Title: Snowbound Seduction
Author: Melissa Schroeder
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release.
Trevor MacMillian is the tart and incredibly sexy executive chef who’s made pastry chef Elaine Masterson’s life a living hell. But when she catches him in nothing but a tiny little towel, it’s almost enough to make her forget they’re stranded in a luxurious mountain cabin together...or that she hates him almost as much as she craves him like a sinfully forbidden dessert.
Being alone in a romantic secluded cabin might just kill Trevor outright. If Elaine hates him now, how much will she hate him if she finds out he’s been fantasizing about her full, kissable lips? So Trevor argues with her. Makes her angry— until an intense and unexpected kiss turns their hostility into insatiable hunger. And with this much heat, the snowstorm outside doesn’t stand a chance...
Wow, Melissa Schroeder is a beast. I just browsed through her titles on Goodreads and she has got so many of them. It's seriously a lot. So, well done, Melissa! Now, about Snowbound Seduction.... Unfortunately, I didn't read much about seduction, it was all very sweet and kind and really romantic. I liked this typical hate-love-relationship story, because those are always easy for me to read. You can never go wrong with those.
Anyway, the thought of Trevor and Elaine alone in a house while a storm is doing a very wild performance outside is nice. Elaine's best friend Mick actually got the two locked up there, so we can thank Mick for all the hot emotions. Thank you. haha. I'm not much of a fan of movies or books that involve characters that work as chefs or love to cook or to bake. However, that wasn't a problem here. And I really don't know why I still complain, but it felt like there were missing pieces. Some more kitchen scenes, but that couldn't have happened, because they weren't in a kitchen. Just don't mind me. My brain seems to want to make something up, just for fun. Sorry. Honestly, the prologue is enough of a kitchen scene for me. Basta.
Snowbound Seduction can be read within an hour or two at the most. I didn't need much longer than that (though started it at like midnight, so I put it down after reading half of it and went to sleep). And it was captivating, which surprised me. Normally, novellas aren't that captivating to me, so Melissa Schroeder did something right. The only thing (well, maybe not only) that bothered me was that length. It was too short and the end was too... Sudden. I would like to know whether Elaine follows her dream or if she won't. Also, I'd have liked to read more about their talks. They both tell each other a bit, but not everything.
Still, I think it was a good book. And I enjoyed it. So, thank you - whoever accepted my request.
Title: Anything More Than Now (Sutton College #02)
Author: Rebecca Paula
Rating: 2.5/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
Reagan Landry is months away from college graduation, but instead of excitement, she's frozen by the fear of letting go — of her ex-boyfriend, of the comfortable life she created for herself in Portland, of the years-long search for her older sister who abandoned her as a homeless teen. When she’s finally forced to decide what's next, Reagan is met with another complication — her ex’s best friend, Noah Burke, who seems determined that she embraces what could be instead of what has been.
Drunkenly hooking up with his best friend’s ex, Reagan, is a mistake, but being secretly in love with her is so much worse when things seem one-sided. A disenchanted frat boy about to fail out of college, Noah has been living out someone else’s dream after a horrible accident five years earlier. Just when he thinks he's lost any chance he has with Reagan, she surprises him by agreeing to spend the summer together at his family's ranch in Montana.
And suddenly what started out as a complication between them becomes serious...until the past starts ripping apart their future.
Anything More Than Now is a good book. That's what I thought in the beginning. I haven't read the first one in the series (being totally clueless that this was the second one) and so sometimes I felt like I didn't understand Reagan's motives. I wonder if the first book in the series (though it's about her ex-boyfriend and not her) gave a better view of her. I think this whole searching for her sister came a little short. And where was the money suddenly from? I read the book and I still didn't understand everything. Also, in the beginning she seemed fine and then suddenly it was like I was reading from a stranger's point of view. I had the feeling she was ill. Mentally, I mean. And depressed, too. Her actions were questionable and when Noah's point of view was up, she was a whole different person. It was confusing.
So, Noah... Well, he is a real cutie! During the prologue, I guessed he was a nerd or something. But that's not the case. So his story was a bit better, I think. Still, he always insisted Reagan imagined her boyfriend while they made out and it somehow got boring. Same as him saying he ruined everything or something like this. He always gave a glimpse of his huge secret and them boom! Nothing else. The same sentence was used endless times. And by the second time, I already knew what had happened to him in his past.
So, yeah. I focused on the bad things as you can see. Sometimes, the author would do a time jump and I wouldn't understand why. I mean, the views of the past - alright, I get those. But then sometimes a chapter ended and the next one was set at a different time, a few months ahead.
