Review: The Earl's Christmas Colt by Rebecca Thomas

This is my review of The Earl's Christmas Colt by Rebecca Thomas. I was given a copy to review by NetGalley.

Synopsis:

Lady Arabella Sutton is stunned to learn her brother has betrothed her to a stranger despite his promises for a season in London. Although she is the first to admit no man would suit, since she’s more interested in horses than marriage, the last thing she wants is to become a brood mare to a stuffy old earl. Facing a future she cannot abide, she takes an impetuous ride to clear her head and ends up tending her injured mare instead.


Oliver Westwyck, the Earl of Marsdale, can’t believe his luck when he stops at an inn the night before he’s to meet his fiancée. In the stable, while tending the colt he intends to give to his future wife, he happens upon her—rain-drenched but beautiful. She assumes he’s a stable hand, a fine joke he means to end...until Lady Arabella declares all noblemen are egotistical, conceited, and arrogant. How can he reveal his true identity before he’s managed to change her mind and win her heart?

Review:

This was an extremely short book so didn't take me long to read at all, so would be perfect for a lunch break or a trip on the bus/train.

It wasn't a bad book but it was a bit cheesy for my taste, but I suppose that it has to be really to fit the story into only a few pages.

Both characters, Oliver and Arabella are quite likable and leave you rooting for them to get together and have a happily ever after.

The synopsis basically tells you all of the story line and there weren't any surprises.

There isn't a great deal to say about this book. It was a short pleasant read suitable for those who like a lighthearted historical romance.

I would give this book

3 out of 5 stars.

Review: Witch Interrupted by Jody Wallace

This is my review for Witch Interrupted by Jody Wallace. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley to review.

Publication Date: 24th Feb 2014

Synopsis:

Two decades ago, assassin Katherine Zhang faked her death to escape the Keepers, a secret council of witches who use magic to kill those who pose a threat to their kind. Once a powerful Keeper, she lives a solitary-but peaceful-life as a tattoo artist. Until a strange, handsome lone wolf named Marcus Delgado walks into her shop.

Marcus has his own reasons to hate the Keepers. A scientist who sacrificed himself to test the fragile boundaries between witch and wolf, he believes there's a way to harness the combustible power between the two species. If he succeeds, he'll be protected from the Keepers, but he needs a willing partner-and the delicious Katie just might be the perfect test subject.

Katie knows working with a wolf, an adversary she's undeniably attracted to, is a dangerous proposition...no matter how tempting she finds Marcus's proposal. But when a common enemy from their past threatens them both, working together might be the only option.

Review:

I started off reading this book a little bit confused as it seems to jump into the story without giving us any background about the characters and the location.

It does get better as we find out about the back-story of the characters. Really liked how the two main characters couldn't seem to resist each other despite a relationship between them being seen as taboo.

The minor characters in the book were enjoyable as well, I especially liked the feisty-ness of Katie's grandfather and he certainly gave me a few laughs throughout the book.

This is a paranormal romance but leans heavily towards the fantasy genre so it wasn't completely up my street.

I love a good shapeshifter romance but this just didn't hold my attention as much as I wished it had. I couldn't really connect with the main characters and found myself wanting to skip chapters to get to the end (I did resist!).

If you like a paranormal/fantasy novel don't let this review put you off as I think this book just wasn't to my taste. The writing was very good and the author was certainly an imaginative writer.

My overall rating for this book is:

I can only give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars because despite it being well written it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Review: Her Sexiest Mistake by Jill Shalvis

This is my review for Her Sexiest Mistake by Jill Shalvis. I was given a copy of this book to review by NetGalley.

Synopsis:

Mia Appleby finally has the life she always wanted. She's escaped her trailer trash childhood and built a nice life for herself with a marketing job and a cute, little condo. But no matter how much baggage she's ditched from her past, she still hasn't managed to shake her greatest weakness-men. So when her new neighbor turns out to be single and oh-so-sexy, Mia's worried she's playing with fire . . . 

Kevin McKnight can't get enough of his gorgeous neighbor, but after one amazing night, she's already showing him the door. Something tells him this is the way she handles most men. But Kevin is far from your average guy-and he's ready to prove it to Mia. When a blast from her past shakes up Mia's life in a major way, will she stick with her self-sufficient solo act . . . or take a chance leaning on Kevin's strong shoulders?

