GRR Reviews her Hockey Superstar Fake Fiance by Cami Checketts

Jag left town a decade ago to become a hockey superstar. He succeeded, but in the process, his girlfriend Faith left him. He's back in town to spend the Holidays with his family, but he has a secret and a reporter on his *** hoping to get a scoop on his secret. Then he ran into Faith... // Faith can't believe Jag is back in town and pretending he didn't break up with her. She may be a widow (her husband's been dead a year, fast brain tumor), but she's NOT ready to forgive Jag. Until she read a letter left by her dead husband...

Pretty trope plot, but well-polished. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Off-Season by Megan Green

Ian, better known as "Tag", is a shortstop for the Washington Rampage pro baseball team, and he was apparently betrayed by a woman he had taken to bed, VERY consensually. The woman is now alleging rape as legal blackmail, and Ian was told to make himself scarce in the off-season while the PR team negotiates for her silence. He went to a friend's cabin in the small town called Maple Lake in Colorado, where people didn't recognize him. He found himself neighbor to Lexi, who has her own demons to conquer, and he wanted to help her fix up her old house. Ian and Lexi fell for each other, but can their love survive both of their secrets?

Apparently, the public will believe tabloid reporters, then later, confessions that contradict such tabloid reporters. Public must be really gullible. *sigh*  4/5

GRR Reviews Whole Lotta Love by Amity Cross

Juniper is just a small-town girl living in an Aussie beach town running a bookstore that's falling fast. Meeting a rockstar wasn't in her plans, but she didn't recognize Sebastian, lead singer for the hottest band Beneath. But Sebastian was best known for his one-night-stands, groupies, and out-of-control lifestyle, something he didn't want anymore, and hiding in this small town was his way of getting a break from it all. Yet Juniper can't stay away from him, for she saw through the shiny exterior to the man underneath. And they were thrown together, unable to resist their passion. But when media and their fellow bandmates and even their manager found them their bliss withered on the vine. Can Sebastian save her by leaving her behind? Or will he fight for a way for them to be together?

Ah, the price of fame. There's a bit of angst, but not THAT much. At least not until the media came to down. The saga continues in the series of 4 books, but there is an ending here, so it's not a cliffhanger. 4/5

GRR Reviews A Celebrity Proposal by Layla Holt

Tanner is a billionaire CEO who enjoys an annual "break" for a month, living in his hometown and minding the family store so his parents can go on their yearly vacation. It's supposed to be uneventful, and his town knows how to protect him. He didn't anticipate wanting to help the blonde bombshell, Erika, who's the town's kindergarten teacher... But when his attempt to help by pretending to be her fiancee ended up with her picture (and his) in tabloids, and paparazzi appeared in town chasing them, Erika was stunned. She valued her anonymity, preferring to deal with her own loss her own way. But Tanner is too handsome and nice of a guy to pass up, even though he's out of her league. So is the romance real, or just fake?

I honestly didn't feel much of a connection, as the romance started as "just helping out" and became an UNINTENTIONAL "fake engagement" which THEN turned into real love?!  It just feels... lackadaisical. It's sweet, but not much else. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Man Seeking Woman by Leah Holt

Ella is desperate. She just lost her lease on her apartment, and she can't find any job that fits her teaching credentials. Then she spotted a very vague ad: man seeking woman. She answered it. The guy met her at a 5-star restaurant, but the proposal was so outrageous, she stormed out... // August found that due to his father's weird will, he may end up with nothing (despite his near billionaire status) unless he produces an heir soon. But none of the woman he met he'd want to bear his child much less love. Ella is... perfect. She is beautiful, has her own mind, is not a sycophant, and may just desperate enough to consider his proposal. But how can he convince her? // Ella eventually moved to August's place, and August won Ella over. But with paparazzi circling, and his mother meddling, will this relationship last?

