GRR Reviews He Said Together by Ruth Cardello

NOTE: Available on Kindle Unlimited as of review date. 

Kal and his twin Riley have very different views on life. Riley wanted to learn about the Corisis, but Antonio Corisi was the one who broke their mother's back, putting the fear into her for as long as they had lived. Kal on the other hand, refuse to trust anyone, but will do whatever it takes for his family, including becoming the premier exotic dancer in Vegas... // Jade thought she knew passion looked like, until she saw Kal's performance, as "Invio" on stage. But when she found out her fiancee had been cheating at that very moment, then her bridesmaids left her, drunk and wallet-less, at her own bachelorette party, she was saved by Kal / Invio, who encouraged her to seek out her own dreams instead of merely accepting what's in front of her. Some time later, Kal was suddenly financially free, and the only woman on his mind was Jade. But is Jade ready for him when he said forever? 

Very interesting emotional arc, as Kal's mistrust, or lack of faith, is making him fail his own connection to his own family, and his tendency to find a place to sulk and brood instead of talking was a part of his arc to come out of it. Jade's arc is transition from a rather... mousy girl who thought she just wanted a family to a woman who wanted the right man, in his right mind. 

4.5/5

GRR Reviews Their Secret Bargain by Kay Lyons

Nick is the black sheep of the Tulane family full of doctors and lawyers, but he is a shrewd businessman running a fitness center and a bar. When his son Matt has problems in school, he needed to hire a tutor for the summer fast... // Jenn had been put down all her life by her family and her (now ex-) husband for being a full-figured woman, but she loved to teach. // The two made a bargain: she'll tutor Matt, and he'll train her to lose the pounds... For two months, up to her trip to Paradise Island. He, a gorgeous 6-pack hunk, can't possibly want a chubby girl, and she can't possibly fall for a high school dropout... right?

Eh, conflicting feelings for this one. Jenn's fine, but Nick... has mercurial moods. He had NEVER disclosed to his family (he's in his late 20's or early 30's?) that he's functionally illiterate, and grew apart from his family because he feels ashamed. So when Jenn insists that he show up at a family wedding, he decides to dare her to go with him. Eh? And it's not the first book I've read with the plot of MFC finds MMC with a learning disability, cured him and fixed his family problems. Still, the little details are not too bad. 3/5

GRR Reviews Matt by M S Parker

Matt had to get out of town after falling for the woman his brother Keith introduced him to, only for her to fall for his brother instead. As a Boston Banker, he's definitely out of place in the plains of South Dakota, when his car broke down. // Gabrielle just buried her father and has problems with one of her ranchhands Carl, and her foreman needs to retire soon. While patrolling her grounds she found Matt unconscious of heatstroke and rescued him. There's a connection between them, and he offered to help out since he needed to get away from it all anyway...

I really don't feel much for this, as Matt's ranch qualifications seem to be pretty minimal and a bit convoluted. And Carl never seemed to be much of a threat.  2.5/5

GRR Reviews Traded by Tess Thompson

Kara is a nurse in WITSEC after doing the right thing. She left everything behind, hoping for a fresh start. Brody is the SuperBowl winning QB coming home to rest and needed a nurse for his mom and his housekeeper / 2nd mom. So he hired her, and they slowly fell for each other. But he had a "no woman" rule after a bad breakup and she's full of secrets and refused ANY spotlight... Can this relationship ever work? 

The serendipity is strong in this, and the solution felt very "Gift of the Magi" -ish. But somehow I don't really think they click as a couple, as Brody just feels... schizophrenic... He's both not suspecting enough... AND too paranoid. At least there are no TSTL moments. 3/5

GRR Reviews Her Cowboy King by Madeline Ash

Mark and his two brothers, Kris and Tom, are just cowboys on a ranch in America when they received news that the Kingdom of Kiraly needs them... as Mark, i.e. Marcus, is now the next in line for the throne. But what does three cowboys know about being royalty? // Princess Ava has her own plans to escape with her secret, apart from her parent's "strategic marriage" plans for her, preferably with the new King Marcus of Kiraly. She has plans to make the new King hate her, but Marcus turns out to be a kind man, and she found herself falling for him. Now she has to choose between escaping and loving the king...

