GRR Reviews Her Football Boss Fake Fiance by Taylor Hart

Ocean Brady just want his entire family to enjoy a stress-free Christmas, in spite of his brother's ALS... and him lying about having a fiancee (having broken up with her for months). Oh, and he doesn't know how to cook either. So when he came upon Augusta, clutching her ankle and in pain on the beach and rescued her, then found her sister is a caterer, everything seems to fell into place... He'll hire the cooking sister to cater the dinner, and he'll hire Augusta to be his fake fiance. It'd be totally worth it to see his family happy... and it would help Augusta's education fund. And Augusta, who fled her home, fearing his ex's stalker ways, agreed, as who can be more protective than a nice footballer? But as they play a couple for a week, they found they have real feelings for each other... Is there enough time for a Christmas miracle?

With a novel like this, you can expect the evil ex to show up, and the brothers, (all footballers) will save the day. And it'd still be satisfying. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Her Protector Billionaire Groom by Taylor Hart

Parker, an ex-FBI agent, no longer has a job, thanks to his obsession finding what happened to his one true love, Arianna / Ari, who disappeared more than ten years ago. He used official resources without authorization, and was forced to take "early retirement". Then he got the shock of his life: His Ari is still alive, but attempting a kamikaze mission to kill a notorious drug kingpin to avenge her father (who testified and got the kingpin's father arrested, but was discovered while in WITSEC and was murdered). And it's going down at the Christmas Ball. She had cosmetic surgery and more and a new identity and became a Congressman's aide, and that congressman is courting this kingpin for his financial backing. Parker must rejoin the FBI, temporarily, not only to first thwart the hit but convince Ari to STAY undercover in order get juicier details so the good guys can arrest the bad guys... and Parker will become Ari's "handler"... And maybe Ari will be Parker's Christmas miracle.

As a romantic suspense, I'm afraid logically this doesn't really work. I can accept that Parker may be the best initial contact, and the "pretending to be her beach bum depressed brother" was initially amusing, but I already saw the twist coming, and having a shootout in the middle of Charles Degalle Airport tarmac? Hmmm... What would the French police have to say about this? Hmmm? 3/5

GRR Reviews Her Country Star Billionaire Groom by Taylor Hart

JJ and his four brothers have just got their "weird will"... Their deceased father told them they have to get married by Christmas (about two months away) or they won't get their inheritance... AND their respective charities will be de-funded as well. // JJ just stopped for gas when he saw one woman he never expected to see again... Chantel, his first and only love, and he did leave for another military deployment, and she left him. Now he's back, minor one leg (but with a prosthetic), and took up a country singing career. But Chantel is leaving town, and on impulse, he followed her onto the bus, intending for a second chance...

A couple good twists and turns, but it's still not quite clear when the love was rekindled. In other words, the transition felt a bit too fast. 4/5

GRR Reviews Her Second Chance Prodigal Groom by Taylor Hart

DJ left town to play football, leaving behind his love Aspen, his abusive father (who never forgave him for not joining the military), and his twin brother Travis. Having Aspen marry his brother after his departure only made it hurt worse. Not even Travis's death in the Middle East, the birth of his nephew, and his father suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's can drag him back to his hometown. Ten years later, the death of his team owner inspired the team to have no regrets... It is time for DJ to deal with his past... But is the past ready for him?

Very nice, lots of grief, regret, and redemption. OTOH, there's a bit about the dementia father actually saying stuff like "how long was I gone?"  I'm pretty sure Alzheimer patients aren't THAT self-aware, but then, what do I know? 5/5

GRR Reviews Her First Love BIllionaire by Taylor Hart

Damon was a success story like no other... He was "the kid from the wrong side of tracks" that is now a billionaire. He had been looking for the girl who stole his heart ten years ago, Madison until he saw her being proposed to by a powerful man with connections on both sides of the law.  // Madison did not really want to be engaged, but she felt indebted to the man who somehow got her mother an organ transplant that kept her alive. Finding Damon again was a shock, and not the pleasant kind. He wanted to whisk her away for their HEA, but she has problems she can't resolve...

The subtitle of this novel is "second chance time travel romance", except time travel was at the very end, and the plot is confusing as heck. It really made no sense.

SPOILERS

AHEAD

YOU HAVE

BEEN WARNED!

Basically, Damon and Madison were madly in love one summer camp where he's just the help, and she's one of the rich entitled snobs. They screwed up, got caught. She got sent off the boarding school, and he got paid to keep his mother alive for a bit longer while promising to never contact her again. Ten years later, Damon and Madison got back together even though Madison's "engaged" (by public ambush) and she's also accidentally pregnant by the other guy. Damon got killed trying to confront the guy trying to make a deal to take Madison away. Madison ran off to find a guy supposedly with a time machine to rewrite history, and somehow, she ended up rewriting that one event: so they didn't get arrested that night, then when both turned eighteen, eloped to Vegas. HEA. The end.

Somehow, getting arrested that night was a nexus event? Huh? It's freaking magical how the time machine knows. It's a fantasy. All emotion, zero logic.

2/5

GRR Reviews The Dancing Groom by Taylor Hart

Boston is going to support his brother going in for ALS treatment by going with him to a resort but he's in a social media war with his ex-GF. Spoiling Addison's lunch (by accidentally running her over) was not in his plans. // Addison used to be one of the dancers on Dancing with the Stars. In fact, she met her husband there... and married him, and retired. His death six months ago from a heart attack shook her to her core. Now she's ready for a comeback, but she needs to ace the audition, and she needs to train, and the best way is by taking a part-time teaching position at the resort with the other teacher. Teaching dance to seniors and teens is fun, but Boston and his brother? Infuriating. But Boston proved to be surprisingly nimble on his feet. When Addison's dance partner had to bow out for family reasons, it seems Boston will have to be Addison's dance partner... Until his ex ruined things AGAIN...

Not bad, good bits about dancing, social media, and evil ex.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

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

GRR Reviews The Masquerading Groom: Bachelor Billio by Taylor Hart

The Masquerading Groom was a romance using the "arm candy turned real" trope. It seems to be thoroughly mediocre, with nothing really memorable except the MMC's instant infatuation, and FMC's almost instant giving in to their passion. The ending was way too fast and neat.

Sterling Pennington, billionaire movie star playboy, was stuck with a hired arm candy at a masquerade ball. Blame his agent who thought he needed company after a pretend break-up with his co-star. Sterling didn't count on Sayla Jones, sassy, smart, and a nurse who was just filling in for one night as a favor. He had to see her again. When he ran into her at the hospital the next day, they finally gave in to their attraction, even though they admit to each other this would not work long-term... they are just of different worlds. Now Sterling must make a choice...

Honestly, I didn't feel too much chemistry between the two. Both are just... too nice, not angst-y or moody or damaged or whatever. They are just... bland?

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Billionaire playboy moviestar was infatuated with his one-night arm candy companion but they are too different...

Tropes: different worlds, arm candy, fling to a thing

Overall Rating:  3/5