Cris' Reading Update

Hey people. I've been kind of missing from this blog, and for that I'm very very sorry. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I'm changing jobs inside my company, and I've been in a gruesome training for 6 weeks now. It's been amazing, but exhausting, and I haven't had much time to prepare any post. Again, sorry!

I thought about doing something different this time, and do a little update of what I've been reading this past month, and what I'll be reading during the month of October - kind of like a September wrap-up and an October TBR. Very original, I know... =P

During the month of September I heard a bunch of audiobooks, because of my commute to my training place (and the fact that for most of the month, I didn't have my car). I read some fantastic ones, and I was finally able to finish the Knitting in the City series by Penny Reid, and I LOVED the books, and they all work amazingly on audio. I also started the Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare, also on audio, and I'm enjoying that so much too. I also read Professor Feelgood (Masters of Love, #2) by Leisa Rayven, and really liked it, though I need to write the review for the book ASAP.

I also read Once Upon a Real Good Time (Heartbreakers, #1) by Lauren Blakely, though I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. The writing somehow didn't quite feel like Blakely, but I still want to get my hands on the other 2 books of the series, but I might give them a try in audio format, because Lauren Blakely's books usually work wonderfully in audio.

Finally, I gave Let's Get Textual by Teagan Hunter a chance, and I absolutely loved it.

I didn't read as many books in September as I had on the previous month, but I was still happy with the ones I read.

Now, for October, I plan to continue my Tessa Dare saga, as soon as Scribd allows me to listen to her books again. Here's what I'm reading:

The first book I already read this month was Love Sincerely Yours by Meghan Quinn and Sara Ney, and I'm sorry to say that it didn't blow me away... but my review will be out on the 13th. Then I'm about to finish the Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare, but I need to read the Castles Ever After series, because one book is related to both series.

Then, because Scribd was mean to mean and temporarily took out most of my saved list, I'm listening to Falling from the Sky by Sarina Bowen, let's see if I like this one better than the first book in the series. Afterwards, I'll probably read The Jerk Duet by Max Monroe, which will most likely be hilarious. And finally, I want to read I Wanna Text You Up by Teagan Hunter, and see if I like it as much as the first book, which I'm betting I will.

Have you guys read any of these books? Any thoughts?!

Will I Ever Tire Of Fake-Relationships?: Real Kind of Love by Sara Rider

REAL KIND OF LOVE
by Sara Rider

Series: Books & Brew #1
Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: June 5th 2018

Source: Bought

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon 

Everyone and their mother knows by now that I'm a huge sucker for a good fake-dating romance. With its adorable cover and promise of a fake relationship, I couldn't help but be excited for Real Kind of Love. That excitement was amped up when I saw that both Lisa and Becky enjoyed this book. Now that I've read the book, I can safely say that I have a new author whose books I am eager to read. Real Kind of Love was fun, sweet and romantic!

In any contemporary romance, it's important for me to fall for the characters and I had no trouble with that here in Real Kind of Love. It was abundantly clear to me that Sara Rider was going to take her time to develop both her hero and her heroine throughout the book from the very start. I loved that we got to see so many layers to these characters. Clementine is a character that a lot of readers will relate too. I thought her job as an audiobook narrator was super cool, especially the fact that she was making healthy income through something that she was having fun doing. She was a little shy when it came to men, but she also possessed an inner strength and lots of courage. This bookish heroine totally charmed me from the get-go. Jake, her love interest, was a little bit harder for me to relate too, but that does not mean that I didn't like. He was the opposite of Clem in that he was much more extroverted than her, but he was also a workaholic whose job as a bar owner was a bit of an impediment to a relationship. Jake won me over with how kind and genuine he was towards Clementine. There is just something about an attentive and loving hero that gets me.

I'm sure you are dying to know how their fake relationship comes about. Well, we have Clementine's large, loud and hilarious family to thank for that. To get out of a family vacation, Clem lies and tells her family that she's going on a romantic getaway with her new boyfriend only to have them invite themselves to this getaway. Jake comes to her rescue as her fake boyfriend and undeniably, feelings begin to bubble between these two. The romance was super cute. Jake and Clem had a really strong dynamic. There were times when the romance did veer towards cheesy territory for me, but that didn't impede my enjoyment of the book all that much. I thought Clementine's family was a great addition to the book. They were so funny and nosy, but obviously genuinely cared for each other. It was really sweet in a way how they got into each other's business.

