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 Ten Hours by Melissa Toppen

Ten Hours can change lives.

Finley just got the worst news of her life... She thought she'll finally get her life together after leaving her addict mom, and found her sister (or her sister found her) at 19. But her continual headaches turned out to be a brain tumor... Operation success rate is 30%, when combined with chemo. AND there's a chance of recurrence. Despondent, Finley wandered into a bar (but she's not even old enough to drink!) and that's where she met Abel... // Abel is a musician having a few brewskis with his buddies, but when his eyes landed on Finley, he can't turn away. They spent ten hours together, and it was... bliss. Then she left for her operation without ever giving him her full name... and went into a coma for two weeks, while he was desperately trying to find her again... When they meet again in the hospital, as his mom is having breast cancer surgery, he was happy, angry, confused... and she just wanted to hide. But the truth came out... and he wanted to marry her... no matter how much time they have left...

I'll just outright spoil the end and let you know there is NO HEA at the end of this book. You will cry for this tearjerker, and it is handled quite well. 4.5/5

NOTE: There is a semi-sequel called "What Comes After"

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride by Elle E Kay

Addison and Zachary had made a marriage pact in their teens. They were best friends and always together, but they did not know what life was ahead. Decades later, Zach is billionaire, and Addison is surprised to hear from Zach, shocked when he invoked the marriage pact. She was both thrilled that he remembered, and disbelief that he intended to marry her. But she agreed, and soon, her entire family and his friends are heading to his private island for a beach wedding. Then he sent off his entire staff for a paid cruise on a cruise ship he chartered, so he can spend some time alone with his new bride. Unfortunately, a tropical storm hit soon, and they have to cooperate to survive...

A billionaire and assistant who planned EVERYTHING except for a tropical storm... Hmmm... There's a bit of "everyone but you" feel. But the idea of being swept off one's feet has that bit of Cinderella feel to it, but not much else. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Flirting in Flagstaff by Keira K Barton

NOTE: Part of At the Altar series by Kirsten Osbourne

Tess had fallen for too many 'wrong guys' that in desperation, she joined Matchtrimony with her three friends, and put her "fate" into the hands of Dr. Lachele, matchmaker extraordinaire. But Dr. Lachele specialized in "at the altar" matches... She won't see his groom until at the altar. // Levi wants to buy Mr. Earl's ranch, but the old man won't sell to a bachelor. But Levi doesn't know any one to marry... and signing up with Dr. Lachele wasn't the instant solution he needed, even when Dr. Lachele told him to move to Flagstaff, as his future bride is in the area. What he didn't know was he ended up working on Tess' ranch, and Tess is his intended match. They fell for each other BEFORE their respective weddings, not knowing they'll see each other at the altar... But he hadn't told her his plans...

Hmmm... Nice, short, sweet, but his plan to go back wasn't quite... well thought out. But the end was a bit of gift-of-the-magi mutual compromise. 4/5

GRR Reviews Married by Mistake by Lindsey Hart

June is in Vegas with her bestie trying to get over her cheating ex... (who was getting it on with a guy). Her last memory was playing poker with a very handsome guy... So when she woke up in his bed naked, and her outfit in tatters, she figured she had a one-night-stand... Except for the ring on her finger... and a matching ring on his... and a marriage certificate on the nightstand. And he's still as gorgeous as sin and makes her... ladybits throb. But she remembered NOTHING... AND she's in Vegas to get over someone, not to get married. And the guy, Brock (who's obviously well-to-do), then made her the most outrageous proposal... STAY married to him for two more days, and he'll show her (and her friends) good times that perhaps she will consider staying with him... forever. Who the **** does that?!?!

Okay, this is supposed to be rom-com, so some craziness is to be expected. And married by mistake would be one of them. The problem is the plot seems to meander a bit, and the MFC did the "run away to sort my feelings" trope. The darkest hour was a letdown... Basically, MFC Googled (tm) MMC, found out he's rich, decided he can't be trusted (why? just for keeping secrets?) and did a runner. Some bits are funny, some bits are hot, but there isn't really a "theme" to the whole book.

