Category: B reviews (Page 27 of 74)

Perfection by RL Mathewson, narrated by Fran Jules

December 7, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy from Audible Studios.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Zoe is used to taking care of herself and has long ago accepted that if anything bad was going to happen, it was going to happen to her. So when she loses her job over something most bosses would probably be happy with and her life starts going downhill from there, she doesn’t expect it to get any better.

She certainly didn’t expect any help from the loud jerk next door, but then again she has nothing to lose so puts her trust in him and hopes for the best. What she didn’t expect was the once in a lifetime opportunity that he offers her through an arrangement where they both benefit and no one is supposed to get hurt – but she should have known better because her luck has never been that good.

Like most Bradfords, Trevor has a soft spot for food, but that’s about all. He leads a pretty straightforward life and likes to keep things simple and that includes his relationships. He wants the perfect woman and knows exactly what she’ll be like. So when he discovers much to his horror that he’s thinking about his frumpy little neighbor he decides the best way to get his head straight is by working her out of his system. He’ll keep her around, but only until he finds perfection.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I admit I DNF’d the first book in this series. I downloaded the ebook but I just couldn’t get behind the superior asshat quotient of the hero. I suspect it may have been the same for me here had not picked the audio format. Trevor is a complete dick. He’s good looking, muscular, relatively wealthy (he owns a number of houses which he rents out) and women fawn all over him wherever he goes. He thinks he treats women with respect, but really, he doesn’t. They’re temporary playthings until Ms. Right comes along. Because of childhood insecurities, he’s convinced himself his perfect wife is comprised of a list of very set criteria and he’s decided he won’t settle for less.
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November Round Up

December 1, 2015 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

Don’t Stop Believing by Gwen Hayes – B- This is a sweet and (a little bit but in a non-erotic way) sexy short about a grumpy recluse and the librarian he has been crushing on. When Adam’s car goes off the road in a snowstorm, Simon brings him home to his cabin to look after him and they finally have some conversation. The time frame is short and the grand gesture at the end a little treacly but I enjoyed the cast and the writing style. There was a bit of POV whiplash, for instance:

Simon groaned and took Adams lips. Sampling lightly, tasting, teasing. The kisses kept him off balance in the masculine cage Simon had made of his body. Was Simon holding back or was he just trying to drive Adam crazy? As the kisses veered away from Adam’s mouth to his cheek, his chin, Adam clenched. He wanted more. Needed more.

but I was able to follow the story and enjoy it anyway. Simon and Adam were pretty well drawn considering the short word count and I liked my 99c visit to the small Washington town of Silver Pines.

Plus, you gotta love a librarian book amirite?

BUY IT:
AMAZON KOBO

Coming Soon

Rocky Mountain Shelter by Vivian Arend

November 25, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I received a review copy via the author.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Innocence and passion are an addictive mix…

The dark-haired stranger next door triggers every protective instinct Trevor Coleman never knew he had. From the moment Becky Hall literally falls into his arms, the last man standing of the Moonshine clan doesn’t even attempt to resist sweet temptation. Becky is beautiful, mysterious and heartbreakingly vulnerable…and he’s a goner.

To escape the hell she was trapped in, Becky left everything behind but her courage. And for once in her life, good people step up to make a difference. A helping hand, a new job…a very attentive and libido–stroking neighbour. Now a new future awaits, one that shockingly includes sexual pleasure instead of icy pain, and a sexy cowboy who’s more than eager to show her the ropes.

Becky’s sweet smiles and seductive innocence draw him in like nectar, and Trevor knows one taste will never be enough. But with secrets growing thicker than a bumper crop, changing a life will take more than a new ID and a cowboy’s good intentions.

It’s gonna take sacrifice to break these chains.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Rocky Mountain Shelter deals with somewhat darker themes than earlier books in the series. Trigger warning: rape (not on page, not by hero, not graphic). The book begins with Becky escaping from what readers later learn is a cult where the men are polygamous and the wives aren’t always willing (and sometimes they are ‘shared’). Becky has been preparing for a while and one night, she takes off and, very fortunately for her, is picked up on the highway by a trucker with a heart of gold, with mysterious links to the Coleman clan.

Shortly after, Trevor Coleman comes across Becky fixing a leaky roof in her newly rented cottage adjacent to his family’s ranch. He’s curious about who owns the land as he’d like to suggest their family rent the acreage for extra grazing and growing, but when he meets Becky, his initial impulse takes a backseat to his fascinated attraction to the pretty lady who does what needs to be done even if (like climbing on to the roof), she’s scared.

