ARC Review: Falling Fast by Aurora Rose Reynolds

I have been a fan of Aurora Rose Reynolds since I first read a book by her. While I am not usually a fan of insta-love, for some reason when it comes to her books and the BOOM it just works for me. So I couldn't wait to read Falling Fast from her, because it sounded so good and she has yet to disappoint me. That was definitely the case here and I really enjoyed this story. 

When Gia Caro learns that her grandmother is still alive and not dead like she was told years before, she drops everything to head to her small town and take care of her. Needing to find a job to help out, she gets a job at a local bar where she meets Colton Allyster. Both Colton and Gia find themselves living a life they never planned for themselves, but after meeting each other they know they are exactly where they should be. But when things start to get worse with Gia's grandmother and things start happening to Gia, it seems like someone is out to get her. Is what they have between them forever though, especially when it seems like everything is happening too fast? 

I really liked Colton and Gia. Gia was sweet and caring, and I loved how real she was. She was accident prone and a hard worker, not afraid to get her hands dirty and do what needed to be done. She was easy to relate to and a heroine that you wanted to root for. Colton was sexy and alpha, yet sweet and caring. He was protective, but not a jerk about it. He was a genuinely good guy who had some bad stuff happen to him, and because of that he was a bit vulnerable. I loved that we got to see different sides to him, and that these two were so perfect for one another. They each had a lot they were dealing with, but they helped one another out so much and seeing that growth and change with each of them was fun to watch. They had off the charts chemistry and a connection that was strong and clear right from the start. 

Overall, this was another great story from ARR. I loved it and the characters and didn't want to put it down once I had started. I liked that while Colton was alpha and protective (as is common for ARR's heroes) I will say that things were a bit predictable at times, but honestly that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I had a few things figured out though, and I would have liked to have been a bit more surprised. Still a great story though, and I honestly can't wait to get Tide's book next! If you are a fan of Aurora Rose Reynolds, you will definitely want to check this one out. If you are new to her though, this is a great book to start with and you will want to go back and read more from her.

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ARC Review: Illicit by M.N. Forgy

Illicit is the 4th installment in the Sin City Outlaws MC series. I read the book before this but I have not read any of the other books in the series. So, let's start there. I do NOT recommend you read these books out of order or as standalones. I also suggest that you take my opinion of these books with a grain of salt for the reason that I did read them out of order and don't have the best context for understanding all the background information. When I write reviews like this I try to separate the things that are objective from the things that are just the result of my history with the series or other personal bias. I'll try to do that here. But don't read this review if you want to get into this series and you haven't read the books before this one, there will be spoilers of past books.

We met Raven in book 3 and Machete, a member of Sin City Outlaws in prior books. Raven is the "bad guy" from book 3 but it's kind of hard to say that because the lines between good and bad don't really exist between Raven and Machete. Raven is seriously out of her skull. She's a trained killer who was taken as a child and placed in a survival compound where it was hurt somebody else or starve. Raven learned from an early age to give pain, to take it and to push her emotions way down deep. In other words, she's crazy as all hell. If you read the last book (which I assume you did if you're reading this review) then you know that Raven held a grudge against Alessandra who was also at the kiddy killer compound. That didn't end well and as a result, Raven is now the prisoner of the Sin City MC club. 

Machete is...a total psycho. He's sexy but in past books we learned that people are generally scared of him and those people are smart because he's scary. Machete is drawn to Raven because he sees the darkness inside of her and it's a total turn on for him. When I say a total turn on, I really mean that. The crazier Raven is and the more she is unaffected by the "torture" Machete is supposed to be doling out, the more he wants her.

Ok, so here are the issues. There was a lot of redundancy in the book, especially at the beginning. I felt like I was reading the same scene over and over again. Machete couldn't figure out how to get through to Raven by torture and then he would want her and there would be endless internal monologue about how drawn he was to her darkness. Another thing is that it seems like this book is going to be really hot and there are all these lusty morsels dangled but it takes a long time to get down to the actual business. I was also just mystified by the length of time it took for Raven to choose sides. I felt from the beginning of the book that she had absolutely no reason to be loyal to Cross. At one point pretty early in the story, Raven realized that she wasn't really on team Cross but she still refused to give in to Machete and tell him what he needed to know. My last thing is that there isn't the traditional amount of MC club stuff you might expect if you are a fan of MC romance.

