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 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 Accidental Shield by Nicole Snow

Flint, single father, just found himself hosting an amnesiac woman... and lying to her about her being his wife. But Valerie has amnesia because she almost died in an explosion that blew up her boat. Telling her the whole truth would just make her panic. So Flint, ex-navy SEAL, now retired security specialist, is doing one more job with his partner, Doc Cash, to bring down the bad guys that almost killed Valerie. They've tangled with the same group of bad guys before, and it's a good time to even the score. And by all evidence, it seems her "evil" brother may be involved... But how will Flint handle being "fake married" to Valerie? What happens when she found out she wasn't?

Interesting take on "marriage mistake", proves that you *can* create something new by remixing old tropes. 5/5

GRR Reviews My Big Fat Fake Wedding by Lauren Landish

Violet wants to let her grandpa "papa" (with a few months to live) walk her down the aisle. When Collin proposed, she readily accepted, then Collin backed out. But Violet refused to let Collin see her cry. She just needs a new groom... // Ross hates being the scapegoat. How was he to know the distraught woman he was escorting to a ride was a preacher's wife, when he was ambushed by paparazzi? When his father told him he needs to settle down, Ross only saw one way... Find a "fake" fiancee. // Ross was surprised to learn that Violet needed to get married, fast, and so did he. It'd be a match made in heaven, if not for they being nemesis throughout their school years. It'd be acting of the century for them to act lovey-dovey... But is there real affection behind the barbs? Does it even matter, when time's running out?

I am conflicted about this novel. On one hand, the rom-com potential is off-the-charts. The enemies-to-(sorta-pretend)-lovers was handled perfectly, with each escalation pushing things tighter and tighter. I don't even mind the ending when someone showed up and ruined everything, as it makes for a great darkest hour. On the other hand, the sex scenes don't quite flow right after the tension and comedy bits. And I don't think it wasn't quite explained properly how the nemesis got the "incriminating evidence". 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Midnight Kisses by Alexa Rivers

Justin was invited to his ex's wedding to another guy, and that's just salt in his wound. Reconnecting with Emily, former school mate (and enemy of his ex) was nice, and having Emily as his plus-one at the wedding... Even better. It's just to show his ex that he's over her... Right? Or will he admit that he can love again?

Sweet, and relatively short (just over 100 pages), 4/5

GRR Reviews her Generous Billionaire by Juliette Duncan

Marcus is still grieving over the death of his one true love and wife. He doubts he will ever love again. In the meanwhile, he provides for his disabled mom, but he's busy and he needs to hire a caretaker... // Tiffany is a single parent raising two kids after an ugly divorce, and a caretaker job is perfect for her. Meeting Marcus... well, he's her boss. She can't get involved with him... But when he had to choose a date for a charity ball, and a sticky (and icky) ex wanted to be his date, he quickly decided Tiffany would be a much more suitable choice after all. But that dance soon turned into something more. Yet are either of them ready for love, much less with each other?

Pretty standard hot for boss, albeit as a nanny/caretaker role with senior instead of kids. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match by Bree Livingston

Winnie can't believe she was betrayed by her best friend and restaurant partner. She had just located a prime spot in the city and needed to pay the down payment, only to have her partner run off with her boyfriend... and her money. And she needs to get the restaurant off the ground or she'll have to go work for her father as a lawyer... a fate she dreaded. // Bear is not ready to date, having been betrayed before, but his family is unrelenting. It would be easier to hire a fake girlfriend than to date for real... // Winnie and Bear met, and Bear was clear that he wanted a FAKE girlfriend just for the Holidays, and in return, Winnie will get enough money to get her restaurant running. And Bear is handsome, and VERY lovable... Perhaps they can make this work after all?

Eh, nothing really new about this, just good polish on an old theme. 3.5/5

GRR Reveiws The Billionaire's Plan by Hayley Wescott

Sadie tried to save her marriage by having a child, but it didn't work. She ended up divorced anyway. After she moved back home as a single mom, she found that her first boyfriend, Bryson, is also back in town. Now a rich real estate developer, they tried to rekindle their romance. When Sadie suddenly found that her ex, now married to someone else, wanted to contest custody, she confided in Bryson. It just happens that Bryson needs a fiancee for his next real estate deal... and learning that Sadie's ex was the guy that almost ruined him when he got started... Bryson wanted to help Sadie by offering a "fake engagement"... Be his pretend-fiancee, and he'll bankroll her custody battle. He has the perfect attorney in mind. He didn't mention the part about her ex being his enemy though...