Review:

This was a nice lighthearted read, I really liked the hero Kevin as he was such a nice guy and had a troubled but close relationship with his brother. Mia however took some time to warm to, she was quite selfish and standoffish and only thought about herself. (This was because she had a difficult childhood). When Mia's niece turns up on her doorstep things start to change for everyone, Mia starts to care for her niece and develops deeper feelings for Kevin.

This was a fairly standard storyline, however I though that the end was quite abrupt in how the situation with Mia and her niece was resolved. It could have done with a couple more chapters.

By the end of the book I had semi-warmed to Mia but she certainly wasn't one of my favourite female leads by any stretch of the imagination. I just could connect with her.

This book was 80,000 words so didn't take too long to read, perfect for a holiday book or quick relaxing read.

My overall score for this book is:

 3 out of 5 stars as it was just ok and didn't blow my socks off!

Review: Under the Hood by Sally Clements

This is my review for Under the Hood by Sally Clements; I was given an advanced reader copy to review by Net Galley.

Synopsis:

When sexy mechanic Alice Starr mistakenly believes attorney Mark Jameson needs her help, he discovers he likes being rescued for a change. Smitten by her confidence, he hides his expertise so he has an excuse to see her again.

Starting their new all-female garage, Under the Hood, is keeping Alice and her friends busy. She doesn't have time for a man. But with one kiss, she and Mark have advanced into water so deep she's in danger of drowning. So why hasn't he called?

Mark wants to tell Alice the truth so they can pursue a relationship. But he's got even bigger problems at his office when his bitter aunt threatens Alice’s livelihood. He needs a plan, fast, or else Under the Hood and his chances with Alice could both be ruined.

Review:

This was a cute and sweet little Novella by Sally Clements, it is only around 100 pages at took me about 40 minutes to read. Perfect for a lunch break or on the bus.

I loved the role reversal aspect of this book, the female lead Alice is a Mechanic who helps the male lead Mark to fix his car when she mistakenly believes he knows nothing about cars.

The characters were well developed despite the length of the book and the story was lighthearted and entertaining.

I always enjoy a book where the female lead is in a profession not traditionally meant for women so this added a further special-ness to this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a lighthearted short read this book is also suitable for anyone who isn't a fan of lots of sex scenes as there weren't any lol!

My overall score for this book is:

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Sweet Revenge by Rebecca Zanetti

I was given a copy of Sweet Revenge by Rebecca Zanetti to review so.. here it is:

Synopsis:

The One Man She Can't Have
Matt Dean was born to fight . . . and kill. A member of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be the perfect soldiers with an expiration date. Now, with time running out, he's gone rogue in a relentless quest for the one person who can save them. His mission leads him to Charmed, Idaho . . . and to a beautiful woman with eyes like emeralds and a body made for pleasure.

The One Woman He Can't Resist

Laney Jacobs knows the mysterious, handsome stranger is trouble from the moment he walks into her bar, looking for a job. She's spent years running from her own past-the last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement. But Matt's strong arms offer her protection and his gentle touch promises passion unlike anything she's ever known. As lethal forces surround them, revealing explosive secrets about Matt's past and putting everything-and everyone-he holds dear in danger, can he save them all before time runs out?

Review:

I was certainly intrigued when I read the synopsis for this book; I always like a bit of paranormal romance, especially with brothers! 

The first few chapters were particularly good, as we started out learning about our male lead Matt and his brothers when they were children. These few opening chapters reminded me of the Christine Feehan Ghost Walkers books which was a good start as these are some of my favourites!

I loved the relationship between the brothers and how loyal they were to each other through a really horrendous time!

We then are taken to the adult Matt as he is trying to track down someone from his past and boy is he hawt! He's a typical Alpha male, good looking, slightly bossy and protective, especially when he meets Laney.

I didn't mind Laney's character as she was also quite fiesty but she wasn't as well developed as Matt. Their developing relationship is nice to read and I warmed to Laney more as the book went on when we found out about her past.

My favourite parts of the book were when the brothers were together as I loved their strong relationship together.

I haven't read the first book in the series, Forgotten Sins (Shane and Josie's) story, so if you haven't either I would recommend reading this first. It's not required but these are a series of books.

I've put Forgotten Sins on my To Be Read list and will definitely be reading the 3rd and finally 4th books in the series.

My overall score for this book is 

4 out of 5 stars!