I am sorry. Again. I don't mean to sound rude or anything like that. I really tried to like this book and it had potential. It so definitely had that. And in the beginning I was blown away, I liked the characters and it was all cute. But the more pages I left behind, the more confused I got and I didn't like the story anymore. That's all there is to say for me. I'm still thinking of this as a 2.5 read. I wish I would have liked it better.
Title: Pivotal Moments
Author: Trinity Hanrahan
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Limitless Publishing for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
A senior in high school, introvert Aislinn Munroe is satisfied living unnoticed...
Aislinn is doing the normal post-high school preparations to get into college. She’s getting ready for a life beyond senior year, and wonders where she’ll fit in to the world once she’s officially an adult. Though her curves are to kill for, she’s also smart and funny. However, she isn’t at all popular, which is just fine with her.
Aislinn’s introverted ways are about to be put to the test...
Content with hiding from the limelight, Aislinn doesn’t get bullied like so many other shy kids do—that is, as long as she keeps to herself. But is she really living the life she’s meant to? Or are there unforeseen adventures waiting to shake up her life in the near future?
When her brother comes home from college, he brings an unexpected houseguest…
Teagan Aldridge is a reformed party animal, ladies’ man, and bad boy. He’s the last person Aislinn thought would ever show her attention. But when Aislinn and Teagan become unlikely friends, he brings out a side of herself she never knew existed. She already knows she’s special, but sexy and adventurous? That’s a first.
Are their personalities too far apart, or will opposites attract, making them an unusual, but influential pair? When their vast differences collide, Aislinn is led to some unexpected...
There's something about these 'falling in love with the brother's best friend' novels that I love. And Teagan was such a great guy, I couldn't help but love him. However, his and Aislinn's relationship didn't feel real to me. He was too nice, felt things way too soon (that goes both ways - seriously, two days and they are madly in love? Uhm, nope...) and on and on... Also, the romantic scenes were written the same. As in always. "He deepened the kiss." I read this every single time they kissed. Every time. "When we had to come up for air", alright not always these exact words, but the meaning was always the same, too. I couldn't bear it after a while.
That doesn't mean I disliked the book. It has potential and to be honest, this is something totally similar to my own writing style when it comes to novels. So, of course I can't say it was a bad book, that would mean I dislike my own writing and though self doubts are a topic for me, I don't dislike my books, neither did I dislike Pivotal Moments.
In fact, I actually really enjoyed reading about Zver, Teagan's dog, and that's saying something. Animals in books aren't my thing, usually. Then again, there was Aislinn's best friend Penny, who I liked the beginning and then hated (though I'd love to read about her story). I would have liked to read more about Aislinn's mom, not about their conversations but about her life went on.
Also, what about all those people Tracey - cheerleader and mean bully - bullied? I mean, I liked Aislinn for defending a girl when she was helpless, but we didn't read about that. The book starts by her mother confronting her about it since the school called. And I didn't fully understand Brody's motives, but then again that probably makes sense. He was a jerk.
Though Teagan was introduced as a bad boy, he didn't seem like it. Connor - Aislinn's brother - seemed lie a bad boy. A big one (oh, please. Let there be a book about him!). But that was it about it. I like the innocent girl - bad boy romances, but he seriously was no bad boy to me. And if he had been a real bad boy, well.... Let's just say it wasn't realistic that he changed for Aislinn that fast (within two days. I repeat - TWO DAYS!). Their story went waaaay too fast. Other than that, it was just the kind of love story I enjoy.
Oh, I almost forgot - I missed some deep topic. I think Aislinn's problem with opening up was supposed to be the lead role in this book, but it didn't work. I was annoyed as hell by her. She'd never say what's on her mind and Teagan would ask a thousand times. Sorry, but I know zero guys with patience like his. And... That's what I originally intended to say: We found out about Teagan's brother, but we didn't once get introduced. I was sad about this. That also counts for the rest of his family. I'd have loved to read about them - about how they dealt with their past and whether they liked Aislinn or not. Just a bit more depth - I really missed that.
Title: The Butterfly Code
Author: Sue Wyshynski
Rating: 2.5 - 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Whitman Books for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
My friends say Hunter's dangerous.
They say he's a threat to everyone in town.
But I'm not so sure.
As he stands before me in this crowded club with the lights shining around us,
I catch something good under Hunter's dark facade. Something decent and profound.
I don't know who or what to believe.
But I will find out the truth.
