ARC Review: Crew by Tijan

I am a huge fan of Tijan’s and I couldn’t wait for Crew. This was everything I had hoped for and more! Once I started, I couldn’t put this book down! I honestly love Tijan’s ability to give us a unique and different story every time, they are angst and emotional and completely original. Crew was definitely one I’ll be reading again, and I already can’t wait for the next in this series!

Bren is the only female member of the Wolf Crew. They are the most fierce of all the crews, and if you mess with them, they will make you pay. They have only one rule, don’t fall in love...and definitely don’t fall in love with anyone in the crew.

I loved Bren. She was so strong and fierce, and yet true to Tijan she was also vulnerable. There were so many layers to her, and I found her very interesting. She was just as protective as her crew was, and I felt like they completely fit each other. She fit in perfectly and yet there were there was so much to her individually that I felt for her. Cross was amazing! He was strong and smart, and sexy. Absolutely perfect for Bren! I couldn’t get enough of him! While I loved Z and Jordan as well, Cross was hands down my favorite part of this entire book!

I just can't wait for more in this series after finishing this book! Crew was a book that I never wanted to end, and I was captivated right from the start. The first half I was interested and enjoying it, but things really picked up in the second half and by the time I finished I was in no way ready to leave this world behind! Tijan is brilliant, and I have enjoyed everything I’ve read from her, but Crew just might be my favorite! I highly recommend this one and am looking forward to getting more of these characters!

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: Professor Feelgood by Leisa Rayven

Leisa Rayven is an author that I have read everything she has written and loved every single one of her books! They are fantastically written and there is no one else like her out there. Fans of Mister Romance have been waiting for this one for awhile, but it was absolutely worth the wait, and I think that fans are going to love it! 

Asha Tate thought a promotion at her job was in the bag, but when she finds out that she needs to land the next bestseller to land the job, she knows she has her work cut out for her. She comes up with the idea to turn her obsession with a man calling himself Professor Feelgood’s Instagram into a novel, featuring his moving poetry and steamy pictures. When he agrees to let her turn it into a book, she never expects that the man behind Professor Feelgood is nothing like she imagined. But despite all the reasons she shouldn’t want him, she finds herself unable to fight the chemistry between them. 

I absolutely loved Asha and Jake. I don’t want to spoil anything for those that haven’t read, so I won’t get into much detail here...but these two were absolutely meant for one another. There was so much there between them and as the story began to unfold that became more apparent than ever. They had chemistry and a strong connection, and I was emotionally invested in them from start to finish. 

Leisa Rayven is one of my favorite author’s for so many reasons, but I just keep falling more in love with her writing with each book she releases. Professor Feelgood is a standalone, but I do highly recommend reading Mister Romance first if possible. It is another great book by her, but it is also interconnected to this story and lets you get to know some of the characters seen here better. You really can’t go wrong with anything written by Leisa Rayven, but this one is definitely a new favorite of mine! I will be anxiously awaiting Leisa’s next book, and I know I’ll have to reread some of my favorites of hers while I wait!

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: Want You by Jen Frederick

I have been a fan of Jen’s for a long time, and Want You appealed to me right away with it’s forbidden storyline. I am a huge fan of forbidden romance stories, so this one sounded like it was made for me. After finishing though, I had to take a few days to really let it sink in and gather my thoughts. While there were things I liked here, this didn’t have the same feel as Jen’s past books that I have read and it wasn’t just the darker aspect of this story. Readers should be aware going in that this book could have some possible triggers and proceed accordingly. 

Leka and Bitsy met when he found her in an alley hiding. She was 5 and he was 12. Feeling a connection with her right away and being unable to leave her behind, Leka took her in and vowed to protect and care for her. But as they grew up together things began to change for both of them. Leka will do whatever it takes to protect her, even if that means sending her away. But Bitsy isn’t about to give up on a future with Leka, and is determined to show him that they belong together. 

I liked both Bitsy and Leka. These two did fit together and I didn’t have trouble believing in their connection. It was clear right away that after everything that they had been through that they needed each other. While I didn’t struggle with the characters themselves, I did struggle with their ages and how things went. I found a lot of what they were doing and getting away with to be unbelievable for their ages. Because of that it was hard for me to be fully invested in their story though I liked them. 

