GRR Reviews Justice Reborn by Olivia Jaymes

Evan had enough of his sheriff job and quit. Partly to figure out what to do, he is just fixing up his family home when he realized he bit off a bit more than he can chew. As an ex-US Marshall, Evan doesn't really want to go back, despite his old partner's urging. Hiring an obviously desperate girl Josie off the bus doesn't seem to be the brightest idea, but he somehow knew she can be trusted, even though she's obviously hiding something... // Josie was living a perfectly normal (boring) life when it changed in a single night... Now chased by people who killed her best friend, and wanted by police as a person of interest in the murder, she had no choice but to run and disappear, and hope nobody asks for references... or her ID. Trusting Evan was a gamble. But in order to survive, She has to trust someone... Until someone near him betrayed them both...

Now that's how you build a proper bodyguard romantic suspense without giving the stalker some super-human ninja capabilities.

5/5

GRR Reviews Tempt Him by Olivia Jaymes

Mia loves Josh since they were kids, but Josh treats her like a little sister. After she had a near-death experience after being robbed at gunpoint, she decided she wants out of the friend-zone, and she will go after Josh... with a little help from her sister's how-to manual she's beta-reading... And Josh shall be hers... but it won't be easy.

Ah, unrequited love, friend-zone, and "how-to" manual, good mix of tropes. But it's really empowerment, and helping a guy realize his feelings. :) 

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association) by Olivia Jaymes

Sheriff Dare Turner is known in town for his scowl and generally bad mood. Caring for a little sister who thinks she's old enough to know better doesn't help, neither does a body found outside the local tattoo shop, where Dare himself goes to have a tattoo done... but then, Dare is secretly fond of the tattoo artist, Rayne Dunn. // Rayne is a rebel and a workaholic. She works too much to enjoy a date, esp. not with grouchy sheriff Dare. Dare thinks Rayne is too loud and mouthy, and Rayne thinks Dare has a stick up his butt. However, when someone tossed Rayne's shop, with the body outside, things get tense. When her purse was snatched, AND her home was tossed too, it's clear that the bad guys are after something... Can Dare protect Rayne from whoever's after her? Or is she involved?

Pretty good romantic suspense setting up the enemies to lovers schtick. The tension escalated nicely. The resolution was a trope but competently executed.

Category: Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: Can and should the sheriff protect the tattoo artist he's fond of, when she's targeted?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews Cowboy Command by Olivia Jaymes

Cowboy Command managed to be somewhat romantic, but the characters are a bit shallow, and the premise required too much suspension of disbelief.

Katie just had lunch with her stepsister when she was nearly killed. Her car exploded, then someone burned the house she inherited from her stepfather to the ground. Feds moved in and put her in witsec... because the man she worked for... had done some bad things and Katie knew something. To keep her safe, they moved her all the way to Montana, changed her name, her life, and told everybody she's dead. To make sure she's safe, she was put up with Sheriff Seth Reilly. Seth was just doing a favor for old war buddies, but he didn't count on "Presley" being so young and pretty... but also a load of trouble. Seth thought he liked his women calm and collected, but Presley is anything but... they vowed not to fall in love, because all this is fleeting, but they did so anyway, because "Presley" had no real family, and Seth's family welcomed her. But when danger found her in Montana, can Seth protect her and find out why was she in danger?

The characters don't seem to be that deep. Katie/Presley seems to be WAY too trusting, and Seth... Sheriff of a sleepy town, dinner with his big family including his parents, just broke off his relationship, and fell for the newcomer. Is that real love or just a rebound? Also, the tension didn't really make sense, and I had to spoil a bit about the ending.

SPOILER WARNING

TOLD YOU SO!!!!

Anyway, Katie left clues to her location by using her old online shopping login and had stuff shipped to her current location. Oh, really? How can it be that her credit cards had not been canceled and her shopping account deactivated? Why does she think she can break security like that? This qualifies as a Too-Stupid-To-Live moment. The dialog is okay, the push-pull between the characters are good, but both characters just feel... pretty shallow overall. And so was the nemesis. All in all, this is just an average book.

Category: Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Woman was put into witness protection after someone tried to kill her with a car bomb. She was moved to Montana and fell for the local sheriff, but trouble followed her there...

Tropes: fish out of water, law enforcement, disguise, opposites, attract, protector, woman in peril

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews A Kiss For The Cameras (The Hollywood S by Olivia Jaymes

A Kiss For the Cameras is a contemporary romance with the "fake romance into real love" trope and a Hollywood setting, known as a "showmance". The romance is sweet and developed naturally. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit too much trope.

Paige Mitchell is a best-selling author. She's a short and frumpy housewife who prefers sweatpants and sweatshirts to Pradas and Diors. Nate Mason is a British actor making it in America as the lead in a famous action franchise, except his past scandal involving a young starlet made him a bit of outcast. When their agents suggested a "showmance" (public relations romance, mainly for the cameras) between the two, Paige was extremely doubtful. Who can believe action god Nate Mason be interested in a frumpy housewife that is Paige Mitchell? But they both need something... He wanted to be the star in a new franchise based on her books, and she wanted to have some creative control over movie franchise based on her books. Both needed the Hollywood buzz to move forward, and an alliance was struck. And as they spent time together, Paige learned that behind the smooth British facade was a real sensitive caring man. But this is a performance for the cameras... right?

The ending unfortunately, devolved to a very lame trope: "I believe you wanted something other than me, so I will do some really stupid things to drive you away, because I believe that's best for you". Which is, obviously, followed by "I was really stupid." Argh.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a frumpy housewife author and a hot British action actor put on a showmance for Tinseltown press? Is it just pretense?

Tropes: romance writer, performer, fake engagement, forced proximity, no good for you

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Damsel In Danger (Danger Incorporated by Olivia Jaymes

Damsel in Danger is supposed to be romantic suspense, and while the tale was somewhat suspenseful, it seems the author didn't bother research police procedurals and reduced sleuthing to mostly dumb luck. While the twists were somewhat interesting, the characters appear to be caricatures.

Ex-DEA agent Jason Anderson is trying to rebuild his life after being held captive and tortured by a narc cartel. He was starting his security business, and with friends, he's slowly coping, but he barely sleeps at night, alone, until his neighbor, Brinley Snow asked him over to join her for dinner, having admired him for a while. But the dinner was quickly interrupted when Jason's brother (who's a cop) asked Jason to invite the lovely Brinley down to the station for a chat. Someone was found dead, and in his pocket was the address of Brinley's house, which she bought not too long ago. Turns out the house has a cold case attached to it... a wife was murdered, and a husband was the prime suspect, but not enough evidence. Who was the dead man and why did he have the address? Then the house was broken into. Brinley has her own secrets, having fled the east coast under a harassment scandal. Then another woman was attacked, and a creepy admirer of Brinley keep showing up unannounced... But Jason is determined to protect Brinley from all threats...

It was clear the author did not bother research police procedurals, since Jason was out questioning suspects, with Brinley in tow! Neither Jason nor Brinley are current members of law enforcement! Why can't the local police deputize him, at least temporarily, if they really needed his help? He has NO AUTHORITY to do any investigation other than he is the brother of a cop and had law enforcement experience! At least the red herrings are competent, which is why the rating wasn't any lower.

Category: Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Woman found herself in danger; was the perp after her, or her house? And why? Only her ex-DEA neighbor can save her

Tropes: woman in peril, protector, law enforcement, PTSD, scars, conspiracy

Overall Rating:  3/5