GRR Reviews The Wild One by Ruth Cardello

NOTE: Same series as "The Broken One" reviewed earlier

Mauricio Romano is between jobs, trying to figure out his direction in life. His family is rich (he's technically a billionaire), but he's not spoiled... just... cocky. And visiting his buddy Felix in Paris was just the time to lose some steam. But losing his heart to an American visitor? Never. Right? // Wren Heath was visiting Paris at the invitation of her friend Cecil. Meeting Mauricio, the avowed bachelor and player, wasn't quite in her plans, but having a weeklong fling with a gorgeous guy in the city of love sounds wonderful... Especially if what happened in Paris, stay in Paris. Right? 

This one leaves me a little conflicted. I can see Wren's thoughts, as she kept saying this is "just a fling", and even though she'd LIKE it to be permanent, she was prejudiced by Cecil's opinion of Mauricio, that he's good at building a fantasy, and she's viewing all his moves as "building a fantasy for her" even when he's sincere. What I have a little problem seeing is how Mauricio turned from an avowed bachelor to a one-woman man. 4/5

GRR Reviews At Last by Miranda P Charles

Gemma doesn't do casual but is looking for one true love. Greg doesn't do long-term, as he vowed to shape up and live up to his family legacy. It doesn't help that his two brothers have married and his family is VERY rich, so he has a LOT of women after him. The two remained friends... Until Gemma seems to have attracted the attention of a stalker who wanted to ruin her any way possible. Greg will protect her, but is that love? And when Gemma agreed to a fling, is she lying to herself?

Hmmm... Good but with flaws. Gemma's lying to herself that she can do a fling is believable. It's basically self-denial. Greg's self-denial, however, goes much much deeper. It's obvious he doesn't want anyone else to have Gemma, but he can't admit it to himself. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews His Beautiful Billionaire Distraction by Erica Penrod

Tayla Mills is a billionaire with a purpose... She's opening a new addiction treatment center in Seattle, to help people avoid hurting other people through their additions like how she suffered. // Waylon is a former-addict, at least he hoped so. But having been through a program, he got it under control and went to live with his brother Jamon in Seattle's "Billionaire Cove". Meeting Tayla and her puppy was happenstance. Being mistaken for his brother (who also donated to her treatment center) by Tayla was a shock... But now Waylon's angry... he wants to do it on his own, not "helped" by his younger billionaire brother... Or want Tayla's pity. But is he just angry at himself? Or can he let her love him?

The connection just feels a bit thin on this one. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Wonder of Now by Jamie Beck

Peyton is a survivor of breast cancer, but an emotional wreck, with her BF abandoning her at the time of need. However, when her memoir combined with her brother's frank photographs of her taking off, she needs to do a book promo tour with her publisher PR whiz Mitch. While Mitch is efficient, he's also very cold, yet with moody moments and flashes of pain beneath his implacable exterior. As the two slowly got to know each other, they gained an understanding into each other... and themselves. But is there love?

Nice job portraying a breast cancer survivor, living in doubt, tattered self-image, without letting it destroy her. Mitch has a shallower character arc, but not by that much. His motivations are simpler, but no less deep... sort of childhood promise and trauma. Though it is slightly less understandable how did his promise lead him to being PR guy... 4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Broken One by Ruth Cardello

Sebastian Romano developed the single grocery store his father founded into an empire and made himself a billionaire, but the loss of his wife and unborn child years ago turned him into a workaholic robot, ready to bulldoze any opposition... Until he found a dirty stuffed wolf doll on the side of the road... // Heather is a single mom who adopted her best (dead) friend's daughter and raised her since birth, despite her own family's objections. When her daughter Ava lost her favorite stuffed animal "Wolfie" she posted a reward for its recovery. She didn't expect to have it returned by a handsome guy with the saddest eyes that she can't help but wanted to heal him. But is she ready to meet the entire Romano family? And can she teach Sebastian to have a heart again?