Fans of fake-dating romances are going to love Real Kind of Love! I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Make Me Fall, which is a hate-to-love/neighbors romance!

Do you enjoy the fake-dating trope as much as me? Who are some of your favorite fictional families?
Let me know in the comments below!

Blog Tour Stop: Forever Theirs by Katee Robert

Forever Theirs

by Katee Robert

Series: The Thalanian Dynasty #1

Genres: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Indie

Publication Date: September 10th 2018
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Meg Sanders enjoyed her wild night with a prince and his bodyguard—but now she’s moving on. She has enough problems without borrowing the kind of trouble Theo brings just by being who he is. But no matter how determined she is to leave that night a fond memory, she hasn’t seen the last of Theo and Galen...

Galen Mikos's life boils down to one goal. Keep Theo alive. But as long as Theo draws breath, he’s a threat to the powers that have taken over Thalania—and anyone they associate with runs the risk of becoming a target, too. Galen will never forgive himself if they let their selfish desire for Meg puts her in danger. But it might already be too late...

Theo Fitzcharles might be an exiled prince, but he doesn’t intend to stay that way. He’s only concerned with one thing—clearing his mother’s name and reinstating himself as Crown Prince of Thalania. There’s no room in that plan for distraction, especially when it makes him forget himself the way Meg does. But after spending one perfect night with her and his best friend, Theo has no intention of leaving her alone.

Even if it damns all three of them in the process.

Blog Tour Stop: The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo

by Kerrigan Byrne

Series: Victorian Rebels #6

Genres: Historical Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: August 28th 2018
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Powells

The bravest of heroes. The brashest of rebels. The boldest of lovers. These are the men who risk their hearts and their souls—for the passionate women who dare to love them…
He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins. His only hope for survival—and salvation—lies in the deep, fiery eyes of the beautiful stranger who finds him. Who nurses him back to health. And who calms the restless demons in his soul…
A LEGENDARY LOVE
Lorelei will never forget the night she rescued the broken dark angel in the woods, a devilishly handsome man who haunts her dreams to this day. Crippled as a child, she devoted herself to healing the poor tortured man. And when he left, he took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after all these years, The Rook has returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. But can she trust a man who’s been branded a rebel, a thief, and a killer? And can she trust herself to resist him when he takes her in his arms?

When Hate Turns To Love: I Hate You, I Love You by Elizabeth Hayley

I HATE YOU, I LOVE YOU

by Elizabeth Hayley
Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Publisher: Loveswept

Publication Date: September 4th 2018

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

When bickering professors Naomi Price and Sebastian Blake have to compete for the same job, sparks fly--and not the sexy kind.

But when they take on some co-sponsored events that force them together and realize along the way that they both bear wounds from the past, a bond emerges that will be deeper than either of them imagined possible.

There's just one problem: how can you love someone you hate?

I read my first London Hale series, and I loved it! Temperance Falls: Experience Counts.

People... A few days ago I got a book on kindle for free, and the title was a bit cringe worthy (Daddy's Best Friend) but the blurb sounded good, so why not, right?!

I read another romance where the girl was in love with her father's BFF, and I didn't really like it, and was so disappointed with it, that I decided to give a shot to this weird titled novella I had just lying there on my kindle. I also realised that Nick, Lisa and Ari had all read this book and kind of liked it, so I was intrigued. I'M SO GLAD I DID!

When A Tropical Getaway Turns Steamy: Make Me Crave by Katee Robert

MAKE ME CRAVE

by Katee Robert
Series: Make Me #2

Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Dare

Publication Date: July 1st 2018

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

“I crave you…”
Can their hunger be satisfied?

Roman Bassani will do anything to close a deal. Even chase down Allie Landers on her Caribbean vacation to make an offer on her company. He expects a challenge—but not their immediate intense attraction. After an accidental one-night stand they agree to put business aside—for now. The island lulls them into a heated sexual journey…but what happens to their opposing interests when they return from paradise?

