GRR Reviews He Said Together by Ruth Cardello

NOTE: Available on Kindle Unlimited as of review date. 

Kal and his twin Riley have very different views on life. Riley wanted to learn about the Corisis, but Antonio Corisi was the one who broke their mother's back, putting the fear into her for as long as they had lived. Kal on the other hand, refuse to trust anyone, but will do whatever it takes for his family, including becoming the premier exotic dancer in Vegas... // Jade thought she knew passion looked like, until she saw Kal's performance, as "Invio" on stage. But when she found out her fiancee had been cheating at that very moment, then her bridesmaids left her, drunk and wallet-less, at her own bachelorette party, she was saved by Kal / Invio, who encouraged her to seek out her own dreams instead of merely accepting what's in front of her. Some time later, Kal was suddenly financially free, and the only woman on his mind was Jade. But is Jade ready for him when he said forever? 

Very interesting emotional arc, as Kal's mistrust, or lack of faith, is making him fail his own connection to his own family, and his tendency to find a place to sulk and brood instead of talking was a part of his arc to come out of it. Jade's arc is transition from a rather... mousy girl who thought she just wanted a family to a woman who wanted the right man, in his right mind. 

4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Marine's Baby, Maybe by Rogenna Brewer

Caitlin just wanted to have her late Marine husband's baby, but a mix-up at the sperm bank means her baby's father is actually her husband's half-brother. "Lucky" Luke had never been lucky in love or family, so the sperm sample he stored was out of formality. But now that he has a child, he can't leave his unborn child or the mother of the child behind...

Quite a bit of angst, obligation, and love comes much, much later. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews A Christmas Wish by Leeanna Morgan

Megan abandoned her career and is raising her 5-year old niece Nora after an accident took her sister's life. Her cake business is starting to take off... Then her world was turned upside down... FBI Special Agent William needs to take them to safety because terrorists are targeting them due to a brother Megan never knew she had... all the way to Montana. Willaim himself lost a daughter and the tragedy shattered his family. Being this close to Megan and her niece reminded him of what he once had... With Christmas approaching, could it be time to love again?

Unfortunately, the threats in this book are upside down. The most exciting bits are in the front, at least the suspense parts. And the suspense is only used as an excuse to shackle the two characters together. This is NOT romantic suspense. The feelings are okay, but the terrorists are a letdown.  I had hoped the author had learned how to write romantic suspense properly as the series starter works quite well. But this... is not good. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Shop On Main by Kay Correll

Owen is in town to do one thing: make things right with his long-lost half-brother and the half of his family he didn't know about... By buying them a building they lost long time ago. But would that ever be enough to compensate for what his father did to both of his families? Can he ever have a family that he wanted? Falling for someone in town wasn't her plan, but Bella was so courageous, starting from almost nothing, yet with a keen eye on design... // Bella barely clawed herself out of poverty and has her own shop and home... Until someone just bought the building out from under her, leaving her with NOTHING. Then came the second betrayal... the man she fell for is the very cause of her ruination...

Somehow this story just seem to lack the overall polish, and it went for the serious angst-y tone. The conflict also seems to lack nuance. Owen is basically trying to have his cake and eat it too (trying to make up for his father's sins by buy his half brother's family a large gift) WHILE trying to save Bella's shop because he just realized he's going to make Bella homeless and jobless if he accomplish the first. Bella is basically: "I love you, but you ruined me, so I can't love you now (fix it!)"  2/5

GRR reviews Meet Me at Sunrise by Lucinda Whitney

Vanessa just learned that she has a grandpa she never knew about... in Europe, and he is VERY rich. Angry with her father for keeping secrets her entire life, and trying to get over a breakup, she left for Europe on a river cruise, escorted by none other than ship's captain, Matias Romano. She was not looking for love. // Matias is the captain of a ship with a jillion details to oversee, and has no time to babysit a "princess", but when his boss asked, he can only answer "yessir". But Vanessa turned out to be NOT a princess at all, but an EMT that helped a guest through a medical emergency. And when the ship started to suffer mysterious malfunctions, she may be the only one he can trust to get to the bottom of it all...