Not bad, even though Ava turned out to be a bit wishy-washy, but it all made sense, due to the amount of pressure she had been under. Not too much cowboy-ing in the Alps. 4/5

GRR Reviews Going Down Hard by Carly Phillips

Cassie wanted to save her family company left by her grandpa, and she worked hard and is the chief editor of a subsidiary magazine. Getting an interview with Derek, founder of Blink and new tech billionaire, would be the scoop of a lifetime. But Derek was her gardener's son... Make that, former gardener, and Derek does not grant interviews, ever. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try... // Derek knew Cassie as someone who went along with mean girls that humiliated him. When her father accused his mother of stealing jewelry and kicked them out with no references and no insurance, it lead to his father's death. He was sure of that. Yet here is Cassie needing something from him, and there is a connection. He was shocked to learn that she and her mother (supposed owner of the missing jewelry) never knew they were fired and blacklisted. When Cassie found that her father had given the job of CEO to her brother, who never spent a day working, and also kicked her out of her place to make way for her brother, she has no one to turn to except Derek...

While there is proper karma for the bad guy, it was all tell and no show. Which is quite unsatisfying. The character arcs also feel shallow. Cassie was hardworking but totally naive and powerless against others, other than minor passive-aggressive defiant gestures. Derek was the angry young man who wanted revenge, and actually softened up a little. The problem is Cassie's father, who really shows no sign of competence whatsoever, until after the bit where Cassie talked to her mom, and her mom promised to give her father an earful. There's really NO SIGN that he would change, then he did. It doesn't FEEL right. 3/5

GRR Reviews Million Dollar Date by Susan Hatler

Abigail is on her way to meet her blind date (via her home) when she was stopped by a very handsome cop for speeding. And he's not giving her a break at all. Not even when she explained she's already sad that her favorite dog rescue is closing due to the rescue's landlord needing to sell. She's doubly shocked that she found her blind date is none other than the cop that pulled her over... That's going badly. Then she realized he may be the key to save the dog rescue, as he will be recommending the next charity to fund for the city... So a second date will be necessary... // Cooper is a by-the-books cop, but he used to be a bad boy rulebreaker until a tragedy gave him an epiphany. Now he plays by the rules, even though he had a kind heart. Abigail has the right attitude, but Cooper has to make decisions based on how much good can the city's donations do. And Abigail is definitely interesting. If she wants another date, he'll gladly oblige... 

The ending felt like deus ex machina to me, and I really don't understand how he got the payout, when it should have gone to the other guy's family? I can understand he got half or something. The push-pull is fine, but some of the tactics from Abigail were a bit... unorthodox. It's rom-com, sure. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Taking Charge by Ruth Cardello

NOTE: Book 4 of Lone Star Burn series 

Lucy and her brother left the family ranch to pursue their own dreams. They came back when their parents can't keep up with the ranch, but now both are gone, and her brother ran off, can't deal with the pressure anymore, as they can't balance the books. Lucy reluctantly accepted the bailout from Ted, who claimed to love her, in exchange of getting engaged. But she doesn't love Ted... So she had to break it off and save the ranch her own way... even if she had to secretly sell high-tech sex toys through online blogs. And Ted doesn't like this at all... Then David came to her rescue... Much to her chagrin... // David knows who he wants in his life: Lucy, but a cowboy doesn't go after someone else's woman. When Lucy broke it off with Ted, David wrote 250K check right there when Ted looked like he may do something. Lucy knows that David means her no harm, but she can't allow someone else to own her life... But Ted making trouble means keeping David, and her own ranchhand, Wyatt, around. The attraction between David and Lucy is undeniable, but she doesn't want to owe anyone or tolerate lies, and he will protect her any way he can, even if he had to lie to her... And Ted may be about to do something stupid... 

David is the warm and fuzzy alpha, and he knew Lucy liked him but something's holding her back, so he's willing to wait her out. My problem is with Ted, the antagonist, who just behaves like an a-hole, despite the build-up that made him sound like an evil messiah, only for Ted to dispel that image and behave like an a-hole again. And the resolution to that... well, felt like a deus ex machina, even though it really wasn't, as there was a mention earlier to that. Can't really say more without spoiling the plot. The generally weak antagonist here left me a bit wanting. 4/5

