GRR Reviews All the Little Things by B Hollidae

NOTE: Part 1 of 3, ends sorta on a cliffhanger

Rafael ran away from home because being sexually abused by his step-dad is worse. He was surprised he's still alive when his sister finally found him, and promised to move him to Arizona, where she lived, and never see his stepfather again. He got back into school, and met Akilah, who's surprisingly an emancipated minor that's such a straight-shooter, other girls are afraid of her. And they made an interesting couple... Dating after two months of meeting, and promising forever in less than a year. It is what dreams are made of... They even got married in Vegas. Until his mother showed up with his step-dad, wanted to congratulate them... and he wanted to... "resume things"...

Wow, that's... a bit weird. Sexual abuse is not a light subject to tread upon, neither is mental health. I guess I just have a problem with a sadistic asshole who goes both ways... abuses the wife AND fucks her kid too?  It just doesn't quite fit the profile of the two-faced abuser. Wife-beating is basically toxic masculinity, but WTF is fucking the kid and trying to convince him it's "love"?  AND he's able to keep a straight face for society? Somehow, it just doesn't quite fit. And there's a twist that REALLY churns your guts. 4/5

NOTE: As there is sort of a resolution by the end, I've decided cliffhanger penalty does not apply.

GRR Reviews The Executive's Secret by Kimberley Montpetit

Caleb and his partners have built a billion-dollar enterprise in the past decade. But he had never forgotten Kira back in a Denver high school, the pianist that he admired... from two rows back. Back then, he's the invisible geek with the greasy hair and acne. But now, he's gorgeous, rich, and if he wanted to be, irresistible. In the very evening when he and his team returned to Dever, Colorado, he found Kira, as one of the waitresses there... // Kira had to quit school after an auto accident crippled her father and now, her mother had gotten dementia. She's barely scraping by, helping her parents with the medical bills. She did not remember Caleb, but when a handsome and rich guy pays attention to you, you can't ignore it... And Caleb wanted to help Kira... and have a relationship with her, if possible. But Caleb has a secret that can destroy EVERYTHING...

Ah, the geek gone gorgeous, sorta genderbent ugly duckling, and rich as sin. There's gotta be a downside, and it's that secret he'd been hiding. Let's just say it's NOT QUITE as bad as you'd expect it to be, even though it was very selfish of him, even though it's also kinda sweet if you look at it a different way.  I guess the problem is Caleb is almost a bit TOO good and ideal. And Kira a little TOO selfless.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score

Marley went home because she had to... She had nowhere else to go after being downsized, dumped, and cheated on. It's been twenty years since she left, and it seems her name was still whispered (in disgrace). With nothing to do, Marley accepted a temporary position as girl's soccer team coach... of the losing-est team in school history. But with a little help from fellow coach (cross-country running) Jake, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. But when a celebration after a hard-fought win fed the rumor mill, and the two were called to principal's office to sign an ethics contract to be in a committed relationship (for the kids' sake, set example and all that), Jake was happy to be Marley's "fake" boyfriend with a quid-pro-quo arrangement: he'll teach her how to coach, and she'll teach him how to love. But it's all fake... right? She's leaving after the summer's over... right?

The fake relationship pivot was handled quite well, even though Jake was introduced kinda late.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Importance of Getting Revenge by Amanda Abram

Lexi, a high school student, was dumped by her boyfriend of three years, Jeffrey... on the night she planned to offer up her v-card. And the only one who can really console her is the one guy she can't have... her best friend's brother Jase, her former childhood friend, and her ex's school nemesis. Then Jase offered her a chance to get revenge... Jase will fake woo Lexi to make Jeffrey jealous, and Lexi will refuse to take Jeffrey back, completing the revenge. But soon, things got very complicated indeed... When Jase wanted to get together with Kylie, the hot (and genuinely nice) cheerleader, while avoiding his own reputation of having dated most of school's female blonde population, while Jeffrey seems to be still stuck on the new girl she dumped Lexi for, despite them needing to do a project together... Then Jase's friend and Jase's sister also got involved, and soon, fake jealousy turns into real jealousy, and what you want... isn't always what you get...

Reads a lot longer than it seems, at 323 pages, this high school drama feels YA, but a very mature YA. Sex was discussed, but nothing beyond making out. And what was supposed to be a fake boyfriend story got a couple twists and turns to it. It's good, but a bit slow.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews When The Chips Are Down (Three Of A Kind) by Beth Rinyu

When the Chips are Down is a combination single parent love story, fling to a thing, AND family drama all rolled into one. But unlike the best plots, the B-plot remained a B-plot and had to be resolved separately instead of all resolved together.

Melanie Hanson divorced her cheating ex who traded her for a newer model. Melanie had a one night stand with a cute guy in Mexico on vacation, and what happened south of the border, stays south of the border... Until she realized "Mexico Man" is her daughter's calculus teacher. She is raising her twin daughters who are polar opposites. Melanie found she has major plumbing problems in her house, and the only (not licensed) plumber is Ben Wilder, the boy she loved to hate back in high school, and he's still as charming as ever. Things got complicated when one of her daughters fell for Ben's son Jason... while the other daughter is getting into high school drama between the queen bee (read: bitch) and one of the jocks on the football team when she won't put out. Now Melanie and her daughters Carrie and Gia had to navigate life as they figure things out...

A lot of things happen in less than 300 pages, and the book does end on a good note, but somehow the family and high school drama almost feels as if the parallel plot doesn't really fold back on itself like some of the better-plotted stories. It's not bad, it's just not extraordinary.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Single mom raising twin daughters had to choose between two guys in town even as her daughters got into drama of their own

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

The Ugly Sister Strikes back is a high school romance with complications of family problems (in terms of stepsiblings). The drama is handled well.

Quirky and snarky Mattie Lowe is not having a good year. Her mother (divorced) seems to hate her and belittles her online. The school mean girl is out to get her... AND her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful girl in school AND dating Mattie's secret crush, the football captain Jake Kingston. After suffering one too many humiliations, Mattie rallied enough support and ran for class president... against Jake. Yes, Ella can keep Jake... and Mattie will rule the school. But the transformation comes with a price... What will she do if Jake wanted to date HER instead? Can she really be cruel to her step-sister? What will the class mean girl do in revenge? What will Mattie wear to the masquerade ball?

It's basically high school drama but done well. Don't want to spoil the ending, but the mean girl got put in her place. Obviously, it did take a little bit of deus ex machina to get there, and Jake came across as slightly dreamy, but I guess it's swoon-worthy for high school girls.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: When the quirky and snarky girl meets tough life in and out of high school, the girl campaigns for class president!

Overall Rating: 4/5

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