Aeris Thorne is expecting a quiet vacation in the remote town of Deep Cove. But on a stormy night, she meets the alluring and mysterious Hunter Cayman, and her life takes an exhilarating turn. Aeris is both drawn to him and determined to find out what he's hiding in his lab on the promontory. What Aeris doesn't know is that Hunter's tormented by a secret: the truth behind his research. As he and Aeris are drawn together, the walls he's built to protect himself threaten to crumble. When Aeris's life is threatened, Hunter is forced to make an impossible decision about her future━one that could change everything.
It seems as though I randomly request books, because The Butterfly Code wasn't what I expected. Of course, I knew it would involve some sci-fi and I should have known better because I'm not a huge fan of that, but still... It had so many ups and downs that I casually felt like being on a rollercoaster.
Aeris and Hunter meet in front of a club Aeris and her friends went to. Hunter is there to pick up a friend of his, named Victoria. There is an instant chemistry between the two and Aeris makes it her mission to prove to herself that Hunter isn't the bad guy everyone tells her he apparently is. As she finds out more about him, she reveals he's keeping major secrets from her, same as her father. These secrets have to do with her mother, too, who died in Switzerland when Aeris was still a child. Conflicted between her feelings for Hunter and finding out the truth, she gets herself into trouble that may cost her life.
Sue Wyshynski's writing style is flawless. Seriously, it's really really good. It's also one of the only things that kept me reading The Butterfly Code. I wasn't a fan of Aeris, I'll admit that. I can't even put a finger to it, but I couldn't relate to her at all and I think it's always important a reader can relate, or it is to me. Hunter, on the other hand, is a great guy. Alright, seems like every guy mentioned in a book is a great guy to me, haha. But seriously, he was mysterious and it was thrilling to read about his conversations with Aeris.
Then there was Greg, one of Aeris' best friends. Oh, how I wish we'd have felt a little more chemistry between these two. You could totally tell Greg had feelings for her from the very beginning (and the scene in which Ella - Aeris' other best friend - basically wants him to tell her about his feelings is one of my favourites), which made it so sad seeing Aeris only having the hots for Hunter.
Is there a sequel to this? Because a lot of questions are unanswered. I never understood Aeris' father's motives, either. He always choose to keep secrets from her when in truth he knew things he wouldn't tell. Same as Hunter. Or anyone else involved in Hunter's program. That's where the sci-fi begins. Everyone in town thinks Hunter and his co-workers try to cure diseases, but things are way bigger than that. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll stay quiet on that.
To be honest, sometimes the romance lacked. The book is mostly about Aeris trying to find out what Hunter is working on. While it's mentioned that she loves music, I missed reading about her dream. I mean, we get plenty of her playing the piano and singing, but what about her career? I wanted to know more of that. There was too much action and fear for me, too less friendship.
So, I don't want the author to think I hated this book. It just wasn't my kind of book. And it was soooo long. I think if you're struggling with a book, it's even worse when it's a big one. This book had a lot of potential and I hope it gets all the fame it deserves, because - again - the writing was actually great!
Oh, and one more thing: I was excited to read about the jellyfish story, because just the day before getting to that part of the story, I saw a documentation about it on TV and could understand what the story tried to explain.
Title: A Hold On Me (The Dark Heart #01)
Author: Pat Esden
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release.
She never wanted to return.
He wants nothing more than for her to leave.
But the fire between them is as strong as the past that haunts them.
Annie Freemont grew up on the road, immersed in the romance of rare things, cultivating an eye for artifacts and a spirit for bargaining. It's a freewheeling life she loves and plans to continue--until her dad is diagnosed with dementia. His illness forces them to return to Moonhill, their ancestral home on the coast of Maine--and to the family they left behind fifteen years ago, after Annie's mother died in a suspicious accident.
Once at Moonhill, Annie is shocked when her aunt separates her from her father. The next time Annie sees him, he's a bizarre, violent shadow of his former self. Confused, she turns to an unlikely ally for support--Chase, the dangerously seductive young groundskeeper. With his dark good looks and powerful presence, Chase has an air of mystery that Annie is irresistibly drawn to. But she also senses that behind his penetrating eyes are secrets she can't even begin to imagine. Secrets that hold the key to the past, to Annie's own longings--and to all of their futures. Now, to unlock them, she'll have to face her greatest fears and embrace her legacy...
Let me start by saying this book was unlike anything I expected it to be. Honestly, I didn't put that much thought into requesting it. The cover was beautiful and the summary seemed fine. Sometimes, I'm just desperate for new reading material (doesn't mean that I request just any book or that I use my blogger status on NetGalley). Anyway, I'm really glad I requested this book, because it surprised me.