In the end, I felt like the book was pretty good but I just needed to be much more invested in the series to really enjoy it.

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ARC Review: The Last Guy by Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise

I couldn't wait to read The Last Guy by Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise. I have really enjoyed books from each of these authors writing solo, so I figured they would make a great writing team as well and I was not wrong. I enjoyed this book from start to finish, reading it in only one sitting. It was a solid story that was well written, and Ilsa and Tia's writing styles meshed seamlessly.

Rebecca Fieldstone has been working for years to take her reporting career to the next level by getting the weekend anchor position. The last thing she has time for is the former NFL star Cade Hill recently turned sports director and his arrogant attitude. But she also can't stop thinking about him and how sexy he is. Cade isn't interested in an office romance, but when a steamy night between them turns out to be the hottest sex of their lives, both Cade and Rebecca find it impossible to ignore what is happening between them. Though Rebecca is determined to remain just friends, Cade will stop at nothing to show her that he is the guy for her. 

I really liked both Cade and Rebecca. I felt the chemistry between them right away, and I couldn't get enough of their banter. I loved seeing them circle around one another and come to terms with the attraction between them and their growing feelings. These two had a great connection that surprised both of them, and I really enjoyed seeing them get to know one another and not just make assumptions about who the other was. Cade and Rebecca were hot together and I also loved the dirty talk. These two just clicked on every level, and they were so great for one another. 

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot. My only complaint here is that things were pretty predictable and at times it felt like there wasn't really anything new being offered here. I still really enjoyed the story though and had a great time reading it. Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise are talented writers on their own, and together they made a great team. I would definitely read more from them in the future. If you are looking for a fun and sexy office romance, this story is definitely worth checking out!

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ARC Review: The Way Back Home by Carmen Jenner

This is not my first Carmen Jenner book. I read a couple of her MC books and two of her other small town books. What is never in question with Jenner is whether she is up to the task of putting together a completely engrossing novel with complete character development- she absolutely is and she does it every time. This book is no exception on that front. Overall, if you like Carmen Jenner's storytelling, I think you will really like this book. For me, this was a good book but not the best suited for my taste so it stays on my good but not great list.

This is another small town offering from Jenner. In this book Olivia is the operator of a non-profit organization with laudable goals and a very worthwhile mission. Olivia travels all over setting up kennels from which she houses dogs that will become companion animals for war vets who are often suffering from PTSD. August is a vet who returned home to Magnolia Springs to care for his baby sister after losing his leg in combat. August has more issues than Vogue. Beyond his serious PTSD, he is parenting a little girl and clearly has no idea what he is doing. August has just lost BOTH of his parents and he's dealing with that. And oh, did I mention that Magnolia Springs is populated by absolute jerk face A holes? The good folks of MS view war vets as freaks who can't just "get over it."

In addition to their poor outlook on the men and women who sacrifice themselves for our country, the Magnolia folks are also deeply suspicious of Olivia and her mission. Olivia is my kind of character. She tries to be nice but she veers towards the confrontational end of the spectrum often losing her cool and telling people exactly what she thinks of them. This attribute does not endear her to the people of Magnolia Springs. Olivia and August are thrust together because August's parents, prior to their untimely demise, were working with Olivia to open up her service dog facility. When Olivia arrives in Magnolia Springs she is expecting to find August's parents to welcome her with open arms. Instead she finds August, an orphaned little girl and August's terrible attitude.

August and Olivia have one of those hate/attraction relationships throughout the entire book. Olivia finds herself more and more drawn to the surly August. August can't believe anybody would want his broken pieces and he continuously tries to push Olivia away. Olivia, is complicated. August has her all wrong. She had been through some ish which created in her a spine of steel that August didn't see coming. The thing I like about this relationship is that I felt like these two were made for each other. No one else could have just stepped in and been in a relationship with either of these two, they were clearly made for one another. The only issue for me in this book was the angst level. It was just a lot of angst, A LOT. Other than that, this is a really good book that I think you contemporary romance lovers will really appreciate.

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ARC Review: Retaliate by M.N. Forgy

Retaliate is the third entry in the Sin City MC series but it's my first read. If you want to start here in the series, you can. This book had a lot going for it if you are a reader like me. A like things a little rough, a little dark and a lot dirty. This book delivered all of that. 