Reading My First Stripper Book: Stripped by Tara Wyatt

STRIPPED

by Tara Wyatt
Series: Blue HEAT #1

Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: May 15th 2018

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Detective Sawyer Matthews isn’t just having a bad day—he’s having the worst day. His hunt for the criminal who killed his team member has stalled and now… he’s got to play nice with his new, totally unwanted partner. It’s not that she isn’t qualified, or that he doesn’t like her—it’s because he knows what she looks like naked. So very, very naked.
Brooke Simmons finally landed her dream job working for H.E.A.T, an elite undercover detective squad, and she’s not giving up simply because she had a one-night-stand with her sullen—but undeniably sexy—new partner. They’ll just have to keep it professional. Easier said than done, considering their first case requires Sawyer to infiltrate a drug cartel operating out of a male strip show. Watching him do his best Magic Mike impression every night isn’t just hot—it’s torture.
Sawyer doesn’t need any distractions, yet his attraction to Brooke is explosive and he can’t resist going for round two. Or three. Or four. But as their investigation progresses and danger mounts, they’ll have to put their jobs, hearts, and lives on the line to fight… for each other, for survival, and for justice.

Blog Tour Stop: Make Me Crave by Katee Robert

Make Me Crave

by Katee Robert
Series: Make Me #2

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Dare

Publication Date: July 1st 2018

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★1/2
Amazon | iTunes | B&N | Kobo

“I crave you...”

Can their hunger be satisfied? 

Roman Bassani will do anything to close a deal. Even chase down Allie Landers on her Caribbean vacation to make an offer on her company. He expects a challenge—but not their immediate intense attraction. After an accidental one-night stand they agree to put business aside—for now. The island lulls them into a heated sexual journey...but what happens to their opposing interests when they return from paradise?

I read Make Me Want earlier this year and it didn't work for me, but fortunately Make Me Crave hit all my kinks! I definitely enjoyed it more than the first book.

Although it is the second book in the series, Make Me Crave works as a standalone. I vaguely remember Roman, but I do remember being intrigued with him and I'm glad that he got a book of his own. I didn't remember what Roman did that nearly ruined his friendship with Book 1's hero Gideon and Gideon's relationship with Lucy the heroine though; it was mentioned in the story but it wasn't that important. We get to see his ruthlessness in securing deals for his clients in this book, and we also get to see him fell to his knees (both metaphorically and figuratively *winks*) for a woman too. 

Allie Landers is a perfect heroine for him. She's opinionated, headstrong and basically challenges him at every turn. Although Allie's stubbornness to make it on her own without selling her soul to some pesky investor (despite endangering her own business and nonprofit) infuriates me so, I respect her principles. I also love that she can stand her ground with Roman and not get her head muddled by lust.

I mean I would have probably given Roman everything the moment he asked because I'm weak in the face of sexiness???

This is why I'm not the heroine.

There is also an element of hate-to-love in the story, when Allie found out that her one-night stand Adonis is the Roman Bassani, the one who threatened to take her business from her. The attraction between them was too strong, though, and they decided to have a no-strings attached fling in paradise before returning home and back to business. If you're a Katee Roberts fan, then you're already aware of her talent for the sexy times, and you won't be disappointed because Make Me Crave is a big package of Hot. I definitely won't suggest reading this in public ;)

Overall, I'm happy that I love this book more than the first. Aaron and Becky (H/h for the third Make Me book) are also featured in this book (though they haven't met just yet!) and I'm already excited for their book because I love their characters.

About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension." When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card or one of three (3) ebooks from Katee Robert’s backlist! 

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5 Reasons To Read On the Line by Liz Lincoln

Hi friends!

I recently finished reading On the Line by Liz Lincoln, which was one of my most anticipated romance reads of 2018. I had a lot of fun reading it so I thought I'd try to convince you to give this one a shot. Here are 5 reasons you should give On the Line a try!

I tried a new Sports Romance series... Have a look!

Hey people!

This past week I finally finished a book I've been meaning to read for ages, Sacked by Jen Frederick. Everyone raves about this series, and I'm a big fan of college sports romances, so, why not?!