In the beginning, I felt like I was reading a book about gypsies (is that the word for it?). Annie and her father live all over the states. They works as antiquaries, which means they pick up stuff at churches and other institutes and sell them later on. They're not exactly rich, but they make the best of it. That is until Annie's father shows signs of dementia and she's forced to move back to his hometown - Moonhill - with him.
Moonhill is one scary place. Right after Annie and her father arrived there, I wondered whether I had requested a horror book. It was so damn scary. Usually, I don't read horror books, but wow, this one was really good. At least in the beginning I felt that way. Unfortunately, as the story went on, the book lost its appeal to me. That doesn't mean I gave up on it or didn't fully enjoy it. It was still good, but the events seemed to go on and on without anything really happening. And then of course there was Chase, who's a real cutie and I loved reading about his past, but the thing with him and Annie didn't make much sense to me. Naturally, I wanted them to end up together, but that's just my romantic heart and not because I felt chemistry between them. I did, at some point, when they were at the library. The two of them share nice, sweet scenes, but for my taste, there were too less of them.
Whenever I mention a thing I didn't like so much in a book, I feel like disappointing the author. That's not my attention at all. The book was still good. I never read a book about djinns before and I enjoyed that very much. It was scary and thrilling. And it was totally surprising, because when you think of the word 'supernatural', you don't think about djinns at first. It was different and I liked that, also the part about her father and how the family tried to heal him, hiring a priest and so on. It was really creative of the author.
However, I think I won't read the second book in this series. Not because I didn't like this book (I did, I did, I did! There will always be things that I don't enjoy. Doesn't mean the book is crap), but because I'm not sure whether I'll like to read about Annie and Chase. That's weird, isn't it?! So, I'll probably end up reading the sequel anyway, because we'll finally find out more about Annie's mom and that story will be fascinating, I can tell.
Title: Zeke (Breaking the Declan Brothers #03)
Author: Kelly Gendron
Rating: 3.5/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Kelly Gendron (Book Enthusiast Promotions) for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
Every girl in Galveston County knows about Zeke Declan’s rules and has agreed to them or is considering them.
Rule #1 Don’t call him. He’ll call you.
Rule #2 He doesn’t date.
Rule #3 No sleepovers.
Rule #4 Absolutely, no virgins.
When a couple friends talk me into going back to their hometown in the Bayou for the summer and challenge me to break “the best damn lay in Galveston County” along with every single one of his ridiculous rules, I’m confident that I can get the job done. I’m no stranger to men. I have five older brothers. I’m a teacher and I’m used to being around rebellious teenagers. However, Zeke Declan is definitely not someone that I could have prepared for. He’s not a testosterone-fueled, immature boy. He’s a confident, arousing, playful, and mind-melting man. But, behind that sexy charming smile, I know he’s hiding a secret. And, in order to break him, I’m going to need to find out what it is...
So, after saying I would definitely read Zeke, I was so glad to find it up for request on NetGalley. And I wasn't disappointed. Not in the least. If anything, I loved it more than Slate, the second book in the series. Zeke is my new favourite fighter, oh yes.
I wasn't sure whether I was going to like Lurlene, but turns out I liked her alright. She's an English teacher and I'm seriously so sad we don't read anything about that. I mean, we get a glimpse of her job because someone asks her about it, but it's not the same. I would have liked to read an actual class scene or something.
However, I loved the chemistry between Zeke and Lurlene. It was truly awesome. I expected it to be a bit forced, but it wasn't anything like that. Both characters kept their voices, they didn't do anything that wouldn't have fitted for them. And I liked that, because far too many times, author change their characters and bend them into something they're not. And that always feels wrong.
Zeke had a really hard past and I cried for him. The stories inside his head, what he went through, it was all so disturbing. And without realizing it, Lurlene helps him overcome his fears. Only thing that I'd critize here is that it happened a bit late - him telling her everything. I wish they would have come clean with one another a bit sooner, but then again I guess it would have shorten the story itself. And to be honest, it is soooo damn short. Oh, I usually like quick reads, because they're not dragged, but with Zeke. Aww, come on - I wanted more!
You see, I can't tell much about the story without giving anything away, or maybe it's just my weakness - writing reviews without actually telling anything but how much I loved or hated a book. I'm sorry if this review isn't helpful for you or captures your opinion about the book, but it's safe to say that I liked it really, really much. And I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who asked me if I knew a book about fighters or hot romances or uptight women who lose their fences with a hot guy around. This one has it all.