While the tropes are present, they are so well-polished that you don't really care. Seb really is "the broken one" and the right woman can heal him... If he will let her in. The ending is a bit reminiscent of "Pretty Woman", where he actually found a heart to be more... empathetic. Very satisfying read, and trademark Ruth Cardello story. 5/5

GRR Reviews Gambling with the Billionaire by Agnes Canestri

Billionaire Ryan returned to his home town to buy out and dismantle an old restaurant called Sapphire. The owner wanted to sell to fund his daughter's college plans. It should be a clear-cut and emotionless deal, except for the restaurant manager Bianca, and her love of oldies. Her passion had turned the aging taverna into the coolest jazz restaurant in town. She may just be trying to save her job, and Ryan may look a lot like Dean Martin, but Ryan hadn't done relationships and does not plan to start... ever. Not even Bianca spending four grand to win him at a bachelor auction would change his mind... but what about his heart?

Hmmm... characters are deeper than they first seem, but from the start Ryan is a conflicted man. He pretends he's an emotionless robot, but the fact that he will put himself on the auction block to help the local cause means he really *does* care, if he will just admit to himself. While Ryan has a character arc, Bianca doesn't seem to have one. 4/5

GRR Reviews Long Road Home by Kate Stacy

Hailee is a single mother who admires Grayson from afar. When Grayson announced his upcoming marriage, she was devastated. Then she met Drake, a long-haul trucker who happens to be just in town. He technically could live off his inheritance, but he chose to drive with no family to tie him down. Meeting Hailee is making him reconsider that decision. When an apartment fire destroyed Hailee's home, Drake told her to move to his place, but Drake's evil ex appeared, preying on Hailee's insecurities...

Nothing too special in the insta-love scenario, polish is decent, but tropes like evil ex and insecurities are a bit obvious. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Clash by C A Harms

Payton was abused by the person that should be there to protect her. Her only refuge was her neighbor family, which includes Dylan, who will cherish her. But is that love? Will he betray her just like other men in her life?

While the story fo abuse and survival is emotional, the love story seems to fade into the background here, until the emotional self-loathing (I'm not good enough, my abuser said so) takes over. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews All I want for Christmas by Tracey Mayhew

Jess left the lakeside village behind when her father turned into a recluse after loss of her mother. But three years later, when her best friend Holly found her own husband was cheating with his secretary, leaving her with two children, Jess had to come back to help, and perhaps, make peace with her father and her past. Meeting Glen and his dog also brought a sense of peace in town. But would she want to stay?

The story felt a bit... scattered, as if the author didn't have one primary problem and two complications, but instead, made three equally "medium" problems. Was Jess just fighting to come home? Solve Holly's problems? Find love? Make peace with her father? Obviously the answer is "all of the above", but she's not really working toward a goal, but sort of fumbling along, reacting to each thing as she goes. 3/5

GRR Reviews Rebellion by Aidy Award

NOTE: This is a continuation to Rebound

With help of her bodyguard/lover, Grayson, Angelina has learned how to love her BBW body and her kink. But Gray will only watch, and never participate. Angelina has had enough. If he won't touch her, she'll find someone who does, and embrace her inner diva and dominatrix... // Gray knew that Angelina's taste of kink is just that... a taste. She doesn't know true submission, and Gray knew if he ever goes full out, he will break her. So he stayed away. But now that she's trying to run from him, he will have to save her... from herself, by having someone teaching her submission...

Very good kink, sexy, sensual, without too much of the mindset and verbiage, but mostly about the lust. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Sounds of Secrets by Whitney Barbetti

Lotte (nickname of Charlotte) had been in love with Sam (short for Samson), but he never noticed her, apparently. Lotte always wanted to travel, despite inheriting a space as a dance studio in London. She took the risk of selling the studio and do a bit of travel in the US, but Lotte also has a hair-pulling problem... She deals with stress with hair pulling, so much sow her brows and her hair are in patches and she had to disguise it with makeup. Before she left, and after a few too many drinks, she and Sam had one night, but he left, and she... left for the US. But this roadtrip only made her realize she's a stranger in a strange land. When she suffered an injury, Sam came to the US to spend some time with her... and shared his own problems and secrets. But is that enough for a relationship?