Good mystery and "wrong expectations", good mix of different characters. 4/5

GRR Reviews Forever Now by Ruth Cardello

Kade knew his place in the world. He regrets letting Annie go way back when, but he's glad she made a life for herself. Then his world was turned upside down. He was a lost heir to the super-rich Barringtons in the US, and they want him back in the fold... But he's Kade, not "Kent"... he's actually both... and neither. But Annie's back in town, and he needs her support, as a friend... // Annie gave up on Kade a long time ago. She can no longer wait for him... she closed off that part of her heart and hurt and hope. Until he walked into her family bar and asked to see her...  He needs a friend, not a lover. And she is not sure what can she provide without losing her heart again...

Angsty, and an interesting side-trip from the Barrington saga, with the Barringtons acting as secondary characters. The shift from friend to lover is really slow, but noticeable and nicely done. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Cowboy's Imperfect Plan by Hayley Wescott

Tyler used to be a rodeo champ, but he got married, had a kid, then the marriage turned sour, he went off the deep end, became a drunkard, and lost custody. But he is a foreman for a rancher who regarded him as the son he never had. And he's been years sober. When the rancher had a stroke, he found out about the will giving him the ranch... with a caveat... // Adaline just found out that her mother had lied to her all her life... Her father was not dead, and in fact, left her a ranch... with a caveat... She has to marry Tyler for a year. Adaline was a recovering addict herself, but less than a year sober. Would a marriage help or hurt Tyler's custody battle, when Adaline kept her struggles secret?

Baby custody battle and marriage of convenience is nothing new. But having it in the same novel with weird will, sudden family, and hidden past? That's at least an interesting combination. 4/5

GRR Reviews Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

NOTE: This is a review of the novel, NOT THE MOVIE!

Rachel Chu is a simple economics professor and her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, proposed that they spend the summer in his homeland, Singapore. Unfortunately, Nicky forgot to mention a few things: a) he has a crazily rich family and extended family, b) he's one of the most eligible bachelors in the country or perhaps, entire continent of Asia, c) a ton of relatives and jealous people will put her down and try to tear them apart... while smiling. It will indeed be an adventure of a lifetime... If she survives it.

When you drill far down, this is a novel about an ingenue meeting a prince and finding a secret world she never knew, and trying to navigate it. It's really NOT that different from your typical "young naive student fell in love with a prince in disguise, trying to fit in among palace intrigue". However, the crazy rich Asian world was drawn so well that it would give culture shock to many Westerners, as the stuff was peeled layer by layer. The prologue, just describing how the news spread that "Nicky is bringing home a girl" through gossip net across multiple continents, can be a bit offputting, but once you got past that, and got to the part where they actually arrived in Singapore, then the pace starts to pick up.

It's not the do-all-and-end-all novel, as the author basically name-drops things left and right and practically throws the riches in your face. And the plot does wear thin a bit because you realize they had to throw in a second couple in crisis (Astrid and her husband, who may or may not be straying). The cast of characters are in the DOZENS, many of whom have only minor roles, yet this is over 500 pages! But it is an intriguing world nonetheless. 4/5

GRR Reviews Even Still by Hannah Jo Abbott

Paige had to abandon all her plans when her parents died. She was the oldest, and she ended up raising five siblings, working as a waitress at twenty-two. She has no time to rest, much less find love... Until Russell came into her life. // Russell is back in his hometown and was excited to be the new country club manager. Meeting Paige was unexpectedly good, and she's unforgettable. And talks with the staff shows that Paige definitely deserves a promotion and raise to restaurant manager... she's already doing most of the job. AND he wanted to help her in other ways. But she's resistant... she's afraid of him pitying her... and more. But when a project forced them to work together, can she let God and love back into her heart?