Category: Contemporary / Comedy

Overall Rating: 3/5

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

GRR Reviews His Surprise Package by Ashlee Price

Aaron can't believe his sister Marjorie is dead, drowned in a bathtub, and 2 months pregnant. He was sure her then-boyfriend Max had killed her, but Max was exonerated in court, and promptly disappeared. Seven years later, Aaron still hadn't hunted down Max. After a night of stupid parties and gotten very drunk, Aaron found himself having married Teri on a dare. Teri just wanted to be an interior designer, and getting married to Aaron, who's rich and influential wasn't the plan, but she'd enjoy it while it lasts (which is not very long). When he refused to let her go, she's confused, angry, and sad. But he had his reasons: Teri is really Max's biological sister, and she'll be the perfect bait to lure Max out of hiding, so Aaron can get his revenge... But the longer they sorta live together, the more real feelings they develope for each other... Even though Aaron reminded himself "she's related to the killer of my sister"... Until she's threatened, and he'll protect what's his...

Eh, Aaron is hot and cold, just outright weird. I don't like it. I find such elaborate revenge plots to be rather dumb and impossible to realize, and is a trope in itself.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Overall Rating: 3/5

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

GRR Reviews Bride and the Beard by K C Crowne

Harley wanted to expand the 5-star family mountain resort with a spa and fitness center, but his two brothers are "we don't do that" "we'll think about it" and fobbed him off. He went to Vegas to attend a conference and met Emily there, fighting over a taxi... // Emily is a single parent raising her daughter because her ex-husband is a rich cheater who enjoys making her miserable. She went to Vegas to network, as she's a massage therapist hoping to open her spa. Harley and Emily met up and after a drunken night about town, got "married". Emily is in huge regret the next day, as her ex-husband apparently has her followed and will use that to hurt her and gain custody of Emily, while Harley just happens to need a massage therapist, and was surprised that Emily refused him. When Harley went to visit Emily, hoping to change her mind, he found out the whole situation... But what can he do about it?

Somehow the ending was wrapped up a bit too neatly. Let's just say there will be a court-battle, except it wasn't a battle but a massacre.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews The Wedding Chapel by Caroline Mickelson

Bella and grandpa had been running a Vegas wedding chapel for years, but business is down. She had enough experience to know marriage is bad news. So when she woke up in bed with a charming Brit, the last thing she'd expect was their respective grandparents insist they are now married, even though neither Colin nor Bella can recall ever saying "I do'. As they attempt to piece together the truth, what they found out about each other may be the most surprising discovery of all...

Gave me a bit of warm buzzy, but not much else. The reason for the grand deception seems to be either petty disregard of other people or misguided attempt at matchmaking.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

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

GRR Reviews Second Chance Husband by B B Hamel

Jace was a bad boy that got a bit too full of himself. He got addicted to drugs, and had to drop out of sight into rehab. Now he's doing a travel show as his comeback, and his producer... Was the one girl he let got away... having kinda broken her heart way back when, even though they never hooked up. Piper was not doing well and this show may be her last chance to make it big as a producer. So why is Jace still the a-hole? When the segment was about Elvis wedding in Vegas, and the model didn't show up, Jace convinced Piper to step in as a pretend bride... Then someone, as a gag, produced a real marriage certificate, and Piper signed it... thinking it was something else. Now Jace and Piper are married... sorta? Are they going to keep fighting... Or will they finally develop feelings for each other? When the show production ends, will that be the end?

Hmmm... I'm not too sure about this one. I find the handcuff (forced proximity) to be rather ingenious, but the marriage certificate? Kinda mean, though there's a twist to that later. I guess I really don't understand Jace, who's a "bad boy" on the surface but in reality a nice guy... Now that's a trope. Still, I like the variation.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up)

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

GRR Reviews Fighting Irish by Katy Regnery

Rory Haven had always an eye on Brittany Minion in his family summer camp for the kids, the Summerhaven Camp in new Hampshire. But Rory is one of the sons of the owner, and staff never mingle with guests... And Brittney is practically an heiress, and out of his league. So it's more of an unrequited love from afar infatuation. Ten years later, Brittany is divorced and engaged, and looking forward to being married again, and she wanted the wedding in Summerhaven. When her fiancee gave her carte blanche, she headed out to Summerhaven to arrange the venue, only to run into Rory, who's having family problems, but she recognized the scorching hot young boy from way back when. Rory sensed that Brittany's marriage is actually not about love, and wanted to woo her, but can he really compete with a pediatric surgeon with a ready-made family for Brittney?

