GRR Reviews Second Chance at Love by Joanna Campbell Slan

Cara Mia needs a new direction in life. Her parents are gone, and her son's off to college. She decided to visit grandpa in the little town of Treasure Coast, FL. When he heard that someone will be tearing down the nick-nack shop she used to visit to make way for a new gas station that will put her grandpa's gas station / auto shop out of business, she bought the shop through a bit of mistaken identity. Unfortunately, it was that very night that she found a corpse inside... the very agent who sold her (by mistake) the shop. Now a prime suspect in the murder, Cara Mia had to find out just what exactly she bought... even as she came face to face to her first love... Cooper who's about to be married... to a woman who looked a lot like her... and the original buyer of that shop. Why is grandpa angry at her for buying the shop? What was Cooper's plan? Who stole the "Highwaymen" paintings (that are now worth a fortune) from the shop before it was trashed? What's between the big burly detective and waitress? And who killed the real estate agent?

This is a murder mystery, not romance. There is a hint of it, but not much. But the plot twists are quite good. You will get all the answers before the book's end. And that's good. However, the adventure will continue (which is sort of a spoiler).

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Chauffeuress by Penelope Spark

Isaac is a workaholic, trying to make up for time spent as a reckless youth. He never notices the staff... Until his chauffeur was unable to drive one day... and Whitney, the housekeeper, volunteered to step up to the position. Whitney can see Isaac is handsome and powerful, and oh so haughty. She knew she wasn't in his class. But when a little girl showed up at their doorstep, claiming to be his daughter, Isaac and Whitney both have to reexamine their priorities... and Whitney is started to grow attracted toward her boss...

Sweet, and clean, but somehow the push-pull just didn't quite draw me in.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2.5/5 (rounded up)

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Fake Marriage Favor by Kacy Cross

Nomi hoped to repair her reputation after her twin brother was sent to prison for fraud, which also destroyed her law firm. She decided to run for city council, but she needs a fake husband... fast. Enter best friend Malone... // Malone lost his company after his business partner/fiancee, betrayed him. Now he slings pizza and is definitely not in the mood to get married... But he can't say no to Nomi, esp. when she's the one that stood by him through it all. // The marriage soon turned very real, but neither is ready to admit their real feelings to each other...

Okay, the initial premise about she needed a fake husband is kinda... meh. The rest of push-pull is pretty good though.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Bruiser by Samantha Whiskey

Hudson is Seattle's newest bruiser for the Shark hockey team, after being traded from Ontario (in disgrace). He joined "Big Brother" program for PR points, and came into contact with Elliot (a girl who loves hockey) and her mom, Shea. Shea had been hurt before... her evil ex basically treated her like dirt and she ran and did all she could to raise Elliot... and she detests violence and hockey... and bruisers like Hudson. But Hudson confuses her, for he's gentle and protective off the ice. When her evil ex came back (because Shea and Hudson's relationship went public) his protectiveness will be put to the test...

Not bad, the reluctant lover thing was put very nicely. The problem is her evil ex was really shallow, and how easily her evil ex got past his security system, yet dumb enough to call for ransom (yes, you can guess where this went).

Category: Contemporary / Sports

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Love Me by Bella Andre

Luke finally realized he was burned out as an ER trauma surgeon when his hands won't stop shaking just before an operation. He hadn't slept properly in 24 hours, and the only place he wanted to be was with a woman he should not want... His best friend's little sister, Janica. Losing control, he arrived at Janica's door... // Janica is a fashion designer who never was afraid to flaunt her sexuality... and she had a crush on Luke for a long time... but things went awkwardly when her calm older sister married Luke's twin brother... // Luke had finally lost control after five years of denying his feelings. For one night, it will be all about him... and Janica is happy to oblige, even though she doesn't like being submissive in bed... but for Luke, she will... And the sex was out of this world good. Until he walked out the next day, cold as winter. Janica knew Luke had already stolen her heart, but will Luke realize it?

Bella Andre always had a knack of crafting likable characters within just a few pages of the opening, and not let up the momentum. The sex is hot, and the emotions raw. The darkest hour, due to him being a doctor, is expected, which I won't spoil, but you'll recognize it when you read it. It ties nicely back to the beginning. All in all, good read.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Heartsong by Emma Monaghan

Erika and Luke are co-stars of a historical adventure/romance TV series. They had tremendous chemistry onscreen. Erika has a boyfriend, but he only sorta treats her nice. When twice he showed up, and paparazzi soon followed, Luke saw through the ruse... He's using her popularity. Luke wanted to be friends with Erika, so he tried to warn her... only to have her deny everything. Later she realized he's right, but also declared all actors to be off-limits to her heart, which broke his heart. They ended up spent one night together after getting plastered celebrating finishing season 2... only to have her run off in regret next morning, which lead to him leaving the show to concentrate on his other love: country music. Can Erika realize how good they are together? What can she do to win him back?

Ah, the power of subtext... a lot of the acting is full of subtext, though I honestly think neither of them grew up, as both end up butthurt over... what exactly? He didn't exactly say he's interested, and she declared "no actors ever", and he's hurt. And she can't remember what she said later to realize her mistake and wondered "why didn't he tell me?"  ARGH! The grand gesture is not bad.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 rounded up

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Consequence of Falling by Claire Contreras

Presley is the spoiled daughter of a wealthy beer brewer. She hates Nathaniel, a young man taken in by her father to be his driver. Decades later, she's divorced and determined to be the executive her father wanted to be in the family beer brewing business... Only to be informed by his dad that Nathaniel is her boss, as he put in a lot of money in the business. // Nathan never had it easy in his life... only a chance encounter lead him to work his way up, graduate from Harvard, and became a rich man. When his old mentor needed some money toward a new venture, he can't refuse. And that brought him back to Presley... // The two are like oil and water... they had a love/hate relationship for over a decade... they are complete opposites, yet it could be said opposites attract... Can they put aside their differences to make this venture a success? Can they figure out what is this thing they feel that makes them fight like cats and dogs? Could it be... that they secretly wanted each other?

I am not sure where in the story did hate turned into love. The long backstory also seems to be quite extraneous.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Single Daddy Club: Reece by Donna Fasano

Reece is an insurance adjuster and investigator, and Maggie is there to appeal a denied claim... Maggie is a private investigator chasing after cheating husbands and such, helping women help themselves, and someone destroyed her camera... and ONLY her camera. Then someone put sand in her car's gas tank... and moved stuff around in her house... Someone is stalking and gaslighting Maggie. Reece invited Maggie to live in his house, but he has his own problems... his bitter divorce had made him... and his 8-year old son, into misogynists who refuse to treat any women seriously. Reece needed Maggie's help to reeducate his son, while he figures out how not to be a misogynist, and Maggie fell for the single father... But after watching so many couples' sad endings, can she ever take a chance with her own heart again, after her own bitter experience with men? And who is her stalker?