Oooh, seriously angst-y type romance, which is this author's specialty. Her main characters are all flawed, suffering from loss and grief, yet managed to nonetheless find love. If you like serious people finding love without billionaires and other fantasy elements, this is a must-read. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Planet Single by Maggie McGuinness

Katerina was launched into "Planet Single" without warning when her husband of over a decade and the father of her children announced he wanted a divorce because he didn't feel the spark anymore. Angry because she hadn't been getting any (sex) for years, and she felt she was the one being wronged, they quickly separated and went on their ways. But Katerina's friends all have different ideas on how to leave singledom... while Katerina wondered where her libido had gone off hiding. Was it her job or her life that bored it into hibernating? She went on dodgy dates, get to know some strange characters and making friends while eyeing potential co-workers. But can she find herself first?

At over 400-pages, this book just feels about 100 pages too long, but that could be just author's style. Banter is witty. 4/5

GRR Reviews Bon Bons to Yoga Pants by Katie Cross

Lexie is pretty, and she knew she's overweight... over 250 pounds at age of 22... But eating for stress relief had her stuck in her ways. Fortunately, there is now an incentive... She's obsessed with Bradley, a handsome guy who seems to be into her over FB... With her younger sister's wedding coming in a few months, and she's the maid of honor (and Bradley will be there) she's determined to make a change, by joining the "Health and Happiness Society". But as Lexie slowly comes to grips with her weight problem, and the pounds started to come off, will Lexie figure out WHY she overeats, and will she see the root problem of her self-image?

Great rom-com with a lot of self-deprecating humor about her own weight, as well as going into the core problem of eating as coping mechanism to stress. It's also a bit of self-discovery. Even Bradley's too-good-to-be-true persona wasn't a total cliche. 5/5

GRR Reviews Two Last First Dates by Kate O'Keefe

Paige had enough of her e-mail marketing job under her toxic boss and her previous "last first date" (i.e. finding Mr. Right) crashed and burned. She needed to find herself and quit her job, fast. Fortunately, her best friends are there to help, even as she found a temporary job at the Cozy Cottage Cafe. She met Josh, the friendly coffee delivery guy, and he's nice, but not really... sparkly. Her friends decided to help her by helping her choose Mr. Right for her, while she concentrated on finding a different job, even as she met Marcus, man of her dreams. Just about perfect, hot, charming, good job, likes her... She wanted to date him. But did her friends pick Marcus as her last first date?

Good chick-lit rom-com moments where the heroine has to find herself AND her love at the same time. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews My Best Friend, the Billionaire by Serenity Woods

Izzy is physically scarred from an accident in her youth, and her family had always been poor. But she has great friends, including Hal King, one of the King brothers, whom she met back in high school. And Hal's rich and handsome and everything an (unwanted) girl can ask for, a great platonic friend. And now, they both work at Noah's Ark animal sanctuary. Izzy believed Hal will NEVER want her... but Hal is tired of holding back... He wanted to woo Izzy... forever. But can Izzy believe in him... and herself?

Okay, Izzy is in self-denial ALMOST to the point of being masochistic, and this is NOT a sweet romantic. There is sex, and there's drama because Hal's ex (another employee) is creating drama. And Hal has super-human patience, but then, it's almost like he's coaxing Izzy much like he coaxes a mistreated dog into accepting his help. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Runaway Heir by Ruth Cardello

Nicolette is a Westerly, and people are nice to her just for who she is, not for her abilities. Nicolette chose to live a normal life, joining Photographers without Borders, leaving her rich family behind. When her true parentage came into doubt,  turning her world upside down, she had to flee... so she went to a little town in Iowa to help the town market itself for revitalization. She had also met Bryant who belonged to a family that had a feud with the Westerlies for decades (sins of the fathers and all that)   Bryant recognized a kindred soul, and he will confront even the Westerly matriarch Delinda herself, for a chance to court Nicolette...

