GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Mountain Bride by Elizabeth Bromke

Mary, a small-town innkeeper, is engaged to tech billionaire Kurt. They are opposites in almost every way. She's a small-town country girl. He's a city techie guy. As the wedding draws near, both sides started to get cold feet. She's worried that she won't' fit into his "city" values, or he won't fit into her country life. Kurt knew he found his soulmate in Mary, but he can't run a tech company from a tiny town where broadband connection doesn't really exist. He can compromise by commuting between Phoenix and Maplewood, but is that enough for Mary?

I'm not sure what to make of this novel. It's neither "on the rocks" nor was it falling in love. Basically, both are finding that love isn't that simple, with conflicting needs. But when both of them is chickening out or think the other will, it's kinda TSTL, with severe lack of faith and plenty of self-inadequacies. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Love Notes by Susan Coventry

Love Notes has a generic title hiding "platonic friends to lovers" story where she thought she's unworthy and he's a manwhore. The ending was somewhat unsatisfactory, and the book felt a lot longer than it is.

Sophia and Drew were best friends... and nothing more. They've been that way since high school, really. Both had wondered, but neither dare to ruin a good thing. They have dinner every week, but he's a roaming sales rep, and she's a librarian. When Sophia needed a date to attend a friend's wedding, with no current boyfriend, the only candidate was Drew. Besides, he owned her one after she pretended to be his GF back in high school when a girl got a bit stalker-ish. Drew is charming, smart, and sexy, but also a bit of a manwhore, with a lot of notches on the bedpost, so to speak. So Sophia has no plans to cross the line with Drew. But as they say, no plan survives the moment of contact... Now Sophia has to decide whether taking it over the line will be worth the risk...

Reads a lot longer than it feels. It says 230 pages, but it feels like a 400-page tome, probably because it did spend a lot of time kissing and caressing but falling a bit short, until the end. No major angst, but Sophia did spend a lot of time fretting with inadequacy tropes, and the darkest hour was kinda lame compared to the slow-boil tension. Above average, but not like OMG-Must-Read.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Will a platonic couple take that next step, while attending a wedding, as they've been platonic for a long time?

Tropes: wedding, friends to lovers, no good for you,

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Big Bad Daddy by Tia Siren

Big Bad Daddy tried to set up a nanny romance, but the young woman was way too much of a doormat until the end of the book, and it's just depressing to read.

Amy Lynn barely escaped from an abusive husband, but she doesn't have enough to leave town. She lived in a lousy apartment with a crappy job at a convenience store, while her ex, now a supervisor at the local market, was supposed to stay away due to a restraining order. But his words still haunt her. When she landed a live-in nanny job with billionaire author Jackson Ritter for his little daughter, things may actually go her way this time. Jackson Ritter loved his daughter but hated the circumstances that lead to her birth... Being a single daddy means he's missing publisher deadlines, and he had two weeks to hand in an outline to keep his publisher happy... or he'll have to return the advance, and he can't afford that. Amy Lynn became his muse, and he was able to get the outline done, and they got a little tipsy... they went to bed... Now she's having MAJOR inadequacy issues, her ex's words still echoing in her head: you're worthless, you are only good for f***ing... and she ran. Can Jackson make her see she is worth something other than sex, and deal with her ex permanently?

Jackson managed to pull a deus ex machina in the last second and saved the day, and that was pretty much the end of the novel. The evil ex was just too sociopathically evil, which makes him really flat. There's not much keeping Amy Lynn from her happiness, really, other than being scared of her ex.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Single father author with writer's block found his new nanny to be a great muse; if he can keep her evil ex away for good...

Tropes: single parent, parent/nanny, hot for boss, evil ex, no good for you, small town, protector, woman in peril

Overall Rating: 3/5 

GRR Reviews Wait for the Rain by Maria Murnane

Wait for the Rain is about self-re-discovery... Can a woman after divorce learn how to love again?

Daphne White is about to celebrate her 40th birthday, but she only saw signs of her getting old. Her daughter is spending time with her ex-husband (and his new woman) on her Spring Break... Daphne is off exploring a Caribbean island with her two besties from way back in college, whom she hadn't really seen in... over a decade. Daphne had definitely lost herself when she got married... and lost all her ambitions and dreams. On the beach, she met Clay Hanson, a much younger man at the resort island, and he's definitely interested. But can she let her insecurities and shattered dreams go, and with the help of her besties, let herself enjoy life once again, and reach for her dreams, including love?