And still, I think I won't read Jax, the first one in the series. The three stories happen around the same time, that's what I figured now, but I think Jax is just too much of a nice guy for me. But as I write this review, I suppose I'll probably change my mind some time and give Jax a try, because this series is just so good!
Title: Call Me, Maybe
Author: Ellie Cahill
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before the official release date.
Clementine Daly knows she's the black sheep. Her wealthy, powerful family has watched her very closely since she almost got caught in an embarrassing scandal a few years ago. So when Clementine's sent on a mission to live up to the Daly name, politely declining isn't an option. Of course, the last thing she does before boarding the plane is to grab a stranger's phone by mistake—leaving the hunky journalist with her phone. Soon his sexy voice is on the line, but he doesn't know her real name, or her famous pedigree—which is just the way Clementine likes it.
Despite all the hassles, Justin Mueller is intrigued to realize that the beautiful brown-eyed girl he met at the airport is suddenly at his fingertips. They agree to exchange phones when they're both back in town, but after a week of flirty texts and wonderfully intimate conversations, Justin doesn't want to let her go. The only problem? It turns out that Clemetine has been lying to him about, well, everything. Except for the one thing two people can't fake, the only thing that matters: The heat between them is for real.
I was looking for a light and sweet read, like one of Cassie Mae's novels, and when I saw her recommending Call Me, Maybe on NetGalley, it felt like my duty to request a digital copy of it. In the beginning, it seemed like I made the right choice (and I still don't regret reading this one, but then when I reached like 50% of the book, I was disappointed in how things turned out and about the main character's behavior.
At the airport, Clementine's brother Honor accidently grabs the wrong phone and Clementine ends up with a stranger's cell phone. As the stranger - whose name is Justin - notices he has got the wrong one, too, Clementine decides not to tell him her real last name, in order for him not to be able to blackmail her or something. In the past, she has already had a bad experience with that. It soon turns out that the stranger's who's got her phone is also the guy she almost fell on at the airport, so technically, they already met. Though they're connected by calls and messages only, within days their feelings for each other develop and when they find out they're both from Chicago, they agree on meeting in real life too. But is their attraction strong enough to survive real-life problems, too?!
Of course, my long-story-short version is bad as always. That's what happens when I'm still conflicted about whether to like a book or not - my thoughts get all mixed up. As I said, I liked Call Me, Maybe in the beginning. I saw the potential and was really excited about reading of a relationship that slowly develops through phone calls. However, that’s not what happened… Things picked up pace really fast and I was disappointed in both characters. May I blame it on the hormones or whatever, but what Clementine thought and her actions were two different pair of shoes. And I liked none of them.
In my opinion, they met too fast. I guess it was thought-through concerning the plot of the story, but to me it seemed a bit rushed. Their whole relationship was rushed, seeing their first date as the perfect example. Seriously, if she's so traumatized by her past, why would she say the things she says to Justin? Why would she send the pictures she sends? Why would she... Yeah, you get the story. Also, toward the end, I was tired by her “sorry’s” so much. Funny how she told Justin the word would lose its meaning at some point, when she crossed that line already.
I don’t mean to sound harsh or ungrateful. I’m still very lucky I received a digital copy long before the book’s official release date, but I can’t make myself like it any more than I actually did. And it wasn’t all bad. The character’s connection is what bothered me. Other than that, I liked how book-obsessed Clementine was, how she tried to figure out what to do with her life while her family expected her to decide on a path that mainly includes the family business. So no matter what I thought about the relationship, the problems she dealt with were real. Other twenty-three year old girls feel the same way.
Maybe this is another wrong-time novel, which means maybe I should wait a year or two and read it again. Perhaps I’ll start liking it more then. But even then I won’t find out more about Clementine’s parents or about Justin’s past at all. We only find out so little about him, that made me like him less from chapter to chapter. And whew, he really grew on me during their phone calls, but when they met… It all evaporated.
Naturally, I’m sorry for not finding more positive things to talk about. Look at my rating; it’s still a good one. Please don’t take my review as an advice to drop this book, because if you want to try it, then do it. Ellie Cahill probably hates me right now, gah. I feel awful. Anyhow, I like the author’s writing style, and that’s also the reason I’d pick up a book written by her any time. Call Me, Maybe wasn’t what I expected and I still finished it. I wouldn’t have if there was something I truly hated. It definitely has potential, most definitely. It’s probably the characters that I just couldn’t relate to.