Somehow, this book is rather lacking. There were several spelling mistakes, and August can't seem to stay away from lascivious thoughts about Ella even before she moved in. The result is "creepy" instead of "charming". Once they got together, the relationship did sparkle a bit, but the darkest hour was basically "fragile ego, wrong conclusion" and "run away to sort my feelings", and the grand gesture being August shows up to talk about it.  3/5

GRR Reviews Catching Waves by Kimberly Krey

Surf instructor Carly of Royal Palm Resort is not happy when she found her schedule was hijacked to accommodate a Hollywood hunk by the name of Gage. Her personal life is a mess, as her first partner, Jimmy, was somehow still in her life despite having separated years ago due to a shared tragedy. And Gage was nothing like she expected... // Gage was NOT a Hollywood hunk. He was in school getting his degree in UC Berkeley, but to please his legendary actor father, he'll do ONE film... which happens to be a surfer movie. Carly is an excellent instructor, and soon his own UN-Hollywood manners wooed Carly. But even as Gage contemplated life with Carly, paparazzi found them and Carly's tragedy are exploited by tabloids, and Carly ran... Can Gage show that he's sincere in his love for her?

Good use of papparazzi, with no obviously plot holes and proper developements. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews A Billion Reasons to Run by Amelia St James

Brandon is the single heir of a large family enterprise. Due to death of his parents, he was brought up by grandma Ginger, better known as Gigi. He had yet to find love, as women flock to him for his fortune. When the original store of the enterprise was in trouble, Brandon flew down for some personal troubleshooting. Ended up as neighbor to Alana... who does not recognize him... // Alana lost her mom and never knew her father. Her mom said she was disowned for having a child out of wedlock. Alana understands how to struggle to make ends meet, working in a food market. She never imagined a HEA, until she met Brandon. // When a tabloid photo revealed Brandon's real identity, Alana ran to find herself, and truth about her origins, and by chance, also came across information that puts Brandon at risk...

Some parts are quite good, some parts are merely okay. I like the part about finding one's origins that completely changes the paradigm (let's just say someone's being WAY too prideful) but the story is also a bit scattered as Brandon have to deal with the market's problems, and a cast of supporting characters that most have very little to do, and the evil guy is just... well, evil.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews Home Run Baby by Tabatha Kiss

She's an aspiring photographer who can't stand being the family laughingstock (in her mind). When her sister and her beau came to town, she had to escape. She went to a bar to get plastered, and when the bartender, declaring it's his final shift on a final day, going onto bigger and better things, she decided to have a one-night-stand, and it was VERY memorable hot sex, but since they gave each other fake names, there are no strings at all. Six weeks later, while she went to a baseball game, she was hit on the head by a baseball via a home run by "Home Run Hunter", the latest minor league sensation who had a home run in EVERY game he appeared in so far. He came to visit her in the hospital... It was him... the bartender, and she also found out she's pregnant, for about six weeks. When a sports magazine wanted to do a profile on him, he decided to make her the official photographer... for almost a month worth of road trips. They can even have secret romps. But when her pregnancy and their relationship leaked, do they still have a chance?

It's pretty good, lots of reluctant push-pull. My big complaint is why would a famous sports reporter consent to let a no-name photographer join the trip. It's obvious there's a story right there, if he wanted to make it a condition of the road trip.

Category: Contemporary / Sports

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews One Distant Summer by Serena Clarke

Jacinda Prescott spent a summer in Sweet Breeze Bay, New Zealand, and the disaster she left behind was felt for a very long time. She went back to LA, built a music career as "Sin Scott", but when the music label execs tried to get her to sex up, and one of them even tried to feel her up, she had enough, went incognito, and went back to Sweet Breeze Bay, to confront her past... // Liam left everything behind after the death of his brother, the town's golden boy, and Jacinda may have been "at fault". He went back to town for closure and found Jacinda there... And they are neighbors for the summer. And the one secret that bound them together is hanging over them... But it may also be a way for them to heal... Until a reporter arrived...

Hmmm... The secrets and tragedies about, and there were a LOT of secrets buried that one night, and PLENTY of guilt to go around. I like it, except it was a bit morose.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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