I have to say that I feel like the series started on the right foot, and I can see a lot of potential with the Gridiron series, because I really enjoyed the characters and the complexity of personalities.

A Second Chance Romance With A Road Trip

LICKS
by Kelly Siskind

Series: One Wild Wish #3
Genres: Contemporary
Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: April 4th 2018

Source: ARC received for review purposes

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon 

I have very much enjoyed this series from Kelly Siskind. It has the perfect blend of humor, angst and romance. I have to say though that my excitement for Licks was even more amplified because of the promise of a second chance romance. After fake-dating, second chance romance is my favorite trope, so obviously I was excited to read Licks. Kelly Siskind totally delivered with this book. It had just the right amount of angst that I like in my second chance romances and managed to be very very swoony.

I loved that the protagonists, Gwen and August, were childhood friends whose friendship slowly developed into deeper feelings. However, unfortunately for them, the timing just wasn't right, and they both wound up deeply hurting each other. Fast forward a few years, Gwen's mom has just passed and August suddenly makes a re-appearance, along with a suitcase belonging to Gwen's mom that promised perhaps finding her father. Together, August and Gwen go on an adventure trying to figure out the clues that her mom left behind. As they go on this adventure, they realize that their feelings for each other have only amplified over the years. The romance was lovely. It was angsty at times but the chemistry kept it alive. Their feelings for each other were intense and add in that steamy chemistry, what you ended up was a really good romance.

It also helped that I liked both of the characters. They both had their strengths and their flaws. There were times when I found both characters to be quite questionable when it came to their thoughts - they seemed a bit out of place if I'm being honest. Overall though, they were both likable and it was easy to see where they were coming from when they made mistakes. Plus, I very much enjoy reading books with characters that aren't always perfect. As with the other books in the series, I also enjoyed seeing the female friendship. It was strong as ever and these girls just made my heart full with the amount of love and support they had for each other.

While a little more serious in tone compared to the other books in the series, Licks was a solid addition to it. If you're fond of second chance romances and flawed characters, this one is for you!

Do you enjoy second chance romances?
Let me know in the comments below!

Blog Tour Stop: The Last King by Katee Robert

THE LAST KING 

by Katee Robert

Series: The Kings #1

Genres: Contemporary

Publisher: Forever

Publication Date: April 3rd 2018

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon - BN - Kobo - iBooks

Ultra wealthy and super powerful, the King family is like royalty in Texas. But who will keep the throne? New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert introduces a red-hot new series.

THE MAN SHE HATES TO LOVE

Beckett King just inherited his father's fortune, his company-and all his enemies. If he's going to stay on top, he needs someone he can trust beside him. And though they've been rivals for years, there's no one he trusts more than Samara Mallick.

The rebel. That's how Samara has always thought of Beckett. And he's absolutely living up to his unpredictable ways when he strides into her office and asks for help. She can't help wondering if it's a legit request or just a ploy to get her into bed. Not that she'd mind either one. After all, she likes to live on the edge too.

But soon the threats to the King empire are mounting, and the two find family secrets darker than they ever imagined and dangerous enough to get them both killed.

Winter Sports Galore - Snow & Ice Games by Tamsen Parker

Happy Friday, everyone!

I was going to post on my usual Tuesdays but ended up forgetting to write my post - oops! So I'm sharing my post today instead. I've read some books since my last post, and most have been pretty good. I'll be sharing some quick thoughts about Tamsen Parker's Snow & Ice series! If you're looking for a quick sports romance read, any of these books might work for you!

Snow & Ice Games

Love on the Tracks - Seduction on the Slopes - On the Edge of Scandal - Fire on the Ice - On the Brink of Passion

Why Are Female Bodyguards Not More Of A Thing In Romance?????

Hi friends!

How is everyone doing? Hopefully, you all are doing okay. I'm doing well myself. Just trying to get back in the groove of being back at school and trying to adult as one does. As always, I'm excited to bring you guys more romance reviews, because you never have too many romances, am I right? ;)
Before I get to the reviewing session, did you guys have the chance to check out who our new co-blogger will be???? It's Cristina! She posted her first post yesterday, so be sure to say hi to her. :)
Let's get to the fun reviewing stuff!