I also found that there wasn’t much conflict here and it was easily resolved. It also didn’t seem to be entirely believable for me considering the world and darkness that Leka operated in. Things were supposed to be on the forbidden side, and I see part of that, though for me it wasn’t truly forbidden and felt a bit forced. They were only 7 years apart, weren’t related in any way, and while they did find each other at a young age it was more that they belonged together and fit rather than being a case of Leka raising her or anything like that. So while I liked the characters and the ending of their story, I wasn’t fully invested and didn’t feel like their journey was a believable one. I am curious to see if there will be more in this world after reading the epilogue and I am definitely interested in reading it if there is. While this wasn’t my favorite of Jen’s books, I liked the characters and I do think it is worth the read.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: Forgetting You, Remembering Me by Monica James

Forgetting You, Remembering Me is the second book in the Memories from Yesterday series by Monica James and should only be read if you have previously read Forgetting You, Forgetting Me. This book picks up right after where the first left off and trust me you won't want to miss any of this story! I have been on pins and needles waiting for this book since I finished the first, and I am so glad that I took a chance on this series when Monica James was a new to me author. 

All Lucy wanted was for her fiance Sam to remember her after tragedy took him away from her. But as she tried her hardest to get him to remember her, she found herself growing closer to his brother Saxon, and with that came the discovery of truths that had been hidden for years. But now that Sam has regained his memories and will do whatever it takes to win Lucy back, she must decide who is her future and who is her past. 

I will admit that I was frustrated with the characters throughout this book, and yet I couldn't stop reading. Sam, Saxon and Lucy all frustrated me and yet I felt for each of them. I didn't expect to feel as much as I did for certain characters, especially since I was solidly on one team at the end of the first book, but Monica James really had me feeling for everyone here, even if they did make some wrong choices. I really felt like this book had everything though, it had the angst and emotion and a ton of chemistry and I felt invested in all of these characters. 

Overall, I recommend this series, especially if you like love triangles or angst. Monica James has become an author that I definitely look forward to reading, and I was really happy with how she handled things here. While I did get frustrated with the characters and times and things that they did, ultimately I enjoyed the book and was glad that things played out how they did.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: Temporary by Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry

I am a huge fan of Sarina Bowen, both on her own and her co-written books with Elle Kennedy. That being said, I have never read anything by Sarah Mayberry, so I was excited to see what her and Sarina's style would be like together with Temporary. While I liked this book, I didn't love it and I ended up feeling as though it lacked the spark that I am used to with anything having Sarina Bowen's name attached to it. 

Grace works hard to support her sister since their mother is unable to, so when she lands a job helping to inventory an estate of a man from a rich and powerful family. What she never expects though is the attraction and connection she feels for Callan Walker, the man's nephew who wants her help in keeping his mother far away from everything to do with his uncle's estate. She knows that once everything is settled though that he will be back on his way home to Australia, and with her sister to think about, can she really afford the risk for something temporary? 

I liked both Callan and Grace. I didn't really feel connected to them though. Things just felt surface deep here and I wasn't really invested in their story or relationship. They were attracted to one another and their connection seemed genuine, but there just wasn't anything that stood out as special to me and I pretty much forgot about them as soon as I set this one down. 

Overall, this was a good quick read but in the end it was just okay for me. Things were definitely set up here for Callan's sister to get her own story, and I would be interested to read it and get to know her better. While I wasn't her biggest fan, she seemed to be on the right track at the end of this book. I just wish that I had been able to connect more with the characters here and that it hadn't felt like something was missing. While I do think that it was just okay, I think if you are looking for something quick and light to read you might give this one a shot. It was still good, just not great like I have come to expect from Sarina Bowen. I am hoping that if these two authors continue to write together that they will find their groove.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: The Better Man by Barbie Bohrman

The Better Man is the second book in the Allen Brothers series by Barbie Bohrman. After reading and loving The Best Man (Allen Brothers series #1), I couldn't wait to read the next book! I was really excited to get to know Max better, especially after helping the hero from the first book with his grand gesture! This book is a standalone story though, and you don't need to read these in order. That being said though, I would recommend it if possible since the first one is so good! While I loved the previous book though, The Better Man wasn't exactly what I had been hoping for. 

Max Allen has it good. His job reviewing night clubs for his own TV show has him rich with cash and women. The only thing that he doesn't have going for him is the woman that is intent on beating him to every night club in town for her own reviews on her YouTube channel, Daphne Rodriguez. But when the ratings start to slide and his boss tells him that he has to secure Daphne as his partner if he wants to keep his job, Max reluctantly sets out to convince her to join his network and show. But as much as Max dislikes Daphne, she dislikes him more. Needing to provide for her family though, Daphne can't turn away the amount of money they are offering her. But the more these two are around one another, the line between love and hate starts to blur and soon the attraction is more than they can fight. 

