GRR Reviews Come Undone by Crystal kaswell

Alyssa had to leave her last TV show when she fainted, suffering from bulimia as a result of binge-eating and purging cycles. Her boyfriend Ryan, who had taken care of her before, got her to rehab, and she is now okay... But Ryan refuses to let her act again, claiming she has no self-control. Alyssa also met Luke, Ryan's wilder, more passionate law partner, who doesn't like the way Ryan treats Alyssa (more like a pet than a girlfriend). But Alyssa already accepted the engagement ring from Ryan, and he did save her... right? But Luke refused to sit back, even as Alyssa grew a spine and got back into acting... and Ryan retreated into 80-hour work weeks...

While a part of a three-book series, this novel can be read alone. I like the overall feel, but I didn't like the way Ryan or Luke were set up. Ryan basically has NO redeeming qualities other than he got Alyssa to rehab, but that's a one-time event, which he used as a hammer to beat her down again and again while using her as his show-piece (on his arm at social events), as if he owned her for life "for her own good". In the meanwhile, Luke (or Lucas) is the white knight who will save her from her dreary existence under Ryan's thumb with great sex and more. If there were more nuances in the two MMC I'd give this a higher score. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Season of Romance by Alexa Verde

Andrey moved to the small town Rio Azules to care for his nephew Ilya, who is now an orphan. Ilya also has diabetes and Andrey doesn't know anything about that. When Ilya got hypoglycemia, Andrey panicked, but fortunately, his neighbor, Melinda, is a paramedic, and practically a godmother to Ilya, and knew exactly what to do. Melinda also has two secrets... She's diabetic too (and has an insulin pump just like Ilya) and she has a crush on her hunky neighbor. But Andrey will soon move back to Houston, where his family and business are, with Ilya.... So she can't get involved... but she has to, to help Ilya...

Okay, the reluctant romance angle came through fine. But the deus ex machina ending I didn't like at all. To put it plainly, one obstacle in their way just magically removed itself when a certain third-party had an epiphany. ARGH!!!!!  3/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Curvy Girl Romance by Kim Koby

Angie was fired from the show before the show's last season started... and was replaced by a dog. Angie knew she had gained weight, but it's due to her brain tumor, really, and the medicine she had to take to keep it under control. Left without direction or purpose, and a lot of thought on mortality, Angie drove toward home, but was temporarily stranded in town while her car's being fixed, which is where she encountered Bryson. // Bryson is a billionaire who feels very much alone, and not even his expensive toys helped. His sister, a brilliant brain surgeon, prefers spending time in foreign countries doing charity work, and only comes back for a visit every few months. Just when they are having lunch, her sister spotted her favorite actress, Angie, on the other side of the restaurant. Bryson was shocked to find himself falling for the actress, totally unlike any women he knew. But will she run away before Bryson bares his heart?

As a 100-page short novel, the transition of Bryson's viewpoint from "fat chick" to "BBW" to "woman I like/love" seems a bit abrupt. 4/5

GRR Reviews Seaside Heartbeats by Stacy Claflin

Lana has just finished getting her architect license despite her heart problem (that can be managed). But a flareup in Kittle Falls, where she's spending a vacation with her family, sent her to the office fo cardiologist Brayden, one of the Hunter brothers. // Brayden left behind his practice in Dallas to be closer to his parents in Kittle Falls, which also meant leaving behind his GF. Meeting Lana made him want to try for love again...  Brayden also was intrigued by the legend of the founder of the town, Kittle, that disappeared. The pair agreed to try to solve the 160-year-old murder mystery and stumbled into a coverup that lasted generations... and may claim their lives...

Interesting pivot into romantic suspense, but I'm surprised they didn't suspect the cop earlier. 4/5

GRR Reviews Taming her Cowboy Billionaire by Natalie Dean

Bryant is the black sheep of his conservative and religious family, seemingly going against the values he was brought up with but nonetheless becoming successful. But despite his success, his heart remains empty, while his four brothers all found love... And it was at his brother's wedding when he encountered Keiko... Keiko is beautiful, smart, talented, and religious (goes to Church on Sundays, and more), and has a great group of friends. And many people even warned Bryant "don't mess with Keiko, she's too good for you". And Bryant agrees... Keiko is too different, probably too good for him. But Keiko has her own demons... and Bryant will find them, when Keiko decided to help him reconcile with his family by understanding his pain...