Good twist at the end, with a much deeper character arc for both BOTH MMC and FMC. MMC's arc is obviously to stop being misogynist... but the FMC's arc, while less obvious, is nonetheless there: how to trust men who want to help her without ulterior motives.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Blind Date with a Billionaire Professor by Evangeline Kelly

Abby tends to go for players, but when her friend set her up with college professor Colin, she's hooked... Even a handshake send a tingle up her arm... Until she realized Colin has absolutely ZERO polish... Either he can't think of anything to say... or he rambles on and not letting her get a word edge-wise. So she friend-zoned him... // Colin was devastated after being FZ'ed, but he knew he can't spend the rest of his life alone. He's just unsure about himself, as his father had multiple failed marriages... But for Abby... he'd try again... So he thought of an excuse... He'll help Abby shop for a new car... In exchange, Abby can teach him some social graces... in 3 meetings. They learned both are faithful Christians... and perhaps there is some sizzle between them... Colin needs to come out of his shell, and Abby... well, Abby ended up learning some things about her best friend Nate that she never suspected... Perhaps, Colin may prove to be the right choice after all...

The flip from friends to lovers, IMHO, could have gone a little smoother, but friend-zoned transition was handled pretty well, as well as some shade thrown at the pickup artist culture, and revealing Nate to be not quite the person she thought he was. Like it, but not extraordinarily so.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews All Knighter by Em Petrova

Ben Knight was a fine marine, until he retired. Then he was recalled... to head up a new squad, composed of his four brothers and one SEAL. Love was not on his radar at all, but he did enjoy that one romp with a sweet girl named Dahlia... except he disappeared before she woke up, and left no note or phone number... // Dhalia loved that night with Ben... Until he pulled the disappearing act. She needed the release after taking in too many 911 calls (she's a 911 operator) and when Ben came back, her body wants him, her head told her "no way, what if he disappears again?" Then she found out his secret... and he found out her secret...

Em Petrova writes some steamy love scenes, that are pretty darn hot, without it being raunchy. It's pretty good.

Category: Contemporary / Military

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews The Ex Effect by Karla Sorensen

Ava was always the 'second daughter' of the family... Her older sister went into her father's profession... She went into PR, specifically, sports PR, and no one in the family cared... It's always "why can't you be more like your sister"?  Now working for the Washington Wolves as their social media manager, she's in her element... Until she got the latest news... Matthew Hawkins is coming out of retirement to play for the Wolves... She had a crush on Matt for ten years... It should be a dream come true... Except Matt was once engaged to her sister.  And this Matt is grown up, bigger, stronger... and now that she's all grown up too... There's nothing stopping them from coming together... Except PR person is not supposed to sleep with players... and just imagine what her family would say about them together, esp. when her sister wants to do a 9th-anniversary "vow renewal" celebration... (and she showed up with him...)

The family is a bit too... one-sided to the point of being caricatures.

Category:

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Lucky Billionaire by Jeanette Lewis

Ty won over a billion bucks in the lottery. He knew most winners simply squander the wealth. He decided to help his sister stay clear of the creepy ex by buying him off, then fund his own land use rights foundation in Idaho, his home state. But after a disastrous TV interview in LA, it's clear he needed help... and that brought him to image consultant Holland. // Holland can see Ty needs serious help, and since her agenda is free, she temporarily moved to Ty's hometown to help him get his foundation off the ground. It'll be quick... She has a life, and sorta boyfriend in LA. Until someone burned down the foundation's first office. Who'd want to hurt Ty? And why does she get goosebumps (the good kind) around Ty?

This is a good spin on the theme, though the perp is a bit too obvious, due to lack of other suspects. Still, the polish is good. I don't get the butthurt feel from Ty after Holland's revelation about her BF though.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Knoxi's World by James Nathaniel Miller II

(Also see reviews for Book 1 and Book 2 of the series, and there is very little romance here, mostly adventure.)

Knoxi Musket is going to the University of Texas at Austin on a basketball scholarship. At the announcement ceremony, where she encountered the atheist reporter Rolf Sagan, who had nothing good to say about her religious views. She and her security team, plus friends were intercepted by bad guys... along with a famous Tejano singer Glorietta... in disguise as a police officer. The singer revealed she was actually a human trafficking victim named Alexis. After a harrowing rooftop escape, they got to Moon River Ranch, only to find another injustice... a pregnant woman on a horse running away from hostiles toward them. Knoxi, and her parents Cody and Brandi have to take down the corrupt sheriff and the local tycoon, then help Alexis recover her son Zorro. But when Zorro disappeared, the trail ran cold. And the evil was only the tip of the iceberg, for the bad guys belong to the Syndicate, a huge global conglomerate of evil. Knoxi had to go to one person she would never ask for help: Rolf Sagan... and discovered a surprising connection... Now Knoxi must embark on a journey, disguised as a nun, rescue young Zorro from clutches of evil Caribbean pirates, and save herself in unfamiliar terrain... all alone... if she wanted Sagan to release enough info on the Syndicate to bring it down permanently...

There certainly is a LOT of adventure going on, and the cast of characters is long. It's a bit of Clancy-style quick cuts from location to location, and as in other novels in the series, there will be a miracle that is unexplained except to the faithful. The "sci-fi" part can be ignored safely. It's way too fantastic to be scifi, IMHO, and it's mostly used for comic relief. There is some romance, as Alexis had to take on a third identity to be married to Cameron, who rescued her, and she became a baseball wife while learning English and acclimating to a normal life, even as they learn to live with each other. Knoxi was paired up with Ryan, the technical genius. But the book really is mostly adventure.

Category: Contemporary / Adventure

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 rounded up

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews A New Year's Kiss by Delaney Cameron

Norah had to give up on her plan as an art history major and her love when her grandparents needed her. But now, she had to reestablish herself back in the city, while working as a tour guide for a historical house... When hot attorney Lance moved in... but Lance is haunted... // Lance is not as married to his job as he wants people to think. He's just not ready to move on after his (unrequited) love married someone else... Every time he hears about her, as she's still his sister's bestie, and a family friend, his heart bleeds again. // Lance and Norah met, neither is quite ready to date, but they can commiserate together. Can they find love through that friendship?

Ah, the push-pull is quite good here. Neither was over-the-top, both have to deal with more common struggles. But there's a little bit of pacing problem near the end.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 rounded up

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Tidal Falls by Jacquie Biggar

Nick was forced to take a sabbatical to allowed his injured knee to heal, and he picked the small town of Tidal Falls, and he lives simply with his dog Jake. While in town, he came to know Sara and her 7-year old daughter Jessica, and Sara is clearly hiding secrets. Turns out, Sara is on the run from her evil husband Tom, who is a US Attorney with plans to run for governor, but he's also a shipping magnate in cahoots with the Syndicate including drug lords and human traffickers. When Sara ran, she stole a copy of Tom's log of transactions he did for the Syndicate. And Tom wants his wife back... along with the log. When Tom escalated into kidnapping Sara's friend to force her out of hiding, Sara found that Nick and his old SEAL team had a past with Tom... Who can she trust?