I will admit a huge part of my struggles here were Daphne and Max themselves. Max drove me nuts! He was so self absorbed and such a douche at times that it made it really hard for him to like. His most redeeming quality was how he was with his family, especially his nieces. He was adorable with them, and that was what had me not hating him at the beginning of this book. He did get better later on, but it was really hard to like him at times. Daphne while being strong for her family and a good granddaughter and sister, she was also hard to like for parts of this story. She judged Max and was irritating at times. Luckily I did like her more, and she got better as the story progressed. I never felt the pull beyond the attraction here for these two, and their relationship seemed to change from antagonistic attraction to intense like/love almost instantly. Frankly I just didn't see it or believe it. 

So while I liked parts of this book, overall I just never really felt like it was 100% genuine. I wish I had seen more of a real connection grow between these two, but I don't feel like we got that here at all. They never really had any bonding moments before things were suddenly different between them and it was hard to see how they got from Point A (Hate) to Point B (Like/Love). I also have to admit that the next book is one that while I am interested in reading, I am a bit wary of. Something happened in this book to set that one up (I won't say what so as not to spoil anything) and I am still struggling with it. If things were different it would be easier to get behind the story, but having things go down the way they did here I think it will be harder for me to accept though I will definitely be reading it. Sorry to be so vague, but I really don't want to be the one to spoil it. I do like the characters in this series, and it was great to see familiar faces from the first book. I think that readers will enjoy this one, especially if you like enemies to lovers. If you are looking for a deep and emotional connection though, this one might not be for you.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: Hello Forever by Sarina Bowen

Hello Forever is the second book in the Hello Goodbye series by Sarina Bowen, but it is a standalone story. This book was previously published under a different name by Sarina's Pseudonym Nealy Wagner. I was so excited to read this one after loving Goodbye Paradise. Fans of that story will enjoy getting to catch up with Josh and Caleb here just as I did. They are impossible not to love, so it was definitely good to see them again. But while I liked Hello Forever and Axel and Caxton, I didn't love their story or them like I did Goodbye Paradise. 

Axel and Caxton were close friends who were turning into more as teenagers when they were caught making out in the woods. Cax disappeared and wasn't to be seen again. Now six years later, Axel is shocked to spot Cax in the crowd of some basketball footage for the school he is thinking about accepting a position at. Knowing that he can't just let Cax disappear again, Axel takes the job and they find themselves face to face after years of no contact. But while Axel is out and proud, Cax is very much in the closet and his life depends on it staying that way. While Cax would love nothing more than to be with Axel and finally be himself, he knows that it can't be that way. But Axel is willing to take what he can get if it means a chance to have Cax at all. Can they find a way to be together, or will they both lose everything?

I liked Axel and Cax. They had a clear and obvious connection and the chemistry between them was strong. I felt like they really belonged together and I liked getting to know them. But I didn't feel the same passion and intensity that was between Josh and Caleb and I found myself comparing them to the other couple a lot. I just wasn't as connected to them, and I wish that there had been a bit more to draw me in when it came to their relationship. I wanted to feel invested in them, but I wasn't fully able to. 

Overall, I liked this story and it was good. It just wasn't great like Goodbye Paradise and I had been hoping for a bit more. I still think that fans of Sarina's will enjoy this story as I did, especially if they love Josh and Caleb like I did. But while I liked this book, I didn't love it. Sarina Bowen is a great writer though, and this won't be the last I read from her.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: After All by Karina Halle

I was really excited to read Emmett and Alyssa's story after I first met them in Karina Halle's Before I Ever Met You. After All is a standalone story and you do not need to have read BIEMY to enjoy or understand After All, but you do get to see quite a few characters from that story here and I would recommend it for full enjoyment. While I was excited to read this book, I have to say that I just didn't connect or feel as emotionally invested as I did with Will and Jackie's story. 

When Emmett and Alyssa find their paths crossing at their mutual friends' wedding, things end in a steamy night together. But what started as a one night stand quickly becomes more after pictures emerge of the two of them together, with the media speculating that Alyssa is Emmett's new girlfriend. Needing to clean up his act after a few recent incidents, Emmett proposes a fake relationship to help turn his reputation around. But what starts out as fake soon becomes real, with both of them wondering if they have a chance at a future together. 