DANGEROUS PROMISE by Megan Hart [★★★1/2] 

This one came to my attention thanks to a retweet by Megan Erickson. My interest was piqued when I found out that it was a book with an enhanced female bodyguard hired to protect the hero. Now, isn't that interesting??? It's not something that you see a lot in romance, in my experience, so I HAD to read it. I'm pleased I did, because this was a whole lot of fun and a bit angsty too. The only thing that sucks is that now I have to wait for books 2 and 3 to be out (they follow the same couple). *sobs*

Anyways, enough melodramatics from me. I really liked both the main characters in Dangerous Promise. Nina nearly died before she was brought back thanks to experiments and technology. She's one of the few enhanced soldiers, with some pretty impressive abilities. She is hired to protect the hero, Ewan, who is notorious for speaking out against enhancement procedures on humans. Talk about awkward! Nina was very much clinical and cold at first glance, but she allows emotions to show from moment to moment. It was interesting being inside her head as she would go from being rigid to feeling all these emotions around Ewan. Ewan, himself, has his reasons for why  he is against enhanced soldiers, and he is hiding his fair share of secrets. Despite his vehemence for enhanced soldiers, he remains nothing but a gentleman towards Nina. 

I love romances where one of the parties is trying hard not to fall for the other one, but somehow ends up falling head over heels for them anyways. This was exactly that kind of romance. Ewan tries to resist his feelings for Nina, but he doesn't last very long. I really liked the romance for the most part because these two talked a lot and were generally great at expressing their emotions with each other. I will say that once they started having sex, it got kinda irritating for me because of how sex-focused the book became, but this doesn't happen until the end. Plot-wise, the book is a bit slow too, and not exactly what I was expecting. I didn't entirely get a sense of danger until the very end. The book is definitely focused on the romance, which I'm not complaining about. I have a feeling we'll see more action and danger in the next installment.

Overall, Dangerous Promise was very enjoyable for me. Now, gimme book two already!!

HOLIDAY IN THE HAMPTONS by Sarah Morgan [★★★1/2] 

I bought this book with a gift card I got a few books at Barnes & Noble. I was feeling like a chick-lit novel, and this one seemed to suit the bill perfectly. Holiday in the Hamptons was an adorable second-chance romance that made me smile by the end.

Fliss and Seth married when they were young only to have their relationship end in a disaster. Fast-forward 10 years, Seth is back in NYC, exactly where Fliss is running her dog-walking company with her twin sister. In attempt to escape having to meet Seth again, she takes off to the Hamptons to help her grandmother who is recovering from an injury, only to find that Seth is in the Hamptons. In the spur of the moment, she lies to Seth and pretends to be her twin. I have to say, even though I liked Fliss' character, I did scratch my head at why she kept going with the lie that she was her twin - of course, Seth is able to figure out even on their first reunion that she is lying. Once, she opens up though, I was more comfortable with her. She's a passionate and very savvy young woman, and I loved reading about all her aspirations.

Seth was very swoony himself. He's a vet, which automatically makes him amazing in my book. I loved how gentle, supportive and patient he was with Fliss. He never makes her feel down, and I just loved that about him. It was really cute watching them reconnect, and I also loved all the flashbacks to their relationship in its early stages. I also enjoyed all the secondary characters in Holiday in the Hamptons. I especially loved Fliss' relationship with her sister. They are the opposite of each other, but there is unconditional love and support between the two. Fliss' grandma and her friends are also a hoot!

If you want something cute, summery and heartwarming this is the book for you! :)

DO YOU WANT MOAR BOOKS? YES YOU DO!

OK I had no intention of reading this one, but Ari convinced me and omg!! This was such a cute and heartwarming story. ANDDDDD it has fake-dating! *cries* Definitely add this one to your TBRs!

I bought/requested the entire Snow & Ice Games series and I'm soo excited! I really enjoyed Love on the Tracks though I had some minor issues with the pacing of the book. I loved the idea of a female athlete and this one has fake dating too!

 Tell me all about your latest romance reads in the comments below!

Of a single dad and hot-stuff federal agents

Hi, guys! How are you all doing? 

Can you believe that it's almost the end of November? I feel swamped with a thousand things at once because the semester is ending and deadlines, deadlines, deadlines... 