While suspenseful, and the villain isn't stupid, there are some parts of the plot that really made no sense. Tom's villainy isn't explained that well. His attitude toward children and marriage was explained once, then never mentioned again. Somehow, bad guys didn't bother questioning or tracing calls from Fiona, Sara's best friend until two years later. And instead of tapping her phone, they went straight to kidnapping. She's a gallery owner... Wouldn't anyone miss her? Hmmm? And the big fight at the end is a bit underwhelming. While good, it's not great.

Category: Contemporary / Military

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Mysterious Hostage in Circle C by Everlyn Boyett

Cal lost his wife and unborn son when robbers hit the stage she was on, killing everyone. Ten years later, he's still working himself to the bone, trying to forget the nightmare, and he's now foreman of the Garrett Ranch. When he noticed someone moved the boundary fence, giving more land to Circle C Ranch, their neighbor, he chose to investigate, only to run into a wall at every turn... His boss didn't want to stir the pot, and the sheriff ignored him. Choosing to confront the owner himself, he went to Circle C... only to find a burly man trying to assault a young woman... He rescued her, who claims to be the dead Emily Carson, but she was too scared to leave. So he told her to hide. Unfortunately, this also exposed a secret that the conspirators tried to bury...

While I like the secret, it also didn't make any sense. The plot just feels... wrong. It doesn't squeeze me tighter and tighter like a good plot should. And the romance is minimal... it's mostly adventure, thank the rescuer, that sort of deal.

Spoiler

I warned you!

Sheriff accidentally shot his own daughter, then killed his own wife as a witness. But instead of killing the only other witness (Circle C's owner Carson), he instead got blackmailed by Carson, when Carson held a FAKE funeral for his own daughter Emily (in reality, buried sheriff's daughter) while sheriff told everyone his wife ran off. Carson then kept his daughter imprisoned for years, letting his ranchhands raid stages and commit crimes, even rape Emily, and sheriff look the other way. Does this make any sense?  Just kill the SOB. And why keep Emily alive at all?

Category: Historical Western

Overall Rating: 2/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Wyoming Wildflowers: The Beginning by Patricia McLinn

Donna is a dancer with a touring dance company, in competition for a starring role. Ed just wanted to ranch. Yet when her dance company came to town, and they found each other, it was intense. But she's leaving, and he had to stay. How can this relationship ever work?

A relatively short prequel, there's a few "I'll hurt you because I love you" moments that are slightly cringe-y, but the choice between responsibilities, goals, and love, is presented nicely.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Capturing You by Katana Collins

Lydia, desperate for a steady job due to her need for fertility treatments, accepted a job with the City Star tabloid. Her latest job landed her in the small town of Maple Grove, NH, where the Tripps are town celebrities. But it seems her editor has it out against the Tripps... Not only did one of her earlier articles about another Tripp brother got rewritten by a ghostwriter into a hatchet piece, but her latest photos have also been manipulated, and fictitious captions added to paint the single father, Cameron Tripp, in a negative light. Cameron and Lydia have chemistry, and even Cam's daughter loves Lydia. But can she explain to the Tripp what is her real intention in town? And why is her editor deadset to ruin the Tripps?

Frankly, Lydia seems to be way too trusting of her editor. She should have suspected an agenda long before this. And this plot had been written MANY times before. While there are some good elements, I feel the FMC was really too stupid in many spots (i.e. too many TSTL moments) for the book to be rated above average.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Her Billionaire to Remember by Sophia Summers

She woke up on a beach with no memory of who she was or how she got there. She was rescued by a local family on an island off the coast of Uruguay and found that she has talent with training horses. That lead to her meeting the Argentinian tycoon, and his American client Shane, and Texas billionaire, who came to buy one of tycoon's horses. Shane knew she is special, even if she can't remember her name, But if she cannot remember who she was, how can she be free to love someone else?

The story goes on from there, not spoiling anything, but she'll learn why she ended up in the ocean, and there's a HEA. However, while the story read nicely, the plot is simply implausible. How did they transporter her to America? What passport did she use? Didn't have any? Hmmm??? Was she just smuggled in with the horse or something? WTF?

Category: Contemporary / Western

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Cowboy Groom by Lorana Hoopes

Carrie is about to be a billionaire. Her fashion design business had taken off, and her boyfriend is quite nice. But when he actually popped the question, she had to resolve the one secret she kept... She was technically married... six years ago, in Vegas, to a cowboy... // Cal knew the moment he saw Carrie, that she's the one. They just connected on so many levels, even though they seem to be exact opposites... But even he was surprised that they immediately got married, by an Elvis Impersonator, in Vegas... Except the next morning, she threw the ring at him and left... But he wrote her every year on their anniversary...  And he's not interested in any other women in town... Then Carrie showed up one day out of the blue... Wanting him to sign divorce papers. But he's not ready to let her go yet. Can he convince her to give them another shot? Or will she just go back to her boyfriend? Why is the current boyfriend pushing her for marriage anyway?

Oh, you just know this is going exactly the way you think it should, but obviously there will be some hiccups along the way. I guess I have a problem seeing a woman's worth jump to a billion in merely six years, even if she started as an heiress. One thing I am surprised is how this story managed to stay clean and religious, without overdoing it. The existing boyfriend is a bit too OBVIOUS to have ulterior motives though.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Her Secret BIllionaire Roommate by Bree Livingston

Olivia, who writes bestselling romance under a pen name, is overdue for a new novel... and her publisher and editor are not pleased. But due to personal turmoil, her muse had taken a leave of absence, and her editor sent her to a two-week retreat to Snowshoe, MT cabin to write alone. Unfortunately, her alone time was soon disturbed by Gabriel, a handsome but haunted executive who can't handle any company, much less an attractive woman. And technically, he is the cabin owner. But he's not about to kick her out with a snow storm incoming. What he didn't tell her is he's also her boss, as he just bought her publisher... Both had been burned by bad relationships, and both connected despite the initial hostility. But when the truth comes out, and their evil exs intervene, will their relationship survive?

Somehow the evil ex didn't have much of a part to play... They are also way too similar... Gabe's ex just keeps coming back ("Aw, baby, don't be like that..."), while Olivia's ex just assumes she'll take him back... It's not until Gabe meets and wanted Olivia that they both grew spines and told their ex's to take a hike. But what is the real threat to their relationship? Not too much. Still, the push-pull is good. It's mostly her own inadequacy causing her problems, i.e. "I'm not good enough for him."