While I liked Emmett and Alyssa, I just didn't feel invested in their story. I'm not really sure why that was, but I just never felt that way. It took me awhile to get into the book, and even when I did I liked the story but didn't love it. Emmett was sexy and persistent, and I liked that he didn't give up on Alyssa. I did think that at times he seemed a bit detached from her though, and his actions didn't always feel genuine to his character. Alyssa came off as prickly (a word used throughout this story to describe her) but it was also more than that at times. She made so many assumptions about Emmett and the man he was based on the man her father had been, and she didn't know him at all! That made it hard to relate to her or even like her at times if I am honest. I also got frustrated with her constantly trying to push Emmett away when she didn't really know him and at the same time actually wanted him. While there was a lot of chemistry between these two and they were sexy together, I just never felt emotionally connected to them. 

Overall, this one wasn't my favorite from Karina Halle but it did have it's enjoyable moments. Emmett had some great dirty talk and was sexy and the chemistry between these two was there from the start. I just wish I had been able to relate more or feel invested in their relationship. This won't be the last I read from Karina Halle.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: Before I Ever Met You by Karina Halle

I am a huge fan of Karina Halle's, so whenever I see that she has a new book out it automatically gets added to my TBR. That being said, Before I Ever Met You was one I couldn't wait to read because I absolutely love forbidden romance stories. Wit this one being about Jackie and her father's best friend Will, I knew there was bound to be all sorts of naughty moments and Karina definitely delivered. I loved it, and I think readers are going to feel the same way I did.

Will and Jackie first met when she was just a teenager. He was married and the best friend and business partner of her father. They were nothing to each other but acquaintances. Now ten years later, Jackie is returning home a 25-year old single mother needing help from her family after making a few mistakes. When her father offers her a job as Will's personal assistant Jackie jumps at the chance to prove herself at a place where she knows she could have a future. But Will is recently divorced and things between them are different than they were when they first met all those years ago. The chemistry and attraction is more than they can fight, but with them working together and Will being her father's best friend makes them off-limits to each other. 

I absolutely loved these two. They were super hot together and I couldn't get enough. It was so much more though between Jackie and Will though. They just fit together and it was so natural. It can be really hard to feel as though an age difference like the one between them would work realistically, yet for Jackie and Will it did. Will was great with Jackie and her son. He was kind and patient, and he genuinely cared about both of them. I loved that he didn't push her before she was ready, yet he didn't give up on her either. He was exactly what they needed after everything that had happened.

Overall, this was a really great story and I couldn't put it down. Karina Halle always draws me right in with her stories and this one was no exception. Before I Ever Met You was captivating and I read it in one sitting. I just really enjoyed everything about this one, and I am so excited that Karina has decided to write more about some of the characters that we met in this book. Karina Halle is a go to author for me that I always recommend, and this book is a must read!

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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ARC Review: Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven

I have to admit that I am a huge fan girl when it comes to Leisa Rayven! I love her books and with each new one that I read from her I tend to want to savor them, yet at the same time I find that impossible! It seems like once I start reading them I am unable to stop myself and usually end up finishing in one sitting. Mister Romance was no exception, and I just cannot recommend Leisa's books enough.

With her job on the line, Eden knows she needs a big story. When she hears about a sexy male escort making the dreams of rich and prominent women come true, she knows that he is the story she has been looking for. She hunts him down, determined to expose him and his clients, but Max offers her everything she is looking for in exchange for three dates with him. He will answer all her questions and even give her his client list, but if he makes her fall in love with him then she has to kill the story. Being a romance cynic, Eden believes there is no way that she will fall in love with Max. But as they spend more time together and she starts to get to know the real Max and not just the characters he plays, she finds her walls starting to crumble. 

I loved these two. At first I will admit that I wasn't sure of Max. I liked him and it was clear that he was sexy and capable of playing just about any role to win a woman over. But I really didn't like how things started here between these two, and I worried about his intentions. Luckily it didn't take long at all for him to win me over, and the more we got to see the more I fell right along with Eden. He might have had different characters, but with Eden it was clear to see that he wasn't able to really separate those and his true personality. He was himself with her in a way he wasn't with his clients. I really liked Eden as well. I wasn't entirely able to relate to her and she was really cynical and at times she frustrated me. But I understood her and I loved her drive and determination. These two had a ton of chemistry, but I was glad that things didn't happen quick between them. I really felt like their connection was real and genuine and a lot of that was due to the slow burn and the fact that they got to know one another and things progressed naturally. 

Overall, another fantastic book from Leisa Rayven! I liked the characters and the story, and I think fans of hers will love this one as it is everything I have come to know and love from her. Leisa Rayven is a truly talented writer that has a unique way with words that I haven't seen from anyone else. If you haven't read anything from her before, you are definitely missing out! I have loved everything I have read from her and she never disappoints! Trust me when I tell you that she is an author that you need to be reading!

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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