Very good polish, for Brittney came to the realization all by herself. And Rory... have to solve his own family problem first. The FMC realized her own problem and mistaken perception, even though she did came across as a bit of whiny brat with that realization.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews Everything I Left Behind by JC Emery

Colleen and Bradley were best friends growing up, even though they are complete opposites. He stayed behind, got a criminal law degree, and became a cop, then a detective, in their hometown, South Boston. She left it all behind and went to live the way she wanted, but decades later, she's hitting 35, and none of her dreams (husband, house, two kids) had come true, while her female friends have married and settled down. At her birthday bash in Las Vegas, Brad came, and after one drunken night, they ended up married. They meant it as a joke... "just to see what it feels like". Except then they found out they don't fit the criteria for an annulment, and they can't get divorced because of their religion. Now stuck with each other... Can they finally admit to each other that they really *do* love each other, and live together, even though they are STILL polar opposites of each other?

The beginning is hard to like. Colleen seems just like such a whine-y *****. Who gets married "just to see what it's like"? Sheesh. But once they had been shackled together, and the nerves start to fray, as they really get under each other's skin, that's when the book started to shine.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Childhood sweethearts meet again and "accidentally got married", now stuck with each other. Can they learn to love?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews ClickandWed.com Boxset, Books 1 - 3 (Cli by Bonnie R. Paulson

ClickandWed.com 1-3 tried to make the idea of a modern mail-order-bride work (marry someone sight unseen) and for the most part, it works, but the story seems to lack a certain spark

Book 1: With this click I thee wed -- She's a lonely divorcee whose own family doesn't want her and her ex treats her like a doormat, not only turning the entire town against her (even though he's the one cheated), her ex is suing her for emotional abuse. He's a rancher who stands to lose his parent's house and ranch, and had his heart broken when he realized his now ex-wife married his prestige, not him. Yet the pair somehow got married when she got drunk and clicked on "I do"... Now she's flying across the country to meet her husband for the first time... Can this work, even when it was so... crazy?

Somehow, the evil douchebag didn't get his karma. The tale didn't quite have the spark of "strangers got married" stories of other authors. It just feels too... detached somehow. 3/5

Book 2: I_do.com -- A young doormat woman, pushed by her family into EVERY decision (as if she has no will of her own), was emboldened by her best friend into taking the biggest chance of her life... She walked out of her wedding to a man she does not love (and earned a hard slap on her cheek from her mother, who then disowned her), and went off to meet someone she had not seen... and be wedded by proxy... basically a modern mail order bride! Can such a romance work?

The new husband is okay, and there doesn't seem to be any karma for the parents either. it's all about her getting a spine. And while it has the character arc, it didn't quite have the touch of other authors like Kirsten Osbourne or Merry Farmer who also wrote books based on similar premises. The husband was kinda boring. 3/5

Book 3: DIY Vows -- the BFF of the previous novel's heroine (the same woman who paid for the setup) is going to be matched with someone in SF/Oakland, with a top compatibility score... 99.5%. But he's actually just betting with his brother on a dare, even as he's fixing up his mother's historical building in Oakland... or trying to. He is being stretched too thin, as he can't do both at the same time. She's a handywoman who can't wait to get out of her stupid town, and she's setting up her own "The Home Doctor" renovation / fix-up contractor business when it's clear the guy she matched does NOT want a wife. So she tried to keep her "kinda-wife" and the "Home Doctor" identities separate, even as she fixed up his house. What she didn't know is he knew she's both... and he's falling for her... hard...

It's mental games: she's playing some, he's playing some, they pretend they don't know about each other's games but they do... Somehow, I failed to see how that translates to romance. But at least the plot was pretty good. 4/5

All in all, average series. It's certainly innovative, but seem to lack that certain spark, whether angst or comedy or other.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: N/A, collection, three books about modern equivalent of mail order bride finding their love with a mate they never met...