GRR Reviews Taken Home by Ruth Cardello

NOTE: Book 3 of Lone Star Burn series

Chelle lives in a small town in Texas, and may be the last virgin in town... she tried to save herself for "the one", but there aren't many choices in a small town. She just attended another wedding where another bachelor is off the market when she met Mason, an out-of-town politician, and so sexy, she may just give him a condom so he can do her, as long as he's single... // Mason used to be a child actor until the death of his mother estranged him from his father, and he fell into a dark place... but he got into rehab and managed to end his trip of self-destruction. He became a California senator but kept everyone at arm's length. There were plenty of women, but almost all are gone by morning. He slept with the wrong woman, who doesn't understand "no". He needs a fiancee, a fake one will do. Then he went to Texas to attend a friend's wedding and met Chelle... // Chelle and Mason have chemistry, but Mason is a player and doesn't know any other way, while Chelle's a virgin... who knows what she wants, but doesn't want any lies. When Chelle got rid of the woman who stalked Mason all the way to Texas, he was grateful... Then got a slap in the face for not telling her the truth to start. Now Mason is confused about his feelings for Chelle...

The meetcute is good, as the "fake fiancee" thing is kinda on kinda off. She wants to get it on, but on HER terms, not his. And she wants the truth, not lies, and he was a player, and never had to lie. The only problem I have is "why this woman"? And this is sort of explained later, how Mason has a broken family and relied on friends, but maybe he yearned for a big family again, and she has such a big family and a small town full of friends. Still, his infatuation was left a bit unexplained and presented as if it's the unexplained "she's the one". The rest of the developments have interesting points, but also some cliches (like Ruby Rose, the female best friend). Though the double grand gesture, both from him and from her was satisfying. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Tycoon Takedown by Ruth Cardello

Melanie, a single mother, just had her son asked where is his father. So she gathered up the courage to travel from a Texas ranch to New York City to find him. Yes, it was only one night. Yes, that's his son. But this emotional journey won't be easy... // Charles, a New York millionaire on top of the investment game, rarely gets asked for a favor by his sister Sarah in Texas. So when Sarah asked him to keep an eye on her best friend Melanie while she's in New York, he can't say no. When Melanie was purse-snatched while on the phone with Charles, he went alpha male protective... only to find Melanie had the situation well in hand... having taken down the armed mugger by herself, and gained the viral moniker "Takedown Cowgirl". Now Charles is totally smitten with Melanie, and Melanie loved the domineering Charles in bed. but Melanie's life and son are in Texas, while Charles lives in New York. Can this relationship ever work? 

Nice, very nice. There is some light bondage in the sex scenes, but it's light sensual bondage. But the more important thing is there is a definitely character arc to both MMC and FMC. Charles started out as the quintessential domineering alpha male who don't want kids or single mothers, and ended up as not only a good father, but also chose to mentor a young man out of a life on the streets. Melanie started out as a woman on a trip of redemption (Must find father of my son) and ended with a father for her child (just not the one she was first looking for) and ended up gaining a family and a lover who did not try to change her (not that she'll put up with it). 5/5

GRR Reviews Off The Hook by Laura Drewry

Kate jumped on the chance to learn all about a fishing lodge with a secret mission from her boss, who suggested that since the existing owners are unlikely to be able to afford their tax bill, much less refurb the place to re-open, she may be running it when it's all over. But when she realized one of the co-owners was her ex, Liam, to whom she was married to for less than a day, 10 years ago, this may turn into an impossible assignment... // Liam was a pitcher in the Major Leagues, but he's getting old and his prior injury means no team wanted to hire him... for now. That means he needs to move back home and help his brothers get the fishing lodge their late father left them... and a mountain of unpaid taxes and "deferred maintenance". Marrying Kate in a drunken stupor, then leaving in the middle of the night and divorce by mail was not the smartest thing he'd done, but he felt it was necessary. Now that Kate is here... 

Excellent "conflicting feelings" reunion, with a couple layers of motivations. Kate refused to leave because she MAY get a managerial job out of this, and Liam... simply can't afford to let her go, not to mention they really do have feelings for each other. Unfortunately, one of the plot points required a "most fortuitous accident" and I feel that's a weak point of the book. Though the end is very satisfying.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Secret One by Ruth Cardello

NOTE: Same series as "The Broken One" and "The Wild One"

McKenna was raised by her single father ex-race car driver to be independent and excel in a world dominated by men. And after a talk with "Chris" in a bar, she decided to dedicate her life to make her father's dream happen. And she did... by building her own raceway and an auto business like no other. When she met this down-to-earth guy with a broken (rare) car on the side of the road, she can't help but feel there's a prior connection... Turns out, he is Christof... aka Chris that inspired her to go after her dreams. She's even more surprised to learn he's Christof Romano, a billionaire... She's surprised again, when he invited her to Italy... to help him broker peace between an ultra-rich man looking for answers and a protective family hiding a secret...  