It's not a torrid romance, but about learning one's own inhibitions that one must unlearn, and again reach for a goal that married life that leeched out of her. The guy Clay was a bit on an empty side, but this is about Daphne's revelations to herself...

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman meeting her friends on an island after her own divorce and facing big 4-0 meets a younger guy who liked her as she is...

Tropes: jilted, no good for you, resort, cougar

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Semper Mine (Sons of War) by Lizzy Ford

Semper Mine by Lizzy Ford is a story about enemies to lovers, where both partners have deep wounds that caused them to develop coping mechanisms to hide their real psyche.

Marine Corp Captain Sawyer Mathis returned to the US to attend the funeral of Mikael, who died on a mission he headed. That man's brother Pyotr lost a leg on the same mission. He also met Katya, the sister to both, and Katya only saw red, for Sawyer is the man that brought one of her brothers back in a box and other in pieces. Sawyer endured, and put her out of his mind. Months later, Sawyer and his team were back in the US, to help run a special summer camp for children who had lost parents... and found he had been paired with Katya. But as they learned to tolerate each other, they found that each has deep dark demons and gained each other's respect. But what they were not ready for... were feelings of love.

Surprisingly emotional, you get to learn reasons for each of their coping mechanisms. Sawyer's mom ran off, and dad died young, leaving an uncle who doesn't believe in love and a fist is the only way to teach. The military became his refuge, where he buried himself in work to not feel. Katya had suffered major burns on her back in the fire that took her mother, that she felt ashamed to show her body. She also felt like she had to be the mom of the family, to the point of smothering, not trusting anyone to make any decision, and so self-reliant it bordered on reckless. Katya saw Sawyer as a heartless military machine, not seeing the empathy and nightmares he only unleashed in private, while Sawyer only saw Katya as the rebellious and reckless girl he should never get close to ("no good for you"). It feels a little uneven, IMHO.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Military man meets sister of the man who died under his command; later they have to help each other run a kid's summer camp...

Tropes: no good for you, military, enemies to lovers, scars,

Overall Rating: 4/5

GRR Reviews The Texas Women of Spirit Trilogy by Angela Castillo

Texas Women of Spirit Trilogy is a set of clean historical western romance about hardship and perseverance, with a bit of faith and miracle. The plot dragged on in a few places, but overall the three novels are pretty good.

Book 1: Zillia Bright was orphaned at 16 and trying to raise her baby brother... AND run papa's farm, and guard what was hers, with no horse and just an old mule. Her step-father took anything of value and left town. Zillia must rely on her neighbor Soonie and Wylder to keep going, and perhaps, God was listening to her prayers with a miracle or two on the way.

Book 2: Soonie Eckhart, quarter Comanche, followed an expedition to teach at an "illegal" Comanche and Kiowa settlement in North Texas, but her white skin and city ways made her unwelcome, esp. by "Lone Warrior", the camp's Comanche protector. When a group of trappers stumbled upon the area, Soonie must draw upon her faith and courage to survive.

Book 3: Darla North left her saloon days behind after discovering faith and started over at Downs House in Dallas, a shelter for unfortunate women, and met Ethan Downs, the matriarch owner's sweet carpenter son. When Darla's past threatened to catch up with her, she chose to run... but Ethan was not about to let her leave without saying goodbye...

All three novels featured a couple good twists with threats to the FMC, but the MMC will obviously carry the day. The characters are definitely not the typical "mail order bride" and the adventures are indeed clean. There are a places where the plot seemed to drag, but otherwise the story moved at a good pace. If you dig this genre and need a break from mail-order bride stories these should work quite well.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: N/A, collection

Tropes: neighbor, orphan, fish out of water, protector, woman in peril, different worlds, no good for you

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews I Only Have Eyes For You (The Sullivans) by Bella Andre

I Only Have Eyes for You by Bella Andre was full of tropes, but Bella Andre, a veteran romance writer, was able to massage the elements into a sweet romantic tale.

Sophie Sullivan is the "nice" twin in the Sullivans family with SIX brothers to watch out for her. She yearned to be noticed by the man she wanted the first time she saw him... Jake McCann. Jake always worked hard and now Jake owned a chain of Irish pubs. Women loved him, but he only wanted one girl, his best friend's little sister Sophie that he should never desire. When one of the Sullivan brothers got married, Jake and Sophie fell for the atmosphere... and they consummated their relationship... but both felt ashamed... Sophie for succumbing to lust, and Jake for inadequacy ("I am no good for her"). Then Sophie discovered she's pregnant... When Sophie appeared on Jake's doorstep, and Jake accepted the news, he realized he must marry her... but she won't accept, believing he doesn't love her. Jake must convince her to stay... but to do so, he may have to give up his most shameful secret...

