Tag: romance

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#BookReview: The Perfect Score by Maggie Dallen

Great Ending. In the conclusion to this trilogy, we finally get the story of the most outspoken girl of the group paired with… the most silent guy of the group. As was the case throughout this series, some great laughs, some biting heartache, some miscommunications common around the HS age, and very little actual sports play. (Indeed, there is no scoring of any kind specifically mentioned – much less shown – in this particular tale.) Very fun and fast read, highly recommended.

This review of The Perfect Score by Maggie Dallen was originally published on December 19, 2018.

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#BookReview: The Christmas Lights Battle by Skylar M. Cates

The Battle That Never Was. This is a M/M romance that works well. Both men have their own unique histories that make getting together complicated, but it seems that these complications are resolved way too quickly. As is the “battle” that is so central to the premise that it is the title of the book. But the romance itself flows well, and the sex is absolutely NC-17 and fairly plentiful. Solid book, and looking forward to more from this new-to-me author.

This review of The Christmas Lights Battle by Skylar M. Cates was originally published on December 8, 2018.

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#BookReview: To Be Honest by S.M. James

… This Is An Awesome Story. If you enjoyed a certain other coming of age gay romance that was in theater earlier this year, you’ll enjoy this book as well. Even if you haven’t been exposed to that other story, give this one a try if you like romance and/ or coming of age and/ or road trip stories – this is a solid entry into all of the above categories, that happens to involve two guys at a prep school falling for each other. Very much enjoyed this book, excellent vacation/ beach read (which is when I read it, on a cruise). Very much looking forward to the rest of this series.

This review of To Be Honest by S.M. James was originally published on November 15, 2018.

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#BookReview: Full Disclosure by DJ Jamison

Full Disclosure: It is solid. This was the introduction to a new series that, given the usual tropes of romance series, I’m not sure how long the author intends to carry beyond the obvious sequel that releases later this week. Which is sad, because Jamison weaves a solid story of a down on his luck real estate agent meeting up with a security agent who is possibly on his last gig. The danger part of the suspense is tangible, though I was able to determine at least one element of the mystery somewhat early. Overall, great book and I’m looking forward to the next one. 🙂

This review of Full Disclosure by DJ Jamison was originally published on September 16, 2018.

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#BookReview: Worth the Risk by Jamie Beck

Absolutely “worth the risk”. In this conclusion to the St James series, Jackson, middle son, is dealing with the repercussions of the end of Worth the Trouble and has decided to leave town for a few weeks to sort out his issues. He heads to Vermont, and just as he is getting into town he almost literally runs into Gabby during a thunderstorm. He’s a mess, and she has a kid. But this is a romance novel, and these are our leads, so you know where this is going. As always in this series, very real handling of the various situations, and I really do love the decisions Jackson ultimately comes to. Great conclusion to a great series.

This review of Worth the Risk by Jamie Beck was originally published on September 11, 2018.

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#BookReview: Worth the Trouble by Jamie Beck

Even Better Than The First. To me, this story was even better than the first book in this series, Worth the Wait – which was excellent in its own right. Cat and Hank’s interactions seem just as real, and given what both are dealing with, even more personally impactful for me. Without going into detail on this review, suffice it to say that I am thankful that these types of issues are being explored in a romance novel, as often they are not. So very many kudos for that and for the excellent-as-usual story and writing. 🙂

This review of Worth the Trouble by Jamie Beck was originally published on September 9, 2018.

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#BookReview: Worth the Wait by Jamie Beck

Excellent Romance. This is a hardcore romantic drama, quite different in that respect from my typical romance fare of late – and an excellent example of why I like the entire breadth of the genre. The author is a touch more realistic than some of her peers, and it shines here. Both leads are believable, and the supporting cast – most of which is destined to appear in future books as leads themselves – are fully fleshed out for purposes of this story as well. (Obviously for those featuring in future books, we should get better views of them there.) Very much looking forward to the next book in the series – indeed, I’ve already started it.

This review of Worth the Wait by Jamie Beck was originally published on September 5, 2018.

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#BookReview: The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi

Are Secrets Really Comfortable? In this tale, we meet Cat and Ryan. And Ryan… both has secrets and has people holding secrets from him. In at least some ways, I can certainly identify with Ryan due to at least *some* similar situations (though to be clear, not an abusive parent myself). In this tale of family triumphing all, the more pessimistic among us might be tempted to label it as much fantasy as any swords and sorcery book, but aren’t romance books supposed to take us out of the real world and give us a happily ever after? And in that, Nolfi does a great job. The Sirens may be a bunch of wacky old biddies, but they do form a memorable cast of supporting characters – ones who almost steal the show from the central couple. Very much enjoyed this book, and very much looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy. (Yes, I started in the middle. :D)

This review of The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi was originally published on August 24, 2018.