Plot somehow feel clumsy and brute-forced, the religious messages way too overt, and the about-face that came so hard (ref: Sadie's ex ) you'll feel the whiplash. 3/5

GRR Reviews A Billionaire's Heart by April Murdock

Billionaire Adam is still grieving over the loss of his wife after two years, that his friends mounted an intervention: a Mediterranean cruise with his daughter and nanny and his friends. But he fled his home more than a decade ago and never wanted to be back... // Zoe was burned out at her job as a school teacher. When her husband also cheated, she got divorced and started a new career as a makeup artist, after graduating from cosmetology school. And her new job is being the makeup artist for the performers on a cruise liner. // When Adam met Zoe, the chemistry was instant, and both are shocked by how much. But Adam's ex appeared, intending to hook him now that he's "back", that Adam asked Zoe for the unthinkable: be fake-engaged to him to throw off his ex...

Eh... the plot is a trope, and "meeting the family" shock was meh. The ex is cliche all the way. 3/5

GRR Reviews Make-Believe Honeymoon by Vivi Holt

Callum, ex-SEAL, is now a private investigator. He needs to investigate a case where a billionaire with biological children died and left EVERYTHING to his step-son. When this step-son booked a cabin on a Honeymoon cruise with a wife, he needs to get onboard... Which means finding a fake wife ASAP. // Jessie, single mother and former beat cop, is moving home after her husband (a fellow cop) was gunned down by corrupt cops. She chose to start over as private investigator, and it seems her first assignment will be a pretend-wife to Callum on a cruise. She's definitely not ready for love, and definitely not with her boss. But with the magic of the Caribbean cruise, who knows what will happen, even as they try to uncover a nefarious plot?

I saw the ending long before the actual end, but it was done well nonetheless. There are just too many points of mystery and suspicious behavior and there can be only one conclusion. It was also pretty ingenious to mix it with a fake marriage trope. 4/5

GRR Reviews Make Believe Wedding by Vivi Holt

The Holdens and the Belugas are enemies from two generations back, running rival newspapers. Tim Holden left the editing room behind for life as a firefighter. He met Molly Beluga while on the job, removing her from an unsafe building while she's busy cranking out an article. Their families are opposed to them getting involved, which made them wanted it even more, even if just as a setup to get the two families to talk again. But soon, the fake relationship turned very real...

Sort of a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, the setup was pretty good, though why they would be the ones who decide to bring the two families back to the table was a bit nebulous. OTOH, having a firefighter carry you down and out of a building is kinda swoon-y... Ending felt a bit too fast though. 4/5

GRR Reviews The French Billionaire by Britney M Mills

Tristan knew that while he's a billionaire and his marketing firm is doing good, he can do better. He wanted to expand into women's product marketing and chose Belle Rousseau, a skin care company, as their first client, but the name recognition didn't help. Tristan decided to make a personal appeal to Juliette Rousseau, the head. Juliette, having a personal crisis when she learned her father had a heart attack, and she needed to head home to help... AND to bring home a boyfriend, decided to trust Tristan with a novel proposal... Pretend to be her boyfriend for a few weeks, and the contract is his. But was it really just pretend, or is there real love?

Didn't like this too much. While the small town life is fine, the idea that both of them, head of their respective companies, can just disappear for weeks at a time, and she can't even tell whether the suspect photo was a genuine kiss or just an "ambush kiss" just make the darkest hour feel really forced. She also didn't show any self-doubt or such issues before. 3/5

GRR Reviews Tripp's Trivial Tie by Liz Isaacson

Tripp wants to woo Ivory, and once got pretty close, but Ivory pushed him away, not daring to reveal how bad her finances are, or how she's barely keeping her son and herself fed, despite working multiple jobs. When Ivory's (evil) ex decided to contest custody, Ivory had no choice but to ask Tripp for help... and his hand in marriage. It'd be the perfect way to fend off her ex. But Tripp plans to make this marriage very real indeed... if she can just drop her pride and let him in...

Ah, indeed, pride is a sin, and Ivory definitely sinned many times. The plot's been done before, and this one has good polish. The evil guy never really had a chance, but I felt the end feels a bit too rushed, and not enough karma. 4/5

GRR Reviews Eight-one Nights by Georgia Cates

NOTE: Somewhat of a cliffhanger

Catriona, aka "Cate", is barely making enough to get by in Scotland as a student and part-time waitress. Her roommate introduced her to Inamorata, a discrete service agency where she can provide companion services. And Cate met Maxwell, who still can't get over his wife's death. Maxwell wants to try the whole "girlfriend experience"... Cate will be available to him 24/7  for 81 days (when summer ends), and what he paid, even minus the "management fee" will be enough for Cate to finish her degree. She gave him a new nickname, "Hutch". Can she be his girlfriend without giving him her heart?

This is basically the drama version of "Pretty Woman", and the author even admits to having recycled scenes and paragraphs from her previous works. AND it's got a cliffhanger where you have to find out of they get a HEA in the sequel. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews A Negotiated Marriage by Noelle Adams

Molly and Luke have a marriage of convenience for already three years. He's the CEO, and she was one of the employees. They don't actually have sex, and that's why he wants to renegotiate the terms and add it to the agreement, without emotional entanglements. But she's not the kind that can have sex without giving her heart... and her "husband" never said he wanted it... or even has one...