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews The Mail Order Billionaire by Eliza Ellis

Prince Maxim Malenkov is being called home to marry someone that had been arranged for him, but he doesn't want to do that. When he spotted a Dr. Pearson on TV, on-air ambushed into finding a husband by midnight, he thought "why the heck not..." // Dr. Deanna Pearson, aka DC Love Doctor, is divorced (which also inspired her research and her current business)  She had made 199 matches so far, and it all worked... but an on-air ambush made her add herself to the list... she had to get married by midnight on her reality matchmaking show. When Maxim applied, she's beyond ecstatic... He's the most gorgeous man she'd seen... and rich, and a genuine royalty. AND they have an excellent match score. However, Maxim has his own problems: they had to rush home (to Europe) immediately after the midnight wedding, and it's clear his brother the King did not like how it's going, yet cannot tell him outright why, for there's fierce Royal intrigue, conspiracy, and powerplay behind the scenes... and Maxim and Deanna had to rely on each other... Then Deanna found out her staff had tweaked the score to make Maxim match with her... Her science was flawed... and he may have to divorce her to save his dynasty...

Okay, the palace intrigue and such is quite good. My only problem is Deanna was later described as black. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention, but it seems race just NEVER CAME UP until I noticed that sentence at the end. Otherwise I like the book quite well.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Hold On To me by Taylor Holloway

Rosie wants to be a performer, even as her lawyer dad does everything in his power to turn her into a lawyer. When the dump she rented with a friend (because her dad cut off her money) got flooded, on her 19th birthday, she had no choice but to call her dad for help... and her dad sent in Ryan, one of his attorney employees to help. // Ryan is a lawyer, not a white knight, but the secret orders he got... "convince her to go to law school" did not sit well with him either. Meeting Rosie... took his breath away. With no hotel rooms in town available (blame SXSW festival) he had to put her up in his guest room. And it wasn't long before he realized Rosie was attracted to him as well. And she really has talent... Turns out, Ryan has ties to the music industry... He represents several A-listed artists... But he's not sure he can love again, after losing his first love. Can he help her realize her dreams... (and maybe get her into bed) without being destroyed by her dad / his boss?

Much deeper than an older man/ younger woman romance, the book also properly acknowledges social media and Youtube and their influence on the modern pop song scene. All the plots flowed properly. Other than the initial mutual infatuation, everything else properly leads to subsequent events. No TSTL moments, no deus ex machina. Excellent run.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Montana Trails: A Cutter's Creek Prequel by Kari Trumbo

Montana Trails is really an adventure novella with a bit of romance.

Florence was fired from her teaching job in Missouri for merely applying for a position out West in Oregon (she hadn't even decided to go). Now left with no choice, she had to find a wagon train to go West... and met Alton Cutter. // Alton had gone west several times. But this time, he's not coming back, but settle with her brother in Montana territory. He did not need a schoolmarm to 'tag along', esp. when she can't even pay her own way, and it'll take MONTHS to reach Montana, muchless Oregon. But on the trip, they slowly fell for each other... Can he convince her to stay and start a town in Montana with him, rather than go onto Oregon?

Short (not even 100 pages), the story builds up nicely. There's complication about Alton's niece marrying a no-good man and seems to have gone delusional and refuse to follow good advice. The actual romance was a bit of enemies to lovers, but not that well explained other than he took pity on her. It's once they got on the way that things actually got going.

Category: Historical Western

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Every Other Weekend by Jaxon Kidman

Jordyn is divorced... Her ex Keith got into substance abuse and she had to leave him for the child's sake. They were high school sweethearts until she saw through him. But Keith's still bitter, and use passive-aggressive tactics on her, even though he only sees her every other weekend when he picks up his son, Sam, for a weekend visit, even blames her for his troubles, even as he found a new girlfriend. Her girlfriend dragged her out to a bar on one of those weekends so she doesn't feel sorry for herself. When a drunkard got too aggressive with her... Ramsay came to her rescue... // Ramsay was raised by his uncle Tom and aunt Millie because his mom left and his father is a drunkard who can barely put food on the table. He went through a rebel phase when his young brother died. He's the genuine bad boy (not a pretend one like Keith), until he had an epiphany and went straight. Working in uncle Tom's construction company had made him tough, and losing his brother at a young age made him protective... which is why he came to Jordyn's aid. // Their chemistry is intense, but Ramsay knew to let Jordyn come to him when she needed. And Jordyn does need him... though she had to admit to herself first...

Excellent push-pull where the characters resist their urges to immediately come together, for whatever reason(s) they think. Keith is a douchebag, but not one you want to punch out, merely a knee in the nuts. And Ramsay... Well, his sensitivity is very good, and his backstory heart-breaking. All in all, an excellent read.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Sophie by Kelsie Rae

Sophie and Nathan are mortal enemies... even when they shouldn't be. Sophie and Nathan had a one-night stand, and sex was phenomenal... Until he reminded her it's supposed to be NSA.. and walked out the door. Now they greet each other with cutting remarks and pranks. But their best friends are getting married... and they have to be civilized to each other... for several weeks... in the Maldives for a destination wedding. But as they actually got to know each other, Sophie starts to understand why Nathan is a commitment-phobe... he doesn't believe in love because he never had any... and Nathan starts to understand why love is not that kind of 4-letter word... Then a surprise discovery leads to a showdown with Sophie's big brother...

Excellent character arc for Nathan, as the author managed to convert him from a jerk to a proper lover in the length of the book. And all the characters, esp. the supporting cast, are good as well. No TSTL moment, good snarky wit when called for.  This book is a standalone, but you'd get more out of these books by reading them in order so you understand more about the other characters, who have their own books. All, in all, excellent.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Tempting Propositions by Tania Joyce

Jessica raised her son alone after her guy took her v-card and left her pregnant at 16 and never heard from him again. She had since remarried and divorced. Now, with her son a teenager, her heart is all in her advertising business with her platonic partner, and they just landed the largest account ever... a brand new hotel launch.  And the hotelier sent over his son and heir Nate to supervise. // Nate found out too late what a golddigger his ex was... the marriage barely lasted 18 months. He will do all he can for his daughter... except give his ex an unlimited expense account. Nate found Jessica alluring, and Jessica resisted as one should never sleep with a client. But their chemistry cannot be denied. An NSA affair would be great... just as she found her first love, i.e. the ex who left her to raise her son alone, is back in town... And Nate may be forced to make certain changes...

The setup is quite good with multiple levels of angst, but some parts of the threat were left unexplored. Nate's ex was barely a mention. And Nate sure didn't handle things well near the end. Still, it's a pretty good push-pull.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Men of Inked (3-book collection) by Chelle Bliss

NOTE: This is a 3-book collection, it'll be rated separately, and there's an overall rating.

