix' everything: from Cassie's job to her home.

Cassie has given up pretty much everything in order to help her sister look after Emily before her death and since. Her dreams of being a vet, of training horses have all been sacrificed and she runs a tiny diner. All she has left is the love for her niece and her pride which that arrogant billionaire seems determined to trash.

I enjoyed this, although Cassie had a few self-esteem issues (and who wouldn't when confronted by a gorgeous billionaire) she could also take criticism and accept when she was wrong. Similarly, Will might keep riding roughshod over Cassie but he does it with the best of intentions and is truly sorry when the error of his ways is pointed out to him (again).

Also, huge plus for me, this didn't quite go where I thought it was going which was a nice surprise. Romance is so predictable at its most basic level that a few surprises along the way are good.

Now, since Will has a number of single male friends I predict that this will become a series, will it be Trevor?

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

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Review: Once Upon a Maiden Lane

Once Upon a Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Poor Mary Whitsun, she grows up in a school for orphans and becomes a nanny to Lord and Lady Caire. Then one day she is minding her own business, browsing a in book store, when a member of the nobility starts calling her sweetheart and mocking her for being in a book store.

It turns out that the noble in question, Henry Collins, Viscount Blackwell has mistaken Mary for Lady Johanna Albright, his fiancee. But here the plot thickens, Lady Joanna had an older sister who was kidnapped and never found, it was this older sister that should have been engaged to Viscount Blackwell.

The Albrights believe Mary to be their long-lost sister/ daughter and quickly bring her under their wings. Her days go from the nursery to learning to dance and being fitted for more dresses than she has ever owned. All the while, the dashing, charming Viscount Blackwell is beside her murmuring that they will soon be wed.

But just when things are looking good for Mary she is the victim of a series of attempts on her life - or is it on Henry's life? And then the unthinkable occurs, another girl appears claiming that SHE is the lost Albright daughter.

Oh, how shallow am I? I complain that all historicals are about lord this and lady that, then when the story is about Mary Whitsun I'm a bit meh, she's a servant. Also, I felt it was vaguely wrong for a member of the nobility to have sex with Mary, especially when it appears that she is not the lost Albright daughter. Not being a virgin would be catastrophic for a young working class woman, especially if she became pregnant, much more than for a woman of rank. It made me uncomfortable.

Anyhoo, a pleasant enough historical romance for Mary Whitsun, full of lost heirs and childhood betrothals.

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Review: One More Promise

One More Promise by Samantha Chase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paige Walters works for her family PR firm in Los Angeles with her father and sister. She has always felt like an Ugly Duckling, or maybe Cinderella compared to her tall, svelte, glamorous sister and always falls short in the eyes of their father, even though her sister Ariel never actually does any work and dumps it all on Paige. Although with clients and other people Paige is forthright and firm, with her father and sister she is just a doormat and she never gets the courage to call them on their bad behaviour.

Paige feels passionately about a charity called Literacy Now and she has come up with a campaign involving famous authors, which she hopes will encourage reluctant readers at school to get more involved with books.

As usual, Ariel is asked to do one simple thing and, not only doesn't do what she was asked, but decides to go off on a tangent. Instead of contacting famous authors, Ariel decides that what the campaign needs are just famous people full stop and has invited rock stars and actors instead.

Dylan Anders has just spent three months in rehab after crashing his car whilst under the influence. He is the bass player with Shaughnessy, a famous rock band, and desperate to turn his life around. He is required to perform several months' Community Service following the accident and thinks that the literacy now campaign could be something he could get behind, particularly because he had difficulty reading as a child too.

Paige really has no idea who Dylan is, which he finds refreshing, initially put off by his tattoos and image she comes to find that the man underneath is nothing like the media image. Dylan likes Paige, he knows she is too good for him, she should date a lawyer or someone like that, but while the band is on hiatus he thinks the campaign will keep him out of trouble. he's never had a relationship last more than a few months anyway and Paige just isn't that sort of girl.

Paige is sick of her sister taking all the glory while she does all the hard work, she's sick of her father falling for Ariel's attention-grabbing tactics, she's sick of Ariel undermining her and criticising her clothing choices, but most of all she's sick of everyone thinking she's Miss Goody Two Shoes. if she wants to have a short-lived affair with a tatted rocker, why shouldn't she?

This was just a joy from start to finish. I haven't read any of the other books in the series but I don't think its necessary to be able to enjoy this one. If you like bad boys trying to turn over a new leaf and clever, funny women with a sweet tooth then this is definitely a great romance for you. I also got the distinct impression that this was a 'fade to black' kind of romance, I'm not going to go back and double check every sexy moment, but that was my overall opinion.

I thought I recognised some lines from famous (to me) films in there somewhere too!

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


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Review: The Lunar Cats

The Lunar Cats by Lynne Truss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have no words to describe this book.

Imagine, if you can, a world in which a mild-mannered English librarian gets tangled up with Evil Talking Cats, not once but twice!

Our 'hero' Alec Charlesworth is contacted by a mysterious Greek client who asks him to research whether there were cats on His Majesty's Ship Endeavour which sailed around the world with Captain Cook. His investigations lead him to a sinister Evil Talking Kitten and her minions, a secret society of long-lived scientific cats and a strange bout of mouthey-mouthey-itis (you have to read it).

Told through a combination of meeting minutes, first person narrative by Alec, dairy entries and newspaper articles, watch as Alec and his tattered crew of comrades attempt to defeat the Evil Talking Kitten's plots.

I liked this, it had the odd humour of Terry Pratchett or Tom Sharpe but with a slightly more literary bent. I just didn't love it.

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

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Review: An Ex For Christmas: Love Unexpectedly 5

An Ex For Christmas: Love Unexpectedly 5 by Lauren Layne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A classic holiday romance style which fell flat for me.

Kelly Byrne is the sort of superstitious woman who reads her horoscope, consults a Magic 8 ball before every decision and believes in fortune tellers. When a mysterious woman tells her that she's already met her true love, she becomes obsessed with the idea of tracking him down before Christmas - so she starts a campaign to contact all of her ex-boyfriends.

Kelly lives and works in New York but also has a place in upstate New York where she spends weekends, her best friend since they were children, Mark Blakely is a local chef and has the house next door, in fact they share custody of a dog.

What is blatantly clear to everyone except Kelly is that Mark is in love with Kelly and has been for years. This is my first and major problem with the book. I didn't like Kelly. I found her to be irritating, self-absorbed, selfish and (frankly) stupid for not realising how Mark felt. My dislike of the heroine coloured my feelings towards the entire book.

Then towards the end, when Kelly and Mark make their feelings known, Mark did something which was almost a carbon copy of what (I think) Logan did in To Love and to Cherish, after waiting patiently for years, never telling Kelly how he felt, waiting for her to get on the same page, he can not literally wait 24 hours for her to confirm what her feelings are. No matter that he's had years to think about how he feels and to know that she is the one for him, no matter that he has NEVER said a word to her about his feelings, she has to be all-in or he walks away. Grrrh.

So, I am officially over Christmas stories and its only 14 November! They are too sweet, too cutesy, too predictable. I'm off to read something brutal and gory.

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