Eh... the religious message is a bit overt here. We're talking about she talked to God, and He talked back (in one-word answers). Darkest hour and more made good sense. However, Russell is really bland as a character. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Secret Son by Joan Kilby

Alex is taking a few weeks off after making partner in a Seattle marketing firm. But a birthday card from his estranged father brought back some memories... and he detoured to Sweetheart, Montana in search of his past, and a family, for after his mother's passing, he no longer had a family. // Emma is the plain Jane of the family of sisters and a scientist. She had seen rich playboys like Alex... They go for her younger blonde and prettier sisters, not her. Emma didn't count on Alex's connection to her hometown... // Alex went "undercover" and joined the cherry picking crew to learn about his father's "real" family. When he learned that his father kept him a secret, and intended to keep doing so, he can't stay. But will he stay for Emma?

Nice angsty past, where circumstances just happen to break families. Family drama is great. The love here, however, is a bit more nebulous. Somehow I just didn't quite feel the love between the two MCs. 4/5

GRR Reviews Want Me, Cowboy by Sinclair Jayne

NOTE: Part of Wilder Brothers series, Book 1 reviewed earlier

Luke Wilder can't believe he'd got into a fight at Grey's Saloon. All he wanted was a beer. Then someone pretty (judging by her scent) hugged him from behind. He turned around to offer her a smile, she turned white as a sheet and ran off. He wanted to apologize, only to get a punch in the face... from a brother Colt he never knew he had. But Luke is in town for business... talk with fiery redheaded bull breeder Tanner about her bulls joining the IBRA pro league // Tanner is fine being the "quiet" sister (her sister Tucker can take the spotlight). She wants to take over the family ranch and her bull breeding program is already producing results... multiple hundred-percenters (no bullrider made it to full 8 seconds). When IBRA accepts her bulls she would have shown her father she is capable and ready to take over the family ranch, despite NOT being a son. // Luke and Tanner definitely have chemistry, but it's not really proper for an IBRA rep to bed the bull breeder he's trying to recruit. Things got complicated when Luke's famous younger bullrider brother Kane and his mother also showed up in town. THEN Luke realized that he had slept with Tanner's sister Tucker five years ago... And Tucker is also in town...

Whew, it's like a soap opera, cowboy style. And let's just say there are more subplots I hadn't mentioned. You don't need to read Book 1, but you'd get more of the twists and subplots if you do read it first.  5/5

GRR Reviews Forgiving the Billionaire by Anne-Marie Meyer

Hannah left town after being humiliated by her then beau (and best friend) Logan at the prom... He never showed up. And she always seems to be disappointing her mother. She swore she'd never return, but seven years later, she's back... // Logan is a single dad when his woman ran away, not content to be a small-town wife. But when his real father finally found him, and made him the heir (he has terminal cancer), he found himself chased by golddiggers. // Hannah and Logan are not over each other, but just as he was about to tell her why he betrayed her at the prom, his ex came back, asking for reconciliation. Will Hannah leave? Does Logan want Hannah to stay?

Really not feeling much about this one. All the angst seems just so... shallow. Hannah has no backbone, and Logan's ex is way too shallow. Logan's a big softie.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

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

GRR Reviews Luke by Leigh Duncan

Luke is a cattleman fighting to preserve his fourth generation ranch. He tried to sponsor two troubled kids for Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for his dead buddy AJ, who could have been twins with him. The plan backfired when the kids are delinquents who smoked, almost burned the barn down, among other mischiefs... And they lied to the rep, Sarah, who believed the kids, and Luke walked out in anger. // Sarah was overworked just before Christmas, being the last person left at DCFS, when a 5-year old child was brought in... and Luke was named as the father. Luke suddenly learned he has a son... by a wife who left him. Luke was certain the boy was not his, but the kid loved the horses and cowboy stuff. Sarah was angry at Luke's rejection, but with no foster family available around Christmas, and Luke offered to take the kid on a cattle drive, Sarah had to come along... and learned a lot about Luke, and the kid. Then the DNA test results came in... and the final truth was realized...