Throttle Me -- Suzy had mapped out her life: work hard, get her own career established, find a stable man, get married, live happily ever after. Unfortunately, her plan got derailed when "City", a tattooed Harley rider who works in a tattoo shop, came into her life, by rescuing her one night. They had chemistry together, but City had his heart broken at college and is now a rake and a commitment-phobe. But their relationship had both of them question everything they thought they knew about what they wanted... and City is keeping a secret...

Not bad, different worlds novel is pretty obvious, and scars are pretty trope, but there's some good polish on it and multiple layers of tropes, like biker, Italian, and even a bit of disguise. 4/5

Hook me -- Michael Gallo is the MMA fighter who enjoys the physical domination of his opponent, but a fight ended up with him in the ER, and met Dr. Mia Greco. Mia is having nightmares about all the people she can't save in the ER, and she prefers running the neighborhood free clinic. Michael, who's actually quite smart, wanted to woo Mia, and they have chemistry together, but Mia can't reconcile the fighter who damages people with the caring and sensitive man Michael seems to be...

I honestly don't feel the conflict other than she can't see past his gruff tattoed exterior. 3/5

Resist me -- Isabelle "Izzie" Gallo is the baby of the family, and even though she trash-talks just like her brothers, in secret she loves a man who can dominate her, which can be difficult when no one dare get close with so many brothers around. She got one great night with an undercover cop handler James, who was alpha enough for her... But she figured it's one-night, and she snuck off. Later, she went off with one guy "Flash" for a MC weekend in Daytona, and ended up in a MC club, where she was almost claimed by the MC VP... until a disciple stepped in... It was her older brother Thomas, in deep undercover. And Thomas had to call in James to rescue her. She's just too much sass... and he's just too much alpha. But he needs to watch out for her brother Thomas, and she has her own life...

A bit too much sex, as things got a bit kinkier, but other than initial chemistry, and basic inadequacy issues, there isn't much threat to the relationship. 3/5

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5  (average of all 3 ratings)

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Quinn Security Box Set by Dee Bridgnorth

NOTE: This is a collection of 5 books, which balloons the page count of over 1800 pages.

This review will be a little different from my typical reviews, as I'm trying to evaluate the entire series, instead of one book at a time.

Despite the name suggests it's about a bunch of bodyguards falling for their protectee, it's not. This is really a werewolf series. Really. Paranormal shifters.

Devil's Fist Wyoming is right on the border of Yellowstone National Park, and home to the Quinns, five brothers: Troy, Kaleb, Shane, Conor, and Dean. But they are keeping a huge secret... they are all wolf-shifters had that lived hundreds of years, and Troy is the clan Alpha, the wolf king, of the area, after passing of his father. The town has many wolf-shifters living amongst the populace, who's not aware of their existence.

Then one full-moon night it all changed... a young librarian's colleague was brutally killed by a beast. An ambitious sheriff is determined to get to the bottom of it, and runs into Troy, as Troy sensed the attacker was NOT a wolf... and he found, after piecing together clues... the conclusion is inevitable... He's up against a rogue shifter... with unimaginable mind powers of compulsion. And Troy realized that the young librarian may be his one true mate...

The series goes on to feature each brother falling for another female... but each has his or her own secrets and ambitions.  Kaleb fell for the waitress who had a surprising heritage she's not aware of. Shane was paired with sheriff's fiery daughter who refuses to be protected by her father or be cowed by him. Conor found himself drawn to the deputy Rachel who's determined to get a promotion... by finding out more about the shifters. And Dean ended up falling for a city slicker girl, who has her own surprise for the entire town...

There is definitely a bit of world-building, as the shifter lore here is quite different from the typical shifter lore, but more of a mix between shifter and vampire lore. (Shifter blood turns a normal to a shifter with ties to the original shifter) And there is quite a bit of sex. The UBG does make his appearance from time to time. usually with a dastardly plan that was barely thwarted with some hard fought battles.

All in all, I liked the series, but it seriously needs a new title to tell the readers it's NOT a typical security tale.

Category: Contemporary / Shifter

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Substitute by Mickey Miller

Superbowl winner Peyton returned to his hometown as the favorite son and new substitute teacher for his alma mater when NFL went on strike. Peyton found the girl he always wanted, Maddy, is now single, and a fellow teacher. Peyton was always the jock, but Maddy had always been with Eric... Until Eric decided to find himself by leaving for a South American backpack tour... alone, ten months ago. Maddy had always been the good girl but Peyton tempted her like no other. Being single, but still shy, she wanted a secret NSA relationship with Peyton... Peyton accepted, and chemistry is electric. When Eric suddenly returned to town and slapped a ring on her finger, will she choose what her heart really desired, or settle for the comfortable and predictable life?

The stereotypical "spineless woman finally growing one" character arc... It works, but it seems to lack that certain spark to make it truly great.

Category: Contemporary / Sports

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews His Rock by Ashlee Price

Lena was a production assistant of a reality show, and when a contestant bowed out last second, she was forced to step up and temporarily be married to recently retired Olympic swimmer Riley Boyle so the show must go on. Yes, it was just for one week, but it's legal and all that. Riley was a "bad boy", and Lena fell for the bad boy but resisted, but eventually succumbed and handed over her V-card, but Riley was hiding a huge secret... He's actually a billionaire heir. Riley left Lena, knowing it's all he can give before going back to his billionaire heir life, but Lena got a surprise... she's pregnant...

The facts surely don't make sense. Reality show is not filmed in real-time. Filming for a week would barely make one hour's worth of footage after editing, even if they are the only couple being filmed. And the personality... and the marriage contract... Why they must be married for real to be on TV? Hmmm???  Sure, there's chemistry, but the setup itself is suspect. The book actually got better once the setup was out of the way, as it turned into a bit of a conspiracy triangle when Riley matured to perhaps want to STAY married to Lena, while, let's just say, someone close to him want to steer him in the other direction. The final setup was actualy quite good, a good climax to setup the hero rescue. However, I do have a question... WHY aren't they laying down flat if the wind's that strong?

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Forgiving Keven by Siobhan Davis

Cheryl is engaged to Dan, a young handsome, and rich lawyer, and she is finishing her photography degree. So she should be happy... Until Keven strutted back into her life. But she can't forgive him... He was the one that loved her, then broke her. // Keven knew he screwed up... He's a hacker that got in with the wrong crowd, but eventually turned it around. And he's from a rich family. "Recruited" by the FBI, he's now a Federal agent determined to protect his family... and Cheryl, who didn't know she's engaged to the mafia Don's illegitimate son... and he's running a human trafficking operation out of the barn behind her house. Keven was ordered to stay away lest he ruined the operation. He had to protect Cheryl, but if he told her, she'll leak it to her fiancee. The only way he can keep her safe is to get back into
her life... yet keep her in the dark...