You almost forgot Keiko's part-Asian until she mentioned it, and until she shared her own demons. But all this started when she decided to get nosy? Hmmm... Still, it's actually quite good, just didn't feel very western or cowboy. 4/5

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 Send Sunshine by Heather MacKinnon

Bailey gave up on dating after kissing too many frogs. She volunteered to spend some time with a lonely horse, but she knew nothing about horses... And was tutored by the rudest man she knew... Ryder. But Ryder is also gorgeous and hot... // Ryder had screwed up once before, because he's hiding a secret. He has a mental condition that he kept under control through medication, discipline, and work, and he has no time for women... Even one as enchanting as Bailey. But Bailey couldn't resist a challenge and kept asking him for "one night". // Will Ryder succumb to Bailey's charms? Will Bailey see the secret Ryder was desperately hiding? Will Ryder end up hurting them both?

Nice, let's just say Ryder... may not be completely mentally stable, and he's already working three jobs hoping to pay back his brother for bailing him out earlier. And this time, he may drag Bailey down with him. Darkest hour is truly dark, and the resolution was also appropriate. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Best of Intentions by LK Farlow

Nate and Jenny are acquaintances. Nate's little sister is Jenny's best friend. Nate and Jenny are NOT a couple, and they have different ideas about love. Nate's a bit of playboy, love-em-and-leave-em kinda guy, and a cop. Jenny's mate-for-life kinda girl, but strong and beautiful and sassy. But Jenny has had a crush on Nate for a long time. And after a wedding, it was the perfect chance to get a taste of Nate. It'd be just for one night... Except it's never really that simple.

Okay, nice job throwing diabetes there for Jenny to deal with in addition to life. You'll get an explanation for why Nate's the way he is, and he did change. Not too angst-y. 4/5

GRR Reviews My Life in Shambles by Karina Hale

Valerie lost everything before Christmas. She got downsized, her boyfriend called off the engagement, and she lost her apartment. When her sisters asked her to join them in Ireland for adventure, she can't refuse. Spending a night with the sexy Irishman Padraig wasn't part of the plan, knowing he was/is a top rugby player was a shock. What came next... was even more surprising... Padraig wanted Valerie to go with him to his hometown of Shambles, and pretend to be his fiancee for a few days so his ailing father can have some peace of mind before he passed. It sounds simple, but nothing ever is. Hounded by media, a small town's full of gossips, and the respective ex's, their every secret may soon be exposed...

Ah, this book can get seriously angst-y at times, sorta tear-jerker, but everything flows properly. For a "fake to real" romance, this is VERY good. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Ex-Princess by Fiona West

Abelia abandoned her princess duties nine years ago and chose to live as a commoner with a menial job and tiny apartment. She was surprised to find royal emissaries arrived to enforce a marriage contract with prince Edward... someone she hadn't seen as a child. // Edward was the "spare heir" until his brother went off the rails and started a rebellion against his own father. Desperate to avoid a war that he's not sure he can win, he needs to marry his best friend, princess Abelia, to present a united front. Unfortunately, Abelia has her own ideas on whether she can be queen, no matter how convincing prince Edward can be. But for the sake of the people, will they do what they must? Or is there another way?

The book left me rather confused. Some parts of it are brilliant or shows signs of brilliance, some parts of it made me wonder what's it doing there. Abelia had her own adventure before she finally returned to her own realm (with lots of bad guys chasing her and her party) but that's merely first part of the story. Once Edward joined the party, it's a series of small revelations (which I will not spoil) on WHY she cannot be his queen, no matter what he says or does. Eventually, you'll get a HEA that ALMOST felt like an afterthought. I felt the plot could have been clearer and better defined. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Sexy Bad Halloween by Tami Lund

Alex was looking for a Halloween costume... months ahead of schedule. What he found was his childhood best friend Victoria. They hadn't spoken to each other since his dad had an affair with her mom, then left him and his mother behind, taking his new family across the country. Twelve years later, they meet again. He wants to know her again, as they are both adults now, but she's hesitant. Alex managed to get Victoria "Tori" to agree to ten dates... No sex... But Tori has a secret which would preclude her from dating ANYONE... esp. Alex...