Boring stuff aside, I'm in the middle of bingeing Kaylea Cross' Hostage Rescue Team series. I love a good romantic suspense series, and I reviewed the first two books in this post. I also finished a contemporary romance featuring a recently widowed father of two and his late wife's best friend. Sounds cliche and a bit tacky too? at first but the author did a great job building their relationship and navigating issues like grief and guilt. 

Now, onwards!

Unique Settings, Slut-Shaming & Cheese-Fests

Hi everyone!

How are you all doing? I had to take a mini break from posting last week as I was swamped with school work. I haven't been reading as much sadly. I did get to read some romance reads, as always, but nothing that has really blown my mind since I last posted here. I'll be reviewing A Daring Arrangement and Wish You Were Mine in this post!

A DARING ARRANGEMENT by Joanna Shupe [★★★1/2] 

A Daring Arrangement wasn't entirely on my radar until I started to see some heavy buzz come in around release week from favorite book bloggers. They all made it seem amazing, so I knew I had to get to this myself, especially as I was feeling in a historical romance mood. 

This book was my first historical romance set in the Gilded Age, and I was fascinated by the time period all throughout the book. I love reading about the culture and lifestyle of folks back in the day, and this one definitely explored that here. I mean this book starts off with a raging party that involves horses. Aren't you intrigued? I totally was! 

I really liked the characters in A Daring Arrangement. After her father discovers her affair with an artist back in England, Nora's father ships her off to America in the hopes that she finds a rich and respectable husband there. Nora is determined to return to her love, so she decides to get involved with a man she knows her father won't approve of. This is when she meets the hero of the book, Julius, a man with a reputation of being wild despite his growing wealth. I enjoyed getting to know both characters, particularly Julius. He has had to make many sacrifices in order to become the man he is, but society still doesn't fully embrace him despite his wealth and status. I also liked Nora, since she was smart, and went after what she wanted, but I'll admit that there were times when she was quite naive.

The romance between the two only slowly develops. I love the trope of a fake-relationship, and it was done fairly well in A Daring Arrangement. I did think in general the couple didn't have as much chemistry as I would have liked. There was sexual tension, sure, but something was missing for me to fully become absorbed in these two. I also think Nora's love for her struggling artist in England loomed over their relationship quite a bit. I felt like the transition from her falling out of love with Robert to her falling in love with Julius wasn't as smooth, and to me, it veered very very close to cheating when the two give in to their passion. 

Despite my issues, I liked the book enough and I'm curious about who the next couple will be, so I'll most definitely be picking up the rest of the series.

WISH YOU WERE MINE by Tara Sivec [★★] 

The pretty cover of Wish You Were Mine immediately reeled me in. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me. I found the story to be incredibly cheesy, but what was worse was the amount of slut-shaming in the story that completely ruined the book for me.

Wish You Were Mine opened up with an emotional letter written by Aiden to his friend, Everett, after his passing. It was devastating, and broke my heart, but it also built up my hopes that this book would be profound and amazing. While there certainly were moments of those throughout the book, especially through some of the flashback scenes of the three characters as children, the occasional slut-shaming in the book and the story veering into Nicholas Spark cheese tainted my experience. I can't exactly say that I cared for either of the main characters. They were difficult in my opinion, a little immature, and needed to learn to communicate. Everett and Cameron were melodramatic characters, in my opinion, and made mountains out of molehills. Their emotions and angst came across as incredibly forced to me, and I felt like their relationship with each other totally defined them as characters. I wanted to see more of their personalities beyond the surface level that was explored here.

The romance between the two had the potential to be an amazing second chance romance, but again the forced angst, and the cheesy moments peppered here and there. Everett and Cameron needed to communicate with each other, but that was entirely missing from the story until the very end. There were some scenes that I liked between the two, especially the ones that involved the camp owned by Cameron's parents, but beyond that, the two of them just weren't as memorable for me. And like I said, I hated how Cameron viewed every girl who was interested in either Aiden or Everett as a "skank". It was demeaning, and uncalled for! It's ridiculous that slut-shaming is still prevalent in romance novels.