There are a few procedural problems with the final rescue. Let's just say, as FBI agents, it seems they have fired first... And let's leave it at that. And there's another one... About Keven's throat-slicing. Pretty blood-thirsty for a law enforcement agent. Still, not a bad read. I merely question... How did he get all his free time to "stalk" Cheryl? Hmmm?

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Accidental Romeo by Nicole Snow

Wendy is a baker and chef and prefers to be alone... too busy to do anything else. When her cake delivery almost had her run over Hunter's son, they came to know each other. Hunter took a semi-retired role to raise his son... but he's a billionaire running a big defense tech company. He found Wendy to be irresistible, and when he saw how Wendy's family is putting Wendy last, he stepped up to be not only Wendy's date to the wedding, but to make sure she had a great time... and throw shade at anyone who dare put Wendy down. But someone seems to be targeting the company. Can Wendy and Hunter actually defy the odds and get together?

The "mystery" was not handled well. It's pretty obvious who the perp was, and he had been manipulating people all along.  There were no attempts to add in some red herrings. The part about Hunter making Wendy very happy is done very well. Unfortunately, when you add both parts together, you come up with something rather average.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Hearts Collide by Kylie Walker

Emelia was a groupie, but her social media skills landed her a job with the band she always loved. Things are even better when her boyfriend's company got picked to handle the band's world tour. However, when Emelia's boyfriend showed his true colors, things are bad, until the lead singer, Trevor, rescued her. // Trevor looks his part like a bad boy rocker, but he's actually quite sweet, esp. when he had to rescue Emelia. Neither was looking for love, but they are drawn together, esp. when the ex promised revenge...

Not sure what to feel about this one. There are no major flaws, yet there are no outstanding details that clung to me. Also, the "bad ex" seems to have just... vanished from the book once he was dealt with... Or was he so forgettable he slipped my mind completely?

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2.5/5 rounded up

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Hate You Less by Aubrey Wright

Rick got Annie's v-card, then left town without a word before she graduated (he's ahead by a year). A decade later, Rick's sister's wedding brought both Rick and Annie back to town... As Annie is the bride's best friend. Rick's rental car snafu means Rick and Annie had to share a vehicle, and later, a hotel room. And they are clearly not over each other... Even though they are still great in bed... They have to put their differences aside when the groom seems to be cheating just days before the wedding...

Not bad, the love/hate schtick was over pretty quickly, moving to a more of "reluctant lovers" i.e. "my head says no, my body says yes". But most of the drama is about the bride/groom rather than Annie and Rick, which is a little weird. Still, I like it well enough.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Heaven Sent by Sherri Schoenborn Murray

Isabelle is joining another town's Christmas Choir for five weeks, despite her boyfriend Albert's objections. Upon arrival, she and a few other new members of the all-girl choir was quickly set upon by the gossipy women about town trying to arrange a date for the young and unattached pastor. And the young pastor did fall for one of the girls, not that he would admit it, of course. Then Albert showed up in town...

There is a certain polish to the tale that I enjoy, but the pace is not to my liking. At times, I wasn't sure if this is a contemporary or a historical romance... And it was VERY Christian, though there was no excessive use of Bible quotes and such. There were more than a few LOL moments that may require a second reading to fully appreciate. In the end, I felt there's something there, but the style is just not for me.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Bella and the BIllionaire Beast by Julia Keanini

Bella survived her divorce when her dream husband fell to the influence of drugs and disappeared. She moved across the country with her son to investigate an opportunity, only to see it fall through. When a reclusive billionaire wanted to fund her dream of a fashion line, she had to see how it pans out... // West went to prison and is back out, having lost his family, his looks, and more. He's not through paying for his sins. He knew Bella is struggling, and he has plenty of money to make things right, but he also knew she would never take a penny from him... So he had to use a pseudonym... But it's clear Bella and West are not over each other. What will Bella do when she found the truth? Can the broken family be reunited?

Basically a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast", the plot was slightly forced at times. He was stalking his ex-family like Robocop sometimes does (in the TV series) and protect them in the shadows in the beginning, and his family somehow is still rich enough to fund whatever he wanted including a full household staff (technically they're his sister's staff). And Bella's son was able to accept the scarred and tattooed beast as his father with no fuss, no muss. Eh... Okay, I guess.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Surprise BIllionaire by Dyanne Gordon Green

Abby had a history of dating losers, that she had had enough. She is determined to date and marry a billionaire... like one of the top execs of AstroTech, even if she had to lie her way into a job. She was taken under the wing of Team Leader Adam, "Mister Beautiful Eyes". Adam is perfect in every way, except he is not rich as sin, and Abby came to enjoy her time at AstroTech, as she turned out to be an excellent programmer. But she's determined to marry rich, so she tries to be not distracted by Adam. But Adam has a secret... He is actually the elusive silent partner of AstroTech... (the other guy's already married) pretending to be a normal guy, and he wanted Abby. He knew Abby's the definition of "golddigger", but he knew Abby was just tired of dating losers. But he's been "undercover" for too long. Can she accept the real Adam?

Sort of "billionaire undercover", I question whether someone who had never programmed can learn enough to pass interviews. I had been programming for over thirty years and even I can't pass some of the modern interview questions (not without some major research time). And the darkest hour was basically Abby felt "betrayal" i.e. "why didn't he tell me sooner"? Which is kinda lame.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews No Pit So Deep Book 2 by James Nathaniel Miller II

NOTE: See Review of Book 1 here

Cody Musket has married Brandi, and their daughter Knoxi is now seven. Cody is a baseball star, but he's also secretly funding a band of vigilantes, using his charity "Planned Childhood" as a front, rescuing trafficked women and children around the world... A secret he even kept from his wife. But when the cartel retaliated by kidnapping Knoxi and took her to South America, things couldn't be worse... But Cody has a plan, and Knoxi is well trained. Soon, the 14 battle-hardened mercenaries, many of them seeking their own redemption, have rescued Knoxi and several dozen children. But rescue is days away as they must reach the coast by boat, and both food and water are running out. Yet with faith, miracles can happen, but great sacrifices will have to be made, as the enemy close in...

This is NOT a military thriller, so the combat is rather minimal. In a way, it reminds me a lot of the movie "Tears of Sun (2003)" starring Bruce Willis and Monica Belluci. There were also quite a few miracles and deus ex machina moments that seemingly came out of nowhere, but that's the whole idea of a Christian novel, right?

The extended heaven sequence (the timeline jumped to Cody got gravely wounded due to a police shooting) was pretty darn good. It's a little weird, but it did bring tears to my eyes. I normally don't get tear-y eyed over a novel, but that part really got me choked up. And it did end on a miracle.