Hmmm... While I enjoy the banter, the "ten dates" thing doesn't really make sense, and the plot twist (the secret) sorta makes sense and sorta doesn't. And it's introduced really really late to make it effective.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

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

GRR Reviews Hidden Secrets by Carolyn Brown

The four generations of Brewster woman are taking a road trip to Oklahoma... ordered by the family matriarch, great-grandma Hannah. Her best friend died and left her the farm, and she's tired of her life in the east. But she has secrets to confess to... But then, so did Karen (grandma), Sue (mom), and Kim (daughter). Kim is pregnant by a man she only married for one-day. Now that man is engaged to someone else... Sue is divorced when her husband ran off with someone Kim's age. And there are some bitter divorce proceedings... And Karen has her own secrets to hide... When Sue and Kim found new potential partners in the Oklahoma town, and each took up new responsibilities of the farm, they will reveal all their secrets... and change their lives forever...

More chick lit than romance, there are a lot of little twists and turns as each of the secrets was revealed, and the confession helped turn each woman's life around, in a way.

Category: Contemporary / Chick-lit

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews Cowboy Heat by Sable Hunter

Libby has leukemia in remission. Her doctor told her to live life to the fullest, and her wish was to bed Aron McCoy, the oldest McCoy brother. She had always admired him from afar. When their housekeeper is going on vacation for a few months, it's the perfect chance. Libby moved into Tebow ranch and became the new temporary housekeeper, and Aron was smitten... Until he found out Libby still has her v-card... But when Libby admitted she wanted only him... It is time for Aron to step up to the challenge... Even if she is not disclosing her secret... For Aron does not know she has cancer...

The twist is simple enough, and sex here is quite hot that it's basically erotic romance. There's also a bit of 4th wall breaking joke about how Libby learned all her moves from reading erotic romance. Hahaha. 4/5

Category: Contemporary / Western / Erotic

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland

Emma is a realist, but when she lost her job at a high-powered accounting firm AND fiancee in the same week, she's having problems being real. Her best friend gave her a challenge... why not trying being a Pollyanna for a while? See the upside in everything? It was then she realized she always wanted to do interior design... so she set about to paint her room, and met Will in the home improvement store, and Will was able to blend a custom shade of blue. There is an immediate attraction between Emma and Will, and Will even invited Emma back to his boat. But Will is keeping two secrets... He's the heir of Ballard Paints, and he has MS (multiple sclerosis). When his GF split, he doesn't want to be hurt again. So he ran, leaving Emma confused as ever. Is the Pollyanna plan working... or will Emma go back to her old ways?

Surprisingly deeper than first suspected, both characters underwent epiphanies about how they had closed themselves off to the world after hurt and should fight for what they believe in.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews The Awesome Girl's Guide to Dating Extraordinary Men by Ernessa T. Carter

Thursday: daughter of a former rapper star, she knew the price of betrayal... when her mom one day drove herself off a cliff after divorce. But she wanted to write, and falling for a movie star, muchless one of her girl friend's ex, is not in the plan...

Risa: skinny punk rocker, bold and audacious, but she only loved one person... but she's so closeted, NO ONE knew they were an item... Except for them, and a very loyal fake boyfriend

Sharita: BBW accountant, swore she wanted only black men... until she fell for a white guy, who has his own secrets...

Tammy: terribly afraid of disappointing her rich family, she dated a movie star for a while, but she's hiding two terrible secrets... even as she struggled to find her own way in life, after getting fired from her family company.

Part chick-lit, part anthology, and plenty of heart. This is four intertwined stories about four best friends (all black) in college that lasted. Ten years later, and over a period of two years, their relationships will be tested to the brink. Several will have their hearts broken, several find their love in unexpected directions. And one will lose her life...

Category: Contemporary / Chick-lit

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews Forever Changed (Forever Series) by Mona Ingram

Forever Changed is a novella (100 pages) about an epiphany in life after a struggle with morality... and a hot fling to enjoy life.

Ariana has breast cancer. She had already lost her mother, her sister, and an aunt to breast cancer. And she's still young. As a successful realtor, Ariana has NOT really had a happy marriage. And the cancer diagnosis brought an epiphany... What had she really done with her life, should she get a second chance after surgery and treatment? Enter Blaine, tattoo artist... and all around hot guy...