Hmmm... the trope was subverted by making them already in a marriage of convenience then adding sex on top of it. I'm just not too sure it was explained well enough why Luke was the way he is, and how did living three years with his "fake" wife softened him up. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Betraying the Billionaire by Victoria Davies

Julian wanted to take his company to the next level, and marrying one of the Abbot sisters will gain him access to the European market and the prestige of their name. So he proposed a marriage of convenience. What he got... was not what he was expecting. // Holly was always second best to her twin sister Lillian. But when their father told Lillian that she had to marry Julian to save the family business ("think of all those jobs and retirement plans"), Lillian disappeared. No matter, said father. Holly will pretend to be Lillian while the family locates her. But Julian wasn't what Holly (pretending to be Lillian) expected, and Holly fell for the man... as the wrong twin. When the deception was revealed, who will come out whole?

Normally twin-switch-a-roos end up being comedic. This one was drama all the way, lots of reluctant love, disguise, and conflicted loyalties. I was just surprised at the unredeemable douchiness of the father, who, even in the epilogue, remains unredeemed... but not destroyed. Missing that bit of karma. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Choose me, Cowboy by Barbara Ankrum

Kate won't admit she never really gotten over Finn, even after six years. She just dates and never commits. Enough so her family wanted to run an intervention. After all, she's the kindergarten teacher in Marietta, Montana, and she needs to act prim and proper for her young students. She was shocked when she found that the new 5-year old twins in her class is none other than Finn's children, and Finn has been back in Marietta for a few months (and has been a single father for several years). Furthermore, Finn's ex Melissa, mother of the children, now wants to contest custody, after marrying a rich international tycoon. Kate offers herself as the logical solution: get married and present to the judge a proper family. It would just be a marriage of convenience, right?

While I like the tension, and the bull-riding bit was good, the end solution felt too much like a deus ex machina. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Perfect Lap by Sedona Hutton

AJ is a great racer, but also a loose cannon. He tweets himself chowing down on steak and burgers, but his sponsor is a vegan food supplier. He may have won the driver's cup, but his team chose to rein him in.. with an "image consultant". Enter Ella. // Ella, image consultant to a bad boy rockstar, thought she was just sending a photo (of the said star, in a VERY compromising position) to her BF that knew not to spread it around, as they are in the same profession. The photo leaked, and Ella was fired and slapped with NDA to NEVER mention it to ANYONE. Forced to go home, she found herself given the job of rehabbing AJ's image. And AJ doesn't seem to be anywhere CLOSE to being the "bad boy" rep he got... When Ella needed to temporarily foster three children (their mother was in jail), AJ offered up his house (it's much bigger than Ella's) and agree to pretend to be a couple with Ella to help the process along. But the longer they pretend, the more like a real couple they feel...

Nice handling of relationship, where BOTH MMC and FMC learned not to judge a book by its cover. Surprisingly, Ella had to learn it TWICE, first on AJ, then on the kids' mom. There's some new-age stuff that sounded hokey, but the principles are sound (just maybe not the explanations).  5/5

GRR Reviews The Trouble with Tabbies by A G Henley

Beatrix aka "Bea" is a romance writer who loved cats. Yes, she's the proverbial "cat lady", with well over two dozen cats at home. She wanted her trust fund so she can help build a new building for the local cat adoption facility, but she knew that her father, who had never approved of her choices, will question her lack of fiancee. So she needs a fake fiancee, and as a romance writer, she knew it's a trope that fake relationship inevitably turns real. She found Sebastian, photographer and bartender, and they agreed to a pact: she'll pay him to pretend to be her fiancee, with PDA (but no kissing or real feelings), but if they actually fall in love, he'll give up his beloved Canon camera... and she'll give up her personal fur baby... That should work... Right? But things are never that simple, as her father pulled out all the stops to break them ("for her own good") and even her old fiancee showed up, wanting a second chance...

Ah, an interesting twist on the fake fiancee, with a bit of fourth-wall-breaking about one being a romance writer. 5/5

GRR Review Best Fake Fiance by Roxie Noir

Daniel suddenly learned one day he's a father, when the baby's mother was arrested. He changed his life around for his daughter, Rusty, and raised her best he could. Six years later, baby's mother suddenly wanted to contest for custody after marrying a rich guy. In an act of desperation, Daniel lied that he's engaged. And the only person who can play his fiance is his best platonic friend, Charlotte aka "Charlie", who already loves his daughter, and loves him... Just not "that way". But they can pretend, right? Until the news of their engagement spread. What started out as a white lie quickly turned into a fake engagement, then fake marriage... then it felt very real indeed...

Good escalation from lie to a judge to lie to a few friends to lie to an entire town to "just make it real". However, it seems both Charlie and Daniel can't lie to save their life except in front of a judge (?!)  And I STILL don't understand why have a custody battle at all? What's the "evil ex"'s motivation? 4/5