Now that's the proper way to bury a twist, yet leave enough clues to satisfy the readers. Long character arcs for both MMC and FMC, and the kid's cute too.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews Love's New Beginning by Dorothy Wiley

Daniel Armitage was the only survivor of his rich and influential Philadelphia family from yellow fever. His mother, on her deathbed, confessed that Daniel's father was NOT his biological father. The biological father was named Daniel Alexander McKay, whom was forbidden to court her. Distraught with grief, Daniel chose to leave for the frontier and search out his father as the last wish of his mother. Months of travel took him all the way to the frontiers of Kentucky, where he did find his father... and the enchanting Ann Byrd. Ann's mother died young, leaving Ann mostly brought up by her father, the Colonel, and mostly male role models. Ann was being pursued by a devious Charles Snyder, when she was rescued by Daniel. But Daniel's illegitimacy means he can't court Ann openly... And Snyder vowed to remove any obstacles in his way, which includes Daniel, even as he considered whether he can ever fit into his father's adoptive family in town...

Turns out Daniel is quite rich after liquidating most of his possessions in Philadelphia, esp. those he inherited. And Snyder? Think colonial era psychotic killer. Adventure is quite good,

Category: Historical

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews Whispers of Love by Melanie Shawn

Allison lost her big brother and left her to raise the twin nephews... if her best friend Kade didn't run off like a coward and was MIA for 18 months. Kade was also her big brother's best friend, and an MMA champ. Eighteen months later, Cade suddenly returned. Allison wasn't quite ready to let Cade into her life, much less her heart, but she needs a man around the house, and they always had a thing for each other... even if they can't act upon it...

Angst-y, as this is a "my (dead) best friend's little sister" with some layers on why he disappeared (SPOILER: he was on a bender for three months, then he woke up and went into rehab for a year, then spend 3 months getting himself back together before returning) and obviously by the end of the book, he managed to woo her enough to marry her. This one managed to combine many different tropes into a coherent story line. The story was really sad, but the mood improved a lot later.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews The Forgotten Heiress by Susie Warren

Olivia had no father, and her mother did not like her career. All she wanted was to make it as a couture designer in NYC, so she did not expect for someone to show up at her studio letting her know that her estranged family, the famous Bolles dynasty of England, needs her. Her father was the patriarch, but his sudden death left Fionn, the protege, in charge, and Fionn needed Olivia's help to maintain control of the company lest the other family members band together and force a liquidation. Olivia shunned the spotlight, but the paparazzi are hounding them, and in the meantime, Olivia fell for Fionn...

Didn't feel much about this. The family intrigue is there, but the romance... didn't feel much.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Couture designer suddenly found her secret father is a powerful billionaire... who just died, and she needed to help the heir (but not by blood) to stabilize the family business

Overall Rating: 3/5

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

GRR Reviews Our Song (Wilder) by Savannah Kade

Our song is a sudden family along with the neighbor, with a pivot later to "sudden fame". It managed to deftly juggle all these plots and turned out to be a very good read.

Kelsey is a single mom raising two kids. She's 31, and her two kids are all she can handle. When a hot guy JD moved in next door with his daughter, Kelsey took notice. When he came for her help, she can't refuse. JD was suddenly given custody of a daughter he never knew until only weeks ago, a daughter that he was quite certain was NOT his biological child, but mom already died from cancer, and the child was brought up fearful of men and refused to cooperate at all. But JD cannot give the girl back to the faceless CPS... not when the dead mother trusted him with the responsibility... by giving the girl his surname. But JD's up the river without a paddle, and Kelsey is his only hope. JD and his brothers have a band, but a daughter is seriously crimping their style and practice time. Kelsey just wanted to help, as she sensed greatness in JD. But when JD and his brothers actually made it to the bigtime, will this spell doom to their relationship?

The escalation was excellent and one thing leads logically into another. The ending even tied it all back together. All in all, a good read.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: A sudden parent with a girl fearful of men needed his neighbor single mom's help very badly... even as he wanted to make music

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews Who Is She? by Patricia Kay

Hope was raised by nuns at a convent, with only a locket as the clue to her identity... and she never got until a few weeks ago, when the sister who raised her finally had her effects traced and handed over to her. Moreover, ever since, touching that locket gave her visions... of what may have been... that she is determined to find her family... and to her shock, she found she may be the missing Hollister heiress Elizabeth, missing since she was 1. Now she's on her way to visit the family... // Paul Hollister was adopted, and the loss of his adoptive parents (Elizabeth's biological parents) hit him hard too. Now he helps the family matron Virginia manage the estate, and run his business. Paul knew there were many frauds over the years that claimed to be the missing heiress, and he was sure this "Hope" would just be another fraud. However, Hope proved to be more truthful than he expected, and even he felt an attraction toward her that he can't deny. However, what secrets could Hope be keeping?