Tropes: marriage, mail order bride, collection, different worlds, disguise, jilted, weird will, arranged marriage, family pressure

Overall Rating: 3/5 (average of 3)

GRR Reviews Ride (Studs in Spurs Book 3) by Cat Johnson

Ride is a competent romantic suspense, but the gear switch, a deus ex machina ending, and a "too nice" MMC left me a bit underwhelmed.

Leesa was just a Vegas dancer at a particular club and met Chase Reese, a cowboy in town for the rodeo and one wild night for his birthday. She apparently saw something she shouldn't because next thing she knew, her boss got a phone call to "get rid of her", and that doesn't mean firing. She grabbed her few possessions and ran... straight into Chase again... who invited her up to his room, knowing instinctively she's on the run, but not sure from what. They woke up with a set of rings and a marriage certificate... They are horribly shocked and ashamed... What had they done? They left town to go back to his home ranch, as she needed to get away, still jittery. They are... MARRIED... how can they undo this? Where will she go next?

The suspense was resolved with good tension, but that soon ended. The complication AND the suspense were both resolved with a deus ex machina . While Chase is a nice guy, he's IMHO, just a bit too bland. Leesa is okay. All in all could have been better, flaws made it mediocre.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Primary Plot: Exotic dancer at Las Vegas club saw something she shouldn't, ran off with a cowboy who protected her... How did they end up being married?!?!

Tropes: woman in peril, protector, cowboy, marriage,

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Moon Over Montana (McCutcheon Family) by Caroline Fyffe

Moon Over Montana is a historical Western romance / adventure set in the author's Y-knot universe in Montana. The author has always managed to pack quite a few disparate subplots as well as the main plot and managed to wrap up enough of it to have satisfying ending, but still left plenty of things to write about in future volumes, and this is no exception. I understand this is her style, but there were sure a lot of characters to track.

It is 1886 in the town of Y Knot in Montana. Charity McCutcheon is finally about to marry Brandon Crawford, sheriff of Y Knot, after being rescued (see previous novel) but when a Cheyenne young woman Running Fox showed up half dead, intending to see her half brother, Luke McCutcheon, that ancient family secrets were forced into the light. When Brandon got an offer to be a US Marshall in Kansas City, MI and serve alongside the man who rescued him from bandits that killed his parents, it seems the marriage may not occur after all. When two men found dead outside of town, apparently shot... Running Fox was blamed, even as another Indian Brave arrived in town... Will Charity and Brandon ever get married?

The tales all interlock and run parallel to each other, but they are all complications to the MAIN plot... Charity and Brandon's relationship. While this is a largest cast and relatively long book, everything was wrapped up neatly at the end and serves as a good plotting example to writers on how to layer in the complications. The references back to the earlier volumes are also quite good. All in all a satisfying read.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Sheriff was about to marry his love, but various things got in the way of their wedding plans...

Tropes: law enforcement, marriage, family secrets, conspiracy

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Kiss a Bridesmaid by Courtney Hunt

Kiss a Bridesmaid is a sweet love story between a caterer and some random girl walking through the area. You can call it serendipity, but there was basically instant sweet attraction that left the guy to do all the work...

Shortie Campbell is a caterer working for "Always a Bridesmaid" a wedding planning and professional groomsman/bridesmaid provider that always crafts the perfect experience... including a cute canine ring bearer. When the doggie decided to chase a frisbee through the park, it's up to the staff to retrieve the wayward pup. Abigail Browne was just wandering through the park when she by chance snagged the runaway puppy... and ended up covered in mud with a twisted ankle. Shortie escorted her home, and upon learning Abigail is jobless, offered her to come see Always a Bridesmaid for a position, and to Abigail's own surprise, she fitted right in. And her friendship with Shortie blossomed. But can there be more?

There really wasn't any obstacle between the two falling for each other. The romance was low-intensity sweet, but left me a little empty.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Jobless young woman saved the wedding by snagging a runaway pup; was attended and rescued by the caterer... is there more?

Tropes: bridesmaid, marriage, pet

Overall Rating:  3/5