The tropes are numerous (accidental pregnancy, bestie's little sister, sexy librarian, bar owner, overprotective brothers...) but they fit together well enough and polished well by the author. Jake's... secret wasn't really that devastating, and Sophie, well, really does feel like a real person, with not too angst-y emotions. Enjoyed the novel.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Bar owner fell for the one girl he should not want, his best friend's little sister. But she wanted him too... Then she found out she's pregnant... by him... after one drunken night!

Tropes: accidental pregnancy, best firend's sibling, library, bar owner, protective siblings, different worlds, no good for you

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Kissing Jessie (Return to Redemption Boo by Laurie Kellogg

Kissing Jessie is another "sisters after the same man" romance from the author who manages to setup some interesting pairings and conflicts while adding liberal doses of humor.

Mike Danvers is a building contractor in limbo. He grew up with a crack mom who refused to give him up but cannot provide for him. He's also extremely mature, as he can pass for adult at 15, which led to some... "adult situations". He's almost thirty-eight now, successful, and wanting a family. His current girlfriend Tracy didn't really want kids, but Mike felt his time was running out... and proposed marriage anyway, hoping to change Tracy's mind. He didn't count on meeting Tracy's younger sister, Jessie... Jessie's 24, a culinary school graduate. Jessie wanted to turn her inherited Victorian into a B&B, but she was forever getting snide comments from her older sister Tracy, who's thinner and prettier... and always jealous. Jessie knew that she can't be coveting the hunky guy who's her sister's fiancee, but she needed his help to get the Victorian converted. When Tracy broke off the engagement upon the children issue, Mike wondered if he proposed to the wrong sister, even as Jessie dropped pounds and became sexually active... But Mike sees the 13 year age gap between them as an insurmountable issue, and refuse to commit his heart... when Tracy decided she's not over Mike, this sister love triangle can get REALLY messy...

This is not the first sister love triangle the author used, but I felt some of the issues didn't quite fold back to the main plot, such as the B-plot about Mike's secret baby. It's still a solid 4/5.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Contractor wonder if he proposed to the wrong sister when the fiancee broke up because she wanted no children

Tropes: sibling triangle, handy man, chef, secret baby, May / September, no good for you

Overall Rating: 4/5

GRR Reviews Healed by Love: Nate Braden by Melissa Foster

Healed by Love is a contemporary military romance that deals with a returning soldier and his guilt the possibility of loving his dead best friend's little sister. It has sufficient amount of guilt and angst without being overly melodramatic.

To recap, Nate always had a thing for his best friend Rick's little sister Jewel, but there's the age difference... He went into the military, and Rick joined him a few years later, but died due to a sniper attack. Now Nate is back in Peaceful Harbor, having retired from the military... and Jewel is all grown up. Now Jewel is determined to claim Nate for her own, and Nate is determined to resist because he hadn't told her one terrible secret...

When you add up survivor's guilt and more plus PTSD, shock, and "best friend's sister" all add up to an uncomfortable tension between the two, as they always wanted each other... but can love heal the wounds... or will guilt drive them apart? As this is a romance, HEA is guaranteed, but it was fun getting there. Nate wasn't brooding THAT much, and Jewel... well, she didn't turn into full seductress (unlike a lot of less-well-crafted romances). Just enough angst and inadequacy and shame to spice up the relationship.

Category: Contemporary / Military

Primary Plot: Returning soldier feeling guilty about death of his friend must face the friend's little sister who always had the hots for him

Tropes: best friend's sibling (little sister), PTSD, grief, no good for you, unrequired love

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Roped (Scavenger Hunt Series Book 1) by Karen Kelley

NO LONGER ON AMAZON, linking to Goodreads instead

Roped is a contemporary cowboy romance that went for the trope "secret billionaire" plot.

Josephine and her friends decided to play 'scavenger hunt' with a sexy twist, and Josephine was up first... She had to go seduce a sexy cowboy... or exile herself for two weeks on a remote island (which would kill her career). Josephine always worked hard, and really had no idea how to play, or how to have mind-blowing sex, for that matter. It was just her luck that she came across Levi, and he's everything she dreamed a cowboy would be... and willing to take her places she had never been. But when she realized she may be falling for this perfect cowboy lover for real, she ran in the morning. What she didn't realize is this cowboy has a secret too, and he will find his "Josie" and explain to her there is nothing wrong with falling for a cowboy...