Simply put, Wish You Were Mine had too many tropes that I didn't care for. If the summary seems like a story that might be for you, go for it!

UP NEXT FOR ME

These are some books I'm planning on reading next. Can't wait!

  

RECENTLY ADDED TO THE TBR

 

Read any books featured in this post? Tell me all about your latest romance reads in the comments below!

Review: Making It Complicated by Clarisse David

MAKING IT COMPLICATED

by Clarisse David

Series: i Heart Iloilo #2

Genres: New Adult

Publisher: Clarisse David

Publication Date: October 16th 2017

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon 

No promises. No expectations. Just one night on a paradise island that could mean everything.

Nineteen-year-old Cam has a metric ton of emotional baggage and is in no mood to unload them on anyone. After her parents' marriage imploded, stress-free is the only way she wants her life to be. And what could be more freeing than spending the summer on Boracay? Absolutely nothing... until she bumps heads with Hunter, the hot drummer who screams incoming heartbreak from a mile away.

Hunter has grand plans, none of which include angry-at-the-world Cam, best friend to the girl he always thought he'd end up with. He likes his life steady, thank you very much. But steady has now become synonymous with boring. His grand plans don't seem so grand anymore. So when Cam comes home to Iloilo City and reaches out to him, he surprises himself when the one answer he can think of is... yes. Definitely yes.

Sometimes, complications are the only things that make sense.

Those Sporty Boys Though

Hey romance lovers!

How's everyone doing? I'm still as grumpy as ever, and the hot, rainy weather is certainly not helping my mood. I'm waiting for fall to be here already, but it's taking FOREVER. I think I may be finally out of the slump, though I've been reading VERY VERY slowly. I'm fine with it as long as I'm enjoying reading the books that I'm reading. After reading 100s of pages of school textbooks, it's nice to fall into something light and easy.

Anyways, so last week, I received Played by Jen Frederick and Bountiful by Sarina Bowen for review. You can bet your ass that I rushed to read both of them. 

Check out my quick thoughts on them below!

PLAYED by Jen Frederick [★★★★] 

I'm super in love with this series. After Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series, this is one of my favorite NA sports romance series. It's got some swoony heroes, some awesome female leads, and romances that are realistic AND sexy. I've been anticipating Ty's book since the very beginning. I loved the glimpses we got of him in Sacked, and was desperate for his book. And it was everything that I wanted and so much more. It also had one of my favorite tropes, the friends to more romance, and I thought it was done really well here. I grew to really love Ty. Jen Frederick is good with character development, and she does such a fantastic job with Ty's character. I also liked Ara a lot, even though, I admit sometimes her unwillingness to go after what she wanted was a teensy bit frustrating. I appreciated that even though she was a famous artist's daughter, she wanted to pave her own way in the art scene. Their relationship is another thing I adored in Played. I loved the comfort level in their friendship, and I loved how devoted and sweet Ty was to her. There was also some very obvious attraction between the two, that are both unwilling to act on in the fear that it will ruin their relationship. Of course, before the end of the book, they can't resist but giving in, and I loved them even more as a couple than as friends. I think their friendship really solidified their bond, and made for a relationship with a great foundation. I also appreciated that the book was drama-free for the most part. Jen Frederick doesn't rely on over the top twists to separate her couples, which I really really love. I also loved seeing Knox again. He and Ty may be identical twins, but they could not be any different from each other. But their sibling bond is so great, I loved every scene/conversation between them. Played was another hit in the Gridiron series for me, and if you haven't checked out this football romance series yet, you should. 

“How to regain blogging mojo?” –a Google search

Hey, guys!

Boy, blogging is hard once you break the momentum. I had to skip posting last week because I had too much on my plate re: school, and BAM! Suddenly writing a post this week feels so damn hard. Reading wise, I can feel myself slowly descending into The Reading Rut again. I finished a few books last weekend and while some of them were great, they weren’t exactly jumping-on-the-couch amazing, you get me? 

Bookish-related news: last weekend I found out that I got approved for a few ARCs on Edelweiss (which literally never happened to me) and suddenly I have a lot of galleys to read! Exciting stuff. I’m listing them down (plus some ARC mini reviews!) under the cut. 

Now, onwards!