The mystery surrounding the identity of Hope was pretty good as you weren't quite sure who's who till the end, though you suspected. However, the investigation was done by third-party, not involving Hope and Paul directly, and somehow it just didn't quite feel that immediately. The darkest hour IMHO was lame though. The grand-gesture was meh too. I liked the mystery well enough, which I am not spoiling. Let's just say, Hope has a certain "gift" that affected her in different ways.

Category: Contemporary / Mystery

Primary Plot: Is she, or isn't she, the missing Hollister heir? The adopted son is determined to find out, even as he fell for her... But what secrets is she keeping?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews A Perfect Fit (DiCarlo Brides) by Heather Tullis

A Perfect Fit took a while to set up the stage to get the plot moving, as it's a series starter that tried to set up no less than FIVE half-sisters (each of whom gets a book later). Once you get past the beginning and the weird will it gets a lot better.

Cami DiCarlo was forced by her father into heading up guest services at his five-star hotel. She hated crowds but she still excelled at her job. Then he died. When his will was read, Cami was shocked to find she has FOUR half-sisters... and they all knew each other, just not realizing they were sisters... But it gets even weirder. He, from beyond the grave, wanted them to work together to bring the resort under construction to its grand opening. If they don't, they don't get any inheritance. The girls have certainly mixed feelings toward each other: legit vs. bastard, etc. But they each have a specialty that can make the resort a success... Until someone started leaking rumors to gossip rags, and Cami's ex Trent seems to be hanging around a lot, even as Cami met the new landscape designer, Vince. Vince is rough and prefers jeans to pants, someone her father would never approve of. Cami's mind changed when Vince revealed he actually has a masters degree and runs a 30+ person landscaping company, plus other qualities that made Cami swoon... Then Cami was shocked when he revealed that her father had encouraged him to go after her. Is this just another one of her father's manipulations from beyond the grave?

The setup, where all the sisters come together, took a while to set up, I honestly don't feel too much romance. The part about Trent being the evil ex was barely there, though it's meant as a mystery. The sudden twist at the end seems to be a bit out of nowhere, though almost believable.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Daughter of dead hotel magnate had to finish his last resort, even as she falls for a guy while dodging her stalk-y ex fiancee

Overall Rating:

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

GRR Reviews A Teaspoon of Trouble (The Bachelor Bake-off) by Shirley Jump

A Teaspoon of Trouble is a reunion story that is angst-y but not too much so.

Carolyn is a sous chef with a chance to be head chef in a trendy NYC restaurant. She left her hometown of Marietta MT years ago, after realizing her then-boyfriend Matthew will never leave. But when she found that her sister and her husband were killed in a tragic car accident, and Carolyn was left in the care of the 4-year-old niece Emma, she had to take a sabbatical to take care of the family emergency. Which also brought her back to Matt, now the town veterinarian, even more handsome... // Matt is a very eligible bachelor, but he's always had a thing for Carolyn, his high school sweetheart. It was a dream that she came through the door with a pooch in distress from unfamiliar food and travel... And it just happens that he needs some serious help to participate in the town's Bachelor Bake-off to raise money for the paramedic that was killed recently. So they made a deal... Carolyn will teach Matthew about baking, and Matthew will help Carolyn teach the dog some obedience lessons. In between, they have to help poor little Emma to grief and accept the circumstances... And there's the problem of Carolyn's job in New York... and why she left in the first place...

Angst-y without TOO much so. Carolyn had a sudden family and it was totally overwhelming, both Emma and the dog. Matt was like the PERFECT partner, and it was pretty obvious how she'd choose at the end after examining her reasons. I personally think her reasoning can be explained a little better though.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a sous chef who suddenly inherited a family accepts the help of the local veterinarian with her dog? Will she leave?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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