Review: Unscrupulous (The Manhattanites) by Avery Aster

This is my review for Unscrupulous (The Manhattanites) by Avery Aster. I was given a copy to review by Net Galley.

Publication Date: 14th Aug 2013

Synopsis:

In the world of the fabulous rich, some will pay any price to maintain social status. What if it costs them the one thing they’ve always yearned for? Love.

At thirty-three, Warner Truman is one of the richest men on the planet, a spa mogul who buys and sells resorts at will. He holds powerful executives' careers in his well-groomed hands. Nothing is beyond Warner's reach...until he meets her.

Stunning, tantalizing and perverse, Taddy Brill captivates Warner's carnal desire like no woman he's ever met. A self-made millionaire, Taddy is tougher than steel, more brilliant than diamonds and, at twenty-seven, she's never depended on a man for anything...until she meets him.

The more Taddy plays with Warner's affections, driving him to erotic heights, the more she is confronted by a dark past. Before she can love him, Taddy must meet her worst fears head-on or risk losing it all, including herself.

THE MANHATTANITES is an extended modern erotic romance series of full length juicy melodramas multilayered on love, friendship, scandal, and drama to the hilt. If you grew up reading Jackie Collins and Judith Krantz you will devour this series. Sex & The City fans who watch TV shows like Girls (HBO), Mistresses (ABC/BBC Drama), and The Bold & the Beautiful (CBS) love The Manhattanites series. Avery's characters are over the top. They have raunchy sex, speak their minds and always get what they want.

Review:

I am sad to say that I just didn't like this book, mainly because I didn't get it! I like fast paced books but this one was just supersonic! It was hard to follow along with the story, the characters weren't explained very well and there was too much branding in the book which detracted from the overall story. I also didn't particularly like the main characters Taddy and Warner they just weren't like able at all!

I believe this book is supposed to slightly mimic the 'Sex and the city' theme of sex obsessed women in Manhattan which may explain why I just didn't like it. I couldn't get on with the 'Sex and the City' TV series so this book had no chance.

Taddy was supposed to be this super successful and powerful woman but she just came over as a bit stupid to me!

Maybe I just didn't get the Manhattan culture that the author was going for as I come from the United Kingdom, but I had hoped that the characters at least would make sense for me.

I am really unhappy to say I have to give this book a low rating because it just wasn't my taste, but if you liked 'Sex and the City' it may be worth you having a go of this one.

So overall my score is only:

1 out of 5 stars

Review: Feel the Heat by Kate Meader

This is my review of 'Feel the Heat' by Kate Meader, I was given an advanced reader copy by Net Galley to review.

Publication Date: 28th Jan 2014

Synopsis:

IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT . . .

Photographer Lili DeLuca spends all her time working at her family's Italian restaurant, instead of following her dream of getting an MFA. When famous British chef Jack Kilroy unexpectedly challenges her father to a cook-off, Lili decides she's tired of playing it safe and vows to seduce the tempting Brit. But once a video of her and Jack kissing goes viral and her luscious (if voluptuous) butt starts trending on Twitter, Lili fears she's cooked up a recipe for disaster . . . 
Jack Kilroy's celebrity has left him feeling used and used up. While Lili's oh-so-sexy moans when she tastes his delicious creations turn him on, he's even more aroused by how this beautiful, funny woman is unimpressed by his fame. He knows they could be amazing together, if she could only see past his rabid, bitch-fork-wielding fan base. Now as he's about to start a new prime time TV cooking show, can Jack convince Lili to realize her own ambitions-and turn up the heat in his kitchen?

Review:

When I read the synopsis of this book I was quite excited to get started, I always like a book with a chef as a main character. I have to say this book didn't quite live up to expectations.

I was a lighthearted and easy read that flowed quite well but I found myself getting quite frustrated with the main female lead Lili. She was just so indecisive and I found myself wishing she would get over her issues and just admit that she wanted to be with Jack! It took until about 60% into the book for them to actually get together and she was still not fully committed to the relationship! GRRRR

Lili suffered from a body issue problem after being fat through school so she was constantly worrying about what people thought of her despite the fact that Jack thought she was gorgeous!  

That being said it was a relaxing read and I did like the main male character Jack, he was a bit of an Alpha Male which is always good and I also found Lili's large Italian family quite humorous.

Overall my rating for this book is an average:

3 out of 5 stars.