What kind of friends would exile their friend to a remote island for two weeks just for losing a stupid game of dare? The inciting incident barely makes sense. The rest of it is okay, but it's pretty much standard insta-lust. The rest of book is okay, which is why this didn't get rated any lower.

Category: Western // Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman dared by friends to seek out a cowboy for a one-night-stand found everything she dreamed of... and ran in the morning. But he's not done with her...

Tropes: alpha guy, insta-lust, no good for you, cowboy,

Overall Rating: 3/5 (rounded up)

GRR Reviews Pushin' Buttons (Boot Knockers Ranch) by Em Petrova

Pushin' Buttons by Em Petrova is a Western erotic romance with a lot of sex, and even some MFM action, though there really wasn't that much of a plot beyond that.

To recap... Sybill had somehow never gotten the big O, despite having been through many relationships... that she had been described as frigid. Desperate, she signed up with Boot Knocker Ranch for one week. The ranch has twenty hard muscled cowboys and no women ever leave unsatisfied... Hugh had planned to sit out that week's session, but when he spotted the sultry Sybill, he pulled rank as Sybill pushed one of his buttons. But even his skills came up shy against her body... and his heart crashed when she blurted out a mind-blowing request... she wants a threesome with Hugh... and Riggs. What she didn't know was both Hugh and Riggs are actually bi... and they had gotten it on with each other before. Now this may truly be a triangle of epic proportions... but can this last? What are they willing to give up to share a woman?

Somehow, Hugh and Riggs come more across as gay than bi, and Sybill doesn't seem to have much of a personality other than her desperation to experience the big O, despite having "sultry curves". Something doesn't fit within those descriptions. I can't give this more than "okay".

Category: Western / Erotic Romance

Primary Plot: Woman desperate to experience the Big O went to a ranch where fantasies come true, and picked two bi-cowboys for MFM

Tropes: no good for you, insta-lust, triangle, resort

Overall Rating: 3/5

GRR Reviews Never Say Never by Emily Goodwin

Never Say Never is a contemporary romance featuring two wounded souls, each coping with their own tragedies in their own ways. When they met, they recognized each other, and a friendship developed, but can it be more?

Haley is a tortured soul. She lost her mother while rescuing neglected and abused horses, and she blamed herself every day while trying to keep herself going, to rescue more animals, for it was the only thing that kept her alive. Her rent is coming due, her boss is more interested in her bra size than her job performance... Running into Aiden, the Hollywood playboy was not on the menu at all. But Aiden is far from the Hollywood playboy he appeared to be either. He copes by engaging in NSA sex, drug, and alcohol abuse, for he can't sleep. When his latest movie took him into Haley's town, they met, and they recognized something in each other: they are both so very alone... but can they risk that friendship turning into something more?

Each character were nicely rounded, with proper wounds and dimensions, as well as coping techniques. However, the darkest hour was the simple "inadequacy trope" which means I can't give this the highest rating.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: A young woman who lost her mother tried to keep herself going when she met a Hollywood superstar who has his own wounds...

Tropes: performer, different worlds, no good for you

Overall Rating:  4/5

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 The Billionaire Playboy (The Sherbrookes by Christina Tetreault

The Billionaire Playboy is a contemporary romance featuring the "blueblood vs. commoner" trope, though it is very well polished.

Charlotte "Charlie" O'Brien, a navy doctor, returned to North Salem, MA to visit her average family when a hurricane hit. After the storm left, she found Jake Sherbrooke is in town. Jake is leading the effort of his Falmouth Foundation disaster relief. The media called him prince charming, and indeed the current POTUS is his father, but he refused Secret Service protection. He's out there nailing boards and moving trees just like any common man. Charlie found Jake was nothing like she expected, and Jake found Charlie utterly fascinating. But is there a chance between them when they are so different?

The story relied on quite a bit of inadequacy trope for the darkest hour, which is a trope in itself. Also, I hate the new cover, as this cover is the same as one of the novels by Jennifer Blake. You can find which one yourself. Finally, both characters are just... too nice. But at least the author's experience in polishing the story produced an above average tale.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Plain doctor fell for the rich but plainspoken guy rebuilding her town after a hurricane

Tropes: different worlds, no good for you

Overall Rating:  4/5 (rounded up)

GRR Reviews His Perfect Bride (The Brides of Paradise) by Merry Farmer

His Perfect Bride (Spicy Version) is a historical Western "mail order bride" story that contains sex scenes (thus "spicy version"). It is better plotted than most mail order bride stories, and featured a good background of characters with room to add more brides in the future.