It's not quite insta-lust, but it's close, and you can guess that Blaine has his own inner demons to wrestle. But the book is about deep emotional relationships between people in their personal crisis, and that, the author delivers in spades.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman diagnosed with breast cancer had an epiphany about life: had she really lived and loved? Should she have a fling?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews Only Twenty-Five (Madison Musicians Bo by Jennifer McCoy Blaske

Only Twenty-Five is a somewhat generic title that did not convey the uniqueness of a tale about a teacher had to deal with her physical problems which affect her self-image while she's being wooed by a fellow teacher.

Meg Caldwell moved to a new town and was perfectly happy as a teacher. She spends her free time with her books and her cats. She wants to have a relationship, but she's having a huge problem... She has female pattern baldness... She's losing her hair... fast. Extensions are messy. Wigs are... unstable. Hats... are not allowed in class. And she's smitten with fellow teacher Josh Harrter. Josh likes the happy Meg with a spring in her steps, but she's hiding a huge secret... How can he get her to trust him?

At only 100 pages, there were quite a bit of rom-com in there including various types of hair accidents, from hair extensions detachments to wig malfunctions and more. Obviously the incidents were treated with a good dose of humor and red faces, and there's even a character arc where Meg came to her own realization. It's inspirational as well.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Young teacher with female baldness tries not to embarrass herself while being wooed by fellow handsome teacher

Tropes: co-worker, secret illness, fling to a thing, small town

Overall Rating: 4/5

GRR Reviews Pursued by the Rogue by Kelly Hunter

Pursued by the Rogue is about going after one really wants rather than being shackled by one's self-perceived limitations. While it started similar to "cookie-cutter" romances, this short novel managed to pack a lot of emotions and revelations into just over 100 pages.

Dawn Turner doesn't do relationship... she's too busy, and she is hiding a secret... She's afraid to get into a relationship and have children because she carries the gene linked to Huntington's disease. But she can't stay away from the man who stole her heart years ago... Finnbar Sullivan, who took her V-card, then left her behind to pursue his music career. So when Finn is back in town, Dawn settled for the next best thing: NSA sex, as she needed this man, but cannot want him. Finn, on the other hand, does want Dawn... all of her. When she will not give more, Finn sought out the truth, which will devastate him...

It does get a little melodramatic at the end, as you can probably guess there will be a HEA ending. But the emotional push-pull is raw and powerful, made sense, and is at least somewhat fresh and modern.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman goes back to her first love for NSA sex because she can't give it her all; he will be devastated to find out why

Tropes: secret illness, reunion, fling to a thing

Overall Rating: 4/5

GRR Reviews Tattooed Dots (The Halo Series Book 1) by Kimberly Knight

Tattooed Dots is about love, but the pressure on love was decidedly low key and more about accepting the risk of what may come. It's all inner struggle.

Easton Crawford put his modeling career on hold to fight his wife in a bitter custody battle over their daughter Cheyenne. On the final day of the trial, his wife died in a tragic car accident. Years later, he and his godbrother Avery co-own the hot new Halo Bar. Easton only does casual hookups, not yet seeking a mother for his little girl, but he sensed time is running out. Then Avery surprised him by sending both of them to a Singles Cruise, where they ran into Brooke and her bestie, and Easton was hooked on Brooke. Brooke was celebrating her 30th and her bestie got her to go on a cruise (only later revealing it's a singles cruise) When Brooke's shoulder pain (from before the cruise) was diagnosed to be a tumor, Easton was right there to hold her hand... But is Easton only there in passing, or is there a happily ever after in store for them?

The chemistry between Easton and Brooke was never quite explained. And even though Singles Cruise is hook-up city, Easton only has eyes on Brooke, but they didn't quite hooked up there, just cuddled. Still, both characters were drawn nicely, both with their issues (Easton with his daughter and dead wife, Brooke with her douchebag BF who cares more about COD than her) so the romance can work, but it doesn't feel very emotional except for "OMG is the tumor cancerous?"

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot:  Single dad met single girl on singles cruise, but he has a daughter, and she has... shoulder problem. Can they be together?

Tropes: single parent, secret illness, bar owner, cruise, forced proximity

Overall Rating:  4/5 (rounded up from 3.5/5)