But it's NOT romance. It's more about faith and redemption and hope.

Category: Contemporary / Adventure Action

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Beagle by Kristy Tate

Wes is a hotel heir but he's working his way through all positions of the hotel (including dishwashing and valet parking). AND he had to take care of his grandpa's beagle Betty while grandpa goes to a recovery facility. Lettie is a girl who despises liars, because her father embezzled money to feed his gambling addiction and ended up going to prison, and she had to care for her mom because she's never made a decision for herself in her life. Wes and Lettie met at the hotel when the beagle ruined a wedding by chomping down on the chocolate wedding cake... then threw up on Lettie's shoes. They share an instant connection... Wes did not disclose his heir status... but Lettie didn't reveal her father's crimes either. When someone kidnapped Betty the Beagle, can the two unite while trying to finesse their way between "lying" and "omission"?

It's a rom-com, and it's about the hypocrisy... Can you really blame the other side for lying by omission when you're doing the exact same thing? It's a fun read, if a bit trope.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Ruthless BIllionaire by Evangeline Kelly

Poor young woman Aria who just lost her job accepts a house-cleaning position from young and ruthless heir Lucas. He had to marry a shallow socialite on his father's list... a marriage in name only to secure his inheritance, for he feels broken and unworthy of love. She just wanted to save enough money to find her brother, who disappeared after being separated in the foster care system. They should not want each other, esp. when he had lost his faith long time ago. But Aria believes in Lucas... If he will allow God back into his life...

The Christian theme is there, but not too heavy. The self-loathing, however, is pretty heavy, esp. Lucas. There's enough trope trauma here on Lucas that it felt a bit melodramatic (he's both verbally and physically abused, suffers from abandonment issues, and his father, through his will, continues to mess with him from beyond the grave). Even the ending, felt a bit deus ex machina (who knew the "bad" choice turned out to be most profitable for him?). Still, I like the polish.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews WOMEN WHO DARE: Three Book Bundle by Bobby Hutchinson

NOTE: This is a 3-book bundle. The three titles included are reviewed separately.

A Legal Affair -- Jenny, from her experience with the court system, wants a law degree to help promote social justice. Zach, the senior lawyer advisor for the free legal clinic, is there to date beautiful law school students. After all, the big shot corporate lawyer doesn't need to be there. But Jenny's love for lost cause horrified his sensible side, and Zach's corporate law and lifestyle is everything Jenny would not want in a man... He's mercenary and rich, and would never imagine going on contingency only for a low-probability case. But for Jenny... can he change his mind?

Swoon-y and above average, as both end up bending for the other, but he bent a bit further. 4/5

Menu for a Wedding -- Francesca "Frankie" has a hat-making business, so shopping for a caterer with her mom for her sister's wedding was not exactly high on her to-do list. At 26, Frankie's the oldest and due to her single status, is considered spinster of the family. When the caterer Eric, who's an ex-footballer (NFL) turned restauranteur met with mother, the menu was NOT settled, nor was Frankie's heart. Eric knew this catering job would not be easy, but he did know he wanted to see Frankie again. When Frankie is determined to put her business first, Eric would have to find help from a different quarter...

Cute, good slow-burn large-family and messy gossip, with the guy being incredibly sweet and impossible to live with. Light mood. 4/5

Island Sunrise -- Charlie, a carpenter, with her two best GFFs just got their dream assignment: a special construction job out in Hawaii, of all places. The only problem is Ben Gilmore, the local liaison, and technically her boss. Their job is to bring an old resort back to life, and Ben's clumsy meetcute ended up with his ankle broken, and the two can't stand each other. But someone is sabotaging the construction project, with graffiti, vandalism, broken equipment, and worse. Ben couldn't possibly leave the "girls" out there... but it used to his aunt's resort, and he needs the job done... and nobody local would do it, believing the place is haunted. As the two get to know each other, their hostility lessened, but that saboteur is still out there...

The "hostile meeting" meetcute is good, the transition is good, and the mystery kept the momentum going. The ending was both a bit sad and happy. 4/5

Category: Contemporary / Collection

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Finding Her Heart by Jen Peters

He's a burned-out lawyer who wanted to spend some time fixing up the family mansion as a new hotel in a town that has the clan name: McCormick's Creek. She's a young woman who wanted to travel the world but she's stuck in McCormick's Creek helping her mom's flower shop while her mother heals. He's hiring some help, and she's hired. And they like each other... Until she found out he's a lawyer... The kind that almost ruined her family, and he started to wonder whether she's a golddigger...

While the "opposites attract" story was good, the plot seems to ran off in tangeants in odd places. The part about the (fake) French chef near the end feels "tacked on" for the page count and comic relief. Also, his ex, kind stalker-ish fellow lawyer who can't seem to take a hint, feels like a paper cut-out and way too obvious.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews My Fake Fiance by R R Banks

She's a poor free spirit wannabe novelist with a horrible home. He's a billionaire heir and one of the hottest bachelor with a great family. They met when she, tired of waiting, pretended to be the girl he was supposed to pick up. Then like a snowball rolling downhill, the lie escalated. They even had a f*** in the car. Now she needed his help: pretend to be her fiancee to get her family off her back... and that's when he'd really fallen for her... But can you love someone who deceived your family?

Good twists and turns. I'm not sure I like the darkest hour and the end (corny trope: sensitive ears) but everything leading up to it was good. And the ending wasn't bad, it's just... trope.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4.5/5  rounded up

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Brand New Man by Weston Parker

Commitment-phobe billionaire is reunited with his college sweetheart when his company was the biggest sponsor of her children's home charity. They were not ready for each other back then, and their parting was not amicable. Even now, he's a bit of a douchebag... One-night stands only, and she won't give him time of day... except business-like. But he's not letting her get away... and he will help her achieve her goals... while she will help him to see the joy of life and Holidays. But are they ready for a relationship now? Had he turned over a new leaf?

Good push-pull between the couple, and the circumstances. Character arc is a bit subtle, but it's there.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Miss Kane's Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

Carol Claus agreed to an emergency mission from her father, Santa Claus, to save Christmas... by showing the spirit of Christmas to Ben Hanson and his children. Hanson was working on a book that may destroy Christmas dreams for all children. Carol, posing as "Miss Kane" the new au pair/nanny, is determined to help Ben and his family celebrate Christmas. But how do you explain Christmas to someone who refused to believe Santa Claus exists? And why is Carol developing feelings for this single father?