The story is between Christof and McKenna. I like the way the author handled the different personalities of the different sons, as each brother (Sebastian, Mauricio, and now Christof) really do have personalities, and they josh each other in a loving way. Females in this author's books are independent with their own careers and priorities, and her man will have to fit into her life, instead of her being molded into his. Christof was the diplomat of the family, and his job is difficult because this time, he's up against someone whose fortune and power are orders of magnitude above his own. I just wish McKenna had more of a role during the negotiations that applies her talent in some way.  4/5

GRR Reviews The Wild One by Ruth Cardello

NOTE: Same series as "The Broken One" reviewed earlier

Mauricio Romano is between jobs, trying to figure out his direction in life. His family is rich (he's technically a billionaire), but he's not spoiled... just... cocky. And visiting his buddy Felix in Paris was just the time to lose some steam. But losing his heart to an American visitor? Never. Right? // Wren Heath was visiting Paris at the invitation of her friend Cecil. Meeting Mauricio, the avowed bachelor and player, wasn't quite in her plans, but having a weeklong fling with a gorgeous guy in the city of love sounds wonderful... Especially if what happened in Paris, stay in Paris. Right? 

This one leaves me a little conflicted. I can see Wren's thoughts, as she kept saying this is "just a fling", and even though she'd LIKE it to be permanent, she was prejudiced by Cecil's opinion of Mauricio, that he's good at building a fantasy, and she's viewing all his moves as "building a fantasy for her" even when he's sincere. What I have a little problem seeing is how Mauricio turned from an avowed bachelor to a one-woman man. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Inn at Willa Bay by Nicole Ellis

Zoe thought as the assistant event planner for a wedding resort in Willa Bay, she would inherit the event planner position when the existing one retired. Instead, her boss handed the position to his son-in-law who had never worked in the industry. Then she learned that her landlord Celia not only needed a hospital stay, she's also in danger of losing the entire place, a former inn, and leaving Zoe with no home. // Her best friend Meg had left a prestigious sous chef job to come home to her mother being treated for cancer, and work in a kitchen with no chance of advancement. When a friend's old rival returned to town, threatening her routine for the kitchen, her timetable for departure may be moved up...  // Her other best friend Cassie did not expect to be a single mother after marrying the love of her life, only to divorce him 10 years later to raise an autistic child alone. She was barely getting by, until an old rival returned to town... and about to destroy her side gig as a cake baker/decorator. // Shawn had just restored a house and flipped it for profit when he got a phone call from across the country from a mystery woman. Who is Celia? Why did Celia have him as an emergency contact? And who is this Zoe that called her? His curiosity will lead him to Willa Bay... // These people are about to meet and change each other's lives... 

As a series starter, this is actually well plotted so everything ties together. It does sound a bit scattered at the beginning, as if all the separate threads don't quite fit together, but they do. My main problem is the final solution, which I will not spoil, is a bit deus ex machina. And also the solution doesn't mean everybody gets HEA. We do have a couple more books, after all. The characters all are reasonable. I feel the connection between Shawn and Zoe was a bit rushed. The rivalry and the unreasonableness of "bad boss" and how the various characters just kowtowed instead of engaging in some malicious compliance just feel... unsatisfying. Also, this being a series, there's no karma in this particular book, which may leave some readers miffed. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Romance Reset by Kay Lyons

 Amelia is 38, single, and wants a family. She wants it so much, she had an appointment at a sperm bank. So her bestie mounted an intervention... By hiring a matchmaker for her. Her bestie insists that Amelia needs a romance reset before embarking on single parenthood. And guess what fate had in store for Amelia? A blind date reunion with her first love Lincoln... // Lincoln is a widower and empty nester now that his twins are off to college. But online dating is not for him. Hiring a matchmaker seems to be a great idea. When his first date in 20 years turned out to be his first love... // It all seems to be a match made in heaven, but is Lincoln ready to be a dad again? 