Becky, for her part, is not all that welcoming. Her experience has made her shy of men and she’s still trying to get on her feet. But Trevor is charming and persistent in a non-asshole way and soon, she accepts his help and friendship – a friendship which later slowly develops into a romance. Continue reading

Rocky Retreat by Vivian Arend, narrated by Tatiana Sokolov

November 16, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I’m a fan of the series and buy these whenever there’s a new one out. Rocky Retreat is a novella length audio I’ve had on my TBL for a little while.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Finding white-hot love in a white-out…

Eight months ago, Lee Coleman met the woman of his dreams…then lost her to another man. He buried his disappointment by throwing himself into work on the family ranch, but when a winter storm leaves him stranded, Lee finds more than shelter in the rustic safety of a hunter’s cabin—he finds a second shot at love.

Rachel Malone’s heart has been broken and stomped on by her cheating ex, and she’s determined to never fall in love again. But a rebound fling? Doesn’t sound like such a bad idea, especially when she’s snowed-in with a gorgeous, sweet-talking Coleman.

Despite their off-the-charts chemistry, Lee makes it clear he wants more than a temporary romp. In fact, he’s made it his mission to put a smile back on her face, even if it means taking it slow and resisting the scorching heat between them. This time around, he wants forever, while Rachel is positive that forever is a fool’s dream.

Lee can’t wait to prove her wrong…

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Rachel Malone is licking her wounds after finding out her husband of only six months had been cheating on her for at least five of them. She takes a few days off to regroup, staying in a remote hunter’s cabin. When Lee Coleman is stuck in a storm and takes shelter in the same cabin they are forced to hang out together for a few days, until the weather clears enough for them to get safely down the mountain. Lee has had a thing for Rachel since he first met her but because he’s 24 and she’s 33, she shrugged off his advances, thinking they weren’t serious. Lee realised his mistake (ie not persisting) when Rachel married douchebag Gary. Now that Gary and Rachel have split, Lee sees his chance and he’s not going to make the same mistake twice.
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October Round Up

November 1, 2015 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

Wonderment in Death by JD Robb – B The really excellent thing about In Death novellas which are usually only sold as part of anthologies in digital/print, is that they are available separately as audiobooks and they are released at the same time as the anthology. So I don’t have to buy an anthology I don’t want to get the story. As I prefer to listen to them anyway, this is a win/win for me.

Taking place shortly after the events of Devoted in Death, Eve is called in on a rare night off to the scene of an apparent murder/suicide. The deceased brother and sister are close friends of Louise Dimatto and Louise has asked Eve to take a special look. Things cannot be as they appear; Louse is sure of it. And so is everyone else Eve speaks to actually. This is completely out of character for the apparent murderer. As Eve investigates, she finds a sociopathic psychic with a fascination for Alice in Wonderland and she has to go down the rabbithole to catch him. (I should be a blurb writer. Really. That was gold. GOLD I tell you.)

Hold On by Kristen Ashley

October 26, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I had this one pre-ordered from Amazon. I bought the audiobook too and switched between them. The audiobook is narrated, very well, by Erin Bennett.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Since she was young, Cher Rivers knew she was not the kind of girl who got what she wanted. A girl who could hope. A girl who could dream. She knew a happily ever after just wasn’t in the cards for her.

In love for years with the last bastion of the ‘burg’s eligible bachelors, Garrett Merrick, Cher worked hard at making him laugh. Being one of the guys. Having him in her life the only way she could. All this knowing he was in love with another woman.

The Merrick Family is known for loving deep. So when Cecelia Merrick was murdered, it marked the Merricks in a way none of them recovered. Both Cecelia’s children found love. Both turned their backs on it. But Garrett “Merry” Merrick knew in his soul the woman he divorced years ago was the one for him.

Until the night when Cher took Garrett’s back and things changed. The Merrick family loves deep. They also protect fiercely. And with his eyes finally open, Garrett sees the woman who truly is for him and he goes after her.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): It’s only fairly recently that I’ve listened (mostly) to the other books in this series so the characters and stories were fresh in my mind. I was really excited to see that Cher was getting a story and that Ms. Ashley flipped the “one true love” theme of the series for Merry. Apart from At Peace where Violet and Cal had not previously met, all the other couples in the series had history going back many years. And, throughout the series, it was Merry and Mia. They’d been married but because reasons, they’d also been divorced and Merry was pining. Or, at least that’s how it looked. This is actually dealt with pretty fast in Hold On. Merry imploded his marriage because his head was messed up over his mother’s violent death. That cast a pall over Colt and Feb as well, so readers of the series will understand how that can happen. He pushed Mia away and that was that. Except, the narrative is turned around now because people start saying, “hey, she didn’t stick, she knew you were messed up but she didn’t fight for you. She is therefore NOT ‘the one’. Get your head out of your butt and look around.”
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