NOTE: Also available as "Corva: The Perfect Bride" which is clean.

To recap, Corva Collier had to escape her life in the East and mail order bride to a little town of Haskell Wyoming was her last chance. She was an artist, but her life in the East did not allow her to pursue that. She did not expect to find her husband a cripple who can barely walk and did not really wanted to marry her. But Franklin Haskell (yes, the town's named after his relatives) was an honorable man, and between marrying Corva to help her vs. sending her back and marry some other women in town (who has designs on his fortune), Franklin chose Corva, even though he surely does not deserve her. But Corva thought the same... surely a lowly painter does not deserve the richest man in town with a good heart... So in a way, they are perfect for each other...

While the plot is somewhat trope-ish (jealousy, inadequacy, etc.) the important part is the author was able to balance the inadequacy of both the MMC and the FMC. A lot of mail order bride authors made the FMC either too strong (super-woman who can do everything, from carpentry to housewife) or too weak (being rescued from various circumstances, like sold to a bordello or married to a mean drunk) or neglected to write an interesting MMC. This author managed to balance the MMC and the FMC with weaknesses *and* strengths and how they come to accept each other, in addition to the external conflicts like obligations and town gossip. And that deserves recognition.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Female painter married herself out west as mail-order bride as last resort; found a rich man who can barely walk as her reluctant groom...

Tropes: mail order bride, different worlds, fish out of water, disabled, no good for you

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews Game of Love (Love in Bloom: The Remin by Melissa Foster

Game of Love is a contemporary romance that featured two broken individuals with unresolved feelings looking for a second chance.

Ellie and Dex had once been neighbors when they were children, and Dex believed in Ellie... Until Ellie was sent to a different foster family. Four years ago, somehow Ellie found Dex in New York and came to his door, seeking comfort. They spent a weekend together, falling in love, then she stole away in the middle of the night, leaving him broken. Now, he's rich as a premier game developer, and she's running... again... and they ran into each other... and neither had settled their feelings... including the pain. But this time, Dex will not let her run away...

This one is quite angst-y as they came to understand each other's view, on why each did what they did despite the pain. However, the inadequacy trope does get a little old. Still an enjoyable story, as the author managed to make a "crazy one-night stand" sound romantic.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: She ran away after a memorable weekend, leaving him broken. They met again 4 years later on streets of New York...

Tropes: no good for you, childhood sweetheart, fling to a thing, reunion

Overall Rating: 4/5

GRR Reviews Unafraid by Melody Grace

Unafraid as a contemporary romance did deliver a darkest hour, as well as mutual grand gestures leading to a happily ever after. However, I do find the FMC to be a self-sabotaging low-self-esteem self-doormat-ing fool. Nobody made her a doormat... She made herself a doormat, and that was just DEPRESSING to read! Fortunately, by the end of the book she finally snapped out of it, but really, it's annoying!

Any way, to recap, Brittany "Brit" Ray has an outcast mom and a runaway dad in a sleepy beach town, so she was already seen as "easy", "white trash", and she believed that happy dreams and ambitions are not for girls like her. But she does have dreams of making it in the fashion industry... and she dreamed of Hunter Covington, a man she can never have. For Hunter is practically Charleston royalty, rich, but they were friends when young, and they did spend one unforgettable night... but she slipped away before dawn, for she knew she'll be kicked out before then. She did not expect Hunter was back in town, managing his grandpa's ranch, leaving behind his law school and his family. Seeing Brit made Hunter realized he always had something for Brit, but he also had family obligations that he may not be able to dodge... As their passions ignite, both are doubtful of their ability to sustain their relationship...

The darkest hour was kinda lame, and the grand gesture... somewhat inspired.  The plotting was actually quite nice, but how are we supposed to sympathize with someone who beat HERSELF down first? If you can get past the part where the FMC runs away first due to that much inadequacy, you'd want to reach through the pages and shake some sense into her.

Category:  Contemporary

Primary Plot:  Poor girl had loved the rich boy in town. Now he's back, and he wanted her, but his family has other ideas...

Tropes: different worlds, fashion, family pressure, no good for you

Overall Rating:  3/5