The novel is definitely a standalone, but they segue into each other very well, and are in chronological order. By making Bryant from a rival family, not just poor, the stakes are raised somewhat, even though this is NOT a Montague vs Capulet situation. And a marriage may be the best way to settle the feud. Not to mention Bryant may be the only "real" guy that actually try to court Nicolette as herself, not as a Westerly.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Daughter by Kayla Hansen

Ally Sinclair was told to shape up and stop being a trust fund baby by her controlling father. In a fit of anger, she drove off and ended up stranded in Sweet Falls, where a rival clan, the Dressens, reside, when her car skidded off the road. She was rescued by Mitch Dressen, a widower still grieving over the loss of his wife. Mitch wasn't sure what to do with Ally... She's a Sinclair to be despised, but she's also vulnerable and fish out of water. Mitch told her that if she can live and work like a normal person for a week, he'll repair her car (he's also the town mechanic). Ally found that she loved baking pies helping the local pie shop, and she liked the town... And Mitch, if he ever notices her. Then her father came to town... intending to take her back, and honoring his "agreement" with Mitch...

A bit of meh here. Opposites attract, sure. But the controlling father had been done many times before, the only difference here is the gender-flip (usually, it's a son who went off and got stuck and falling for a local girl).  The family feud was never explained, and daddy's threat to ruin everyone never carried out. 3/5

GRR Reviews Kissing Micky by Ellen Devlin

Tom "Micky" McCullin is an enforcer for Washington Guardians pro ice hockey team... a perfect fantasy guy for Liz, who has major insecurity issues but covers it up by being friendly to a LOT of the players of her favorite hockey team. Liz and Tom met at a pool party, and it was lust at first sight. But Tom has a lot of problems, including unable to bear "wine and dine" events, and unable to take a joke. Will Liz mellow him out and let him play at his best? Or will his bad attitude and possessiveness end their relationship before it starts?

Some parts are good, some parts are funny and cringe-worthy at the same time... the best comedy? Let's just say Liz's solution for Tom's inability to bear "wine and dine" mingle events is to take him to a hotel room about once an hour and have hot sex, which mellowed him out for an hour. Repeat as needed. And at first his possessiveness was... maddening. I don't think enough hints had been dropped to explain his behavior. Later we finally learned why he's that way. IMHO, the pacing can use a bit of work, some plots can be rearranged better. And yes, there's a lot of sex.  3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Challenge by Deana Farrady

Jasmine and Sara are roommates living across the hall from Matt and Harrison, also roommates. Matt, a "lazy blogger", flirts with Jasmine a lot, but Matt's also never serious about anything. Harrison is on his way to a PhD and is platonic friends with Sara. Then after a get-together, and a lot of wine, Sara proposed "the Challenge"... Jasmine and Matt will pair up, Sunday eight till midnight... go have sex, and work out their sexual tension. Sara and Harrison will do the same. Next week, they switch partners, then switch back the week after. Any of them can call stop. It's NOT supposed to affect their friendships. And all four, after a bit of pondering, agreed. But how can taking that extra step not change their relations fundamentally? As each learned a lot more about their friends, and work through their unrequited love (or lust), each also learned a lot about his or herself. And nothing will ever be the same...

On the surface, the idea seems... preposterous. But the sex is sensual, and the self-discovery exquisite. However, by the end of the book, there's a morose period, where basically Jasmine fell into some serious self-pity. OTOH, I really like the half-Asian angle. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Aimless Billionaire by April Murdock

Brandon found his affluent existence completely meaningless. His friends are shallow and materialistic. Determined to find himself before he "settles down" to join his father's business, he went "undercover", to live his life plainly, by attending a music festival and just live like a normal man... // Jessie is a blogger who loves music and was just awarded a backstage pass to a music festival by a magazine in exchange for some local coverage, which hopefully could turn into more. She had saved every penny to travel to that festival, and have planned the interview. // When Brandon and Jessie bumped into each other at the festival, sparks flew. Brandon's down-to-earth attitude and self-deprecating wit was a perfect match for Jessie's sass and vivaciousness. Yet even Jessie can sense there's something different about Brandon... When Jessie's interview turned into something else, will Brandon's secret be revealed? Will that revelation change their relationship?

More of an "adventure", Brandon was just a general "nice guy" if a bit naive. Jessie is the real star here. But the chemistry here is nice.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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