Funny and sweet, it's good rom-com.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up)

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Marriage in Name Only by Dorreen Owens Malek

Years ago, Ann had to leave Heath behind without a goodbye. Ann is a rich girl, and Heath is from the wrong side of tracks whose only talent is fixing things. But they had a love affair that summer... A decade later, Heath is now a millionaire yacht builder and Ann's family is disgraced, with the business ruined by her alcoholic brother. Ann was forced to return to the town, and Heath offered her a devil's bargain: marry him and be a dutiful wife, and he'll save her pathetic little brother from jail, and maybe her company business too. // Heath had been waiting a decade for the revenge. Ann had been playing him all along, and now that he's rich among the elite, he's determined to have her and make her pay. When Ann told him her father threatened to have him arrested (Ann was technically underage at the time) he did not believe her. He will marry her, and treat her with cold disdain. He will even have sex with her but never sleep in the same bed. But what will happen when he finally learned she wasn't lying?

Uh, sorry, the personality flip came too fast, and the woman was the silent suffering type, no spark, no nothing. Crying silently in private. ARGH. 2/5

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Beginnings by Katina Gavin

Angel is retiring from DEA after leaving the SEALs on medical discharge, having lost most of a leg. He has one last assignment... deal with a bunch of pot growers who may have killed two hikers who stumbled upon their camp. In town, he came into contact with Lindsey, who lost her husband in 'stan 8 years ago, and still grieving. Elsewhere in town, super genius Devin, hiding in town with his handlers and security team, had fallen for Lindsey's little sister Jamie, despite his complete lack of social graces. Angel's old SEAL buddy Joe had always loved Lindsey's twin Sydney, but Sydney refused to commit because she had no intention of becoming a Navy wife... or widow. Can these three couples sort out their differences?

A bit scatter-brained, I'm afraid to say. The novel had ballooned to over 500 pages due to cramming three separate plots together and they don't integrate well, even though it's in the same town. The characters definitely have their moments, but the plot could have been handled better, IMHO, or separate into two novels or something.

Category: Contemporary / Military / Romantic suspense

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews An Island Christmas Wedding by Susan Coventry

Jess and Shane, plus Hannah and Ty are off to the US Virgin Islands for their double wedding, but not all are going quite well. Jess is worried about seeing her father and sister again, from whom she was estranged from. And Hannah is worried about fitting into her wedding gown... while pregnant. And Matt, the best man and Shane/Hannah's brother, is falling for maid-of-honor, who's Jess's sister... This Christmas will be interesting indeed!

Sorta sequel to another novel, this is "the further adventures" with a bit of Christmas is for forgiveness and family theme. Good.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Make-Believe Fiance by Vivi Holt

Woman got a divorce and got taken to the cleaners... AND her evil ex is still after her for money. All she can do is work at the school... AND waitress at the local cafe. Perpetually tired, she didn't notice her latest customer is the hot, single, and rich heir... who doesn't have a date for his cousin's wedding. AND he needed a finacee to convince his dad to hand over the reins of the family company to him... one he already ran... as a stand-in. So he made her a proposal: pose as his fiancee for a week... No sex, just be pampered for a week, and he'll pay her rent down payment, and a little more for her troubles. It's just a business arrangement... right?

Good polish, though "evil ex made woman work extra hard out of fear to be rescued by white knight" is a trope. As is the "I need a fake fiancee for _____" trope. But when you mix the two properly, add some evil ex's, and mix thoroughly, you get a good story.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Single Dad CEO by Lara Swann

Billionaire CEO and single dad just found his new personal assistant was his first love... and he's being sued for sexual harassment by someone who was into him but he didn't reciprocate. Is there any way he can get her back while dealing with his daughter AND the lawsuit?

I honestly didn't feel too much beyond the normal. Nothing too special about the situation. 

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.  

GRR Reviews Last Resort Love by Holly Courtelyou

Krissa had enough of her life... she got downsized and her BF cheated on her. She kicked him out... and decided to move... and settled on a small town in Colorado called Wescott Springs, whose school is looking for a teacher. She rented a cabin for the summer, and moved... Only to find, upon arrival, the cabin was just flattened by a storm. Fortunately, the cabin is a part of the resort owned by Nick Olin, and Nick happens to have his mansion's guesthouse available, not that there is any room in town. Nick knew Krissa had been hurt, and he wanted her anyway. But every attempt he made to get closer resulted in her bolting, not wanting to be hurt...

Well, eventually he gets the girl, but she seems to be reacting a bit too strongly for one cheating, i.e. never trust any man, no matter how nice he is. Still, the little touches are good.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews My Brother's Best Friend by Layla Valentine

Mel and her brother relied on each other. When her brother found a rich sponsor, Tyler, who bought into his idea of a fitness center mated to virtual reality, it was a dream come true. They became best friends and business partners. And Mel fell for the hot billionaire... and even had a fling... But Mel is leaving soon... only to learn later that Tyler forced her brother out of the fitness center chain. Five years later, Mel is an up-and-coming personal trainer, and her brother is an office drone... When Tyler came back into her life. Tyler wanted Mel back into his life, and Mel was torn between her loyalty to her brother and her heart's yearning for Tyler. When her brother found out, it was will lead to tragedy... and perhaps... a chance of redemption...

Not bad, but Tyler is just stupid. How can they be best friends and not know how each other reacts to stress?

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Missing Billionaire by Christine Kersey

Chloe doesn't know what to think about Nathan, the billionaire heir. Chloe had a crush on Nathan for years, until Nathan and Chloe's sister went out on a yacht cruise... and never returned. Later bodies were found, including Chloe's sister. A year later, Nathan was rescued from an island... and Chloe holds him responsible for her sister's death. But Nathan is desperate to earn her forgiveness... Including hiring her to be his interior designer, despite her being the most junior designer on staff. Will she ever forgive him?

I honestly don't feel much about this novel at all.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2.5/5 (rounded up)

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Blind Date With Her Cowboy Billionaire by Hanna Hart

Waverly's heart was broken for the 4th time when her husband wanted a divorce... and he took her business away from her too... It's all in the pre-nup. AND he's already engaged to marry someone else. She retreated to her friend's place and her friend set her up on a blind date... Who turned out to be her high school ex Corbin, the guy who first destroyed her. // Corbin retreated to his family home when he had to break up with his fiancee... after learning she's pregnant with someone else's child. He would love to date the ranch's wedding planner, but she's taken, yet she promised a date with her best friend... who turned out to be his high school love Waverly. // Corbin and Waverly were best friends and lovers in high school... until they broke apart when their dreams diverged. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their heartbreaks are unforgivable... Or are they?

Oh, you just *knew* that her douchebag ex will somehow come back to mess with her before it's all over. But here's something I don't get. Corbin was supposed to be a trust fund baby who had everything... Yet he can't even get into state college to stay with Waverly?  And he broke up with her over that? Okay, so he's impetuous, and he thought he's holding her back, so he'll break up with her as a favor to her? WTF? While I like the push-pull, part of the logic escapes me.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.