Pretty good. The serendipity is heavy, and the odd deadline (for the sperm bank) feels a bit overdramatic but works within the context. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews To Hold a Rancher's Hand by Kadi James

Rafe is back from the Middle East, ready to settle back into civilian life. He took up the mantle of volunteer firefighter to protect his community and be the head of one of the guardian ranches of Coyote Valley. When a fire swept through the valley, and tore through Gail's community, Rafe and crew managed to stop the blaze, but cannot save Gail's place. Rafe offered Gail a place to stay, and it was accepted. But Gail wondered if this can be long-term, as there was a reason she prefers to live alone... 

Really not feeling much for this.  Nothing really memorable comes to mind. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews If You Love Me by Ciara Knight

 Drew has a job: get the town to sign off on the revitalization plan for his boss. He was definitely not ready to be ensnared in small-town politics involving crazy elders and a mayor playing him like a chess piece. And he definitely was not ready for Carissa, the town's best baker... // Carissa is a small town girl but the pain from losing who she thought was her forever man to who she thought was one of her best friends still lingers. Except that "friend" is back in town and was determined to show up everyone else. // Drew wanted to know Carissa better, but Drew also wanted to advance his career. Are those two goals compatible? Or will Carissa feel betrayed after learning that Drew may not stay? 

As a series starter, the setup was pretty good as it introduced all of the cast while giving them different personalities, yet made Carissa the main character, and set up an "antagonist" as well. There is some sparks flying, so it's not too bad. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire Bargain by Lila Monroe

 Aussie billionaire Grant Devlin is an impulsive man who jets off with supermodels and, blows 500K in Monte Carlo casinos, exercises shirtless in his office, and basically lives life to the excess, leaving Lacey, the PR girl, to clean up his mess in his wake. As a result, Lacey understands the charm of Grant Devlin, and how he's utterly undependable. When Grant is forced to present a calmer, more refined image and settle down to soothe the investors, he chose Lacey as his future wife...

Not really feeling much about this one, as Grant is alternately reckless and dreamy, and Lacey is alternately charmed and sometimes broken from the spell. A bit of "meh" here. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Show Stopper by BJ Harvey

 Renee loves selling houses, but hates firefighters, after having been burned by one. While showing a house, she had a little accident, and ended up sprawled on top of Marco, who's as charming as they come. That is, until she mistook the female with him (actually his sister) to be his fling, even as he found Renee to be just his type, a brunette goddess... Now, just how can Marco demonstrate to Renee that she's the show stopper he wanted, even though he's a firefighter?

A bit of a rom-com and good back and forth, as each layer of Marco is revealed, doing a good push-pull. One step forward, two steps back... Good banter, great cast of family members. 4/5

GRR Reviews He Said Always by Ruth Cardello

Gian Romano knew he was adopted, but that's just having two families. Being related to a Corisi means a life of luxury that he still has problems coming to grips with. Having competitions with a genius niece that he's more like a big brother than an uncle is a little weird since he's a genius as well. But when he made a wager with his niece to find even more lost siblings, he never imagined it would take him to the front door of Teagan... // Teagan is a genius working on something that cannot be turned over to the government or private enterprise (it's that important), so she runs a T-shirt print shop as a cover while trying to pay her bestie Riley a salary. So when Gian came to her door and was almost instantly smitten, she found herself flustered having never felt this way about a man. But when he needed a moment with Riley, just why does he need that? When Gian told her the full story (Riley and her twin brother are another set of lost siblings) and agreed revelations should come slowly, Teagan can really fall for this man, but can she ever reveal her own secrets? 

Started out promising, but end up really disappointing. While there is certainly some tension in all the secret-keeping, that phase didn't last very long except for Teagan. With all the mention of building a lab for Gian and Gian didn't want it, you'd think the lab would go to Teagan eventually, but in the end, Gian and Teagan ended up working on their secrets well away from the public eye. That bit of lede ended up going nowhere. One also wonders HOW did Teagan managed to set up not one, but TWO boltholes with security systems that rival nuclear bunkers without anyone else knowing... and can't help out her bestie's mother (whom she considered mom as well) with her medical expenses until Gian came along. :-/  Who built those bunkers and how much did they cost? They didn't appear out of thin air... 

3.5/5