I normally do not like books about cops. I prefer my hero and heroines on the other side of the law.  In this case Alessandra is a police officer and it worked out ok. I think the reason it works in this book is because there is something about Alessandra that is much more criminal than it is law and order.Alessandra's BFF is in a relationship with the president of the Sin City MC. Through her friend, Alessandra meets the vice president of the club Felix.

Felix is just the flavor of bad ass that I love. Felix is basically running the MC while the prez takes care of family business.  Felix has a dirty mouth and a terrible attitude.  He is also the type of guy who doesn't take BS and doesn't have time for it. He immediately has his version of a soft spot for Alessandra but for someone like him, it really ain't that soft.

What I love about this book was just all of the action, the plot twists and the chemistry between the characters. I'm always up for a 'hate you so much I have to bang your brains out journey.' I loved the hate/lust thing that Felix and Alessandra had going on in this book. What I didn't love and found kind of weird was the whole mystery with Alessandra's background. I don't know if that is talked about in other books and I was just lost because I skipped the first two books in the series. I feel like, though, that the issue just comes up in this book and I was lost because it wasn't dealt with very well. It wasn't a huge issue but there were a few times in this book where I felt like the author was kind of rushing the plot and making leaps that were too big to make logical sense. 

Beyond that issue this is a good book that I think MC fans who like action romance will enjoy.

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ARC Review: Cole by Tijan

I haven't read much from Tijan yet, but I absolutely loved the Carter Reed books. So when I saw that she was writing Cole, another Mafia story, I couldn't wait to read this one! Cole is a standalone story, though it was great to see some familiar faces. I really enjoyed reading it from start to finish, and I didn't want to put this one down!

Addison is a bit broken and lost, but the first time she lays eyes on Cole, she feels something inside her shift. Though she didn't know who he was, she knew that he was different. But after she meets him in her new apartment building, things begin to change for her as she starts to spend time with him. Though at first he won't tell her much about him, she soon learns that he is so much more than just the sexy guy that she can't stop thinking about and nothing is like what she thought.

I really loved these two. Things were very quick with them, and their connection was instant. Honestly though, it felt very genuine to me. These two just had a spark that felt right between them, and it really felt like they were meant to know one another. I was so glad that Cole was able to help bring Addison back to life after all she had been through. She needed someone to show her how to really live again, and Cole was perfect for the job. Cole needed someone to love him and support him, and Addison was as perfect for him as he was for her. These two had great chemistry and I couldn't get enough of them. 

The one thing I will say about this book is that I really enjoyed the side characters with the exception of one, and she was what kept this book from being a five star read for me. As much as I tried to like her and see the best in her, Addison's best friend Sia was one I just couldn't warm up to. I loved the rest of the characters, including the guy that Sia was with. But honestly she was a terrible friend, and apologizing over and over didn't make it okay. She was there at moments that Addison needed her, but she also continued to neglect Addison and blow her off when they had plans, and I just couldn't get past that and started to cringe anytime she was in a scene. Other than Sia though, I really loved this book and highly recommend it. Tijan has yet to disappoint me and I can't wait to read more from her!

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ARC Review: Bound by Family by Ryan Michele

A 3 star rating might be a bit generous for this book. I really like MC romance so if there's a motorcycle club, a bossy alpha biker and a strong independent woman, I'm usually all in. This book had the outline of everything that I really love in romance but I have to say the style of the writing felt a little armature.  In particular, the language of the book was kind of dull and repetitive. I felt like the author could have benefited from using a thesaurus.  

This book is the introduction to the Ravage MC and it features Cooper who has been a member since he was an adolescent. Cooper meets Bristyl completely by chance when he gets stuck in a maintenance crisis at a laundry mat that her family MC in another state owns. There is insta-attraction between Bristyl and Cooper but their relationship develops over a number of long distance phone calls. Bristyl has been growing increasingly frustrated in her life. Her brothers and father are a part of the Sinister MC but she's just an employee keeping the books.  Women aren't allowed in Sinister. 

When Bristyl is pushed beyond what she can take at home, Cooper is right there to break her fall and take her in as a part of Ravage. There is some drama with a a third club that started with an online dating incident involving Bristyl's best friend (that's a long stupid story), there are the typical shots fired and gratuitous ass kicking you find in MC romances. In the end Bristyl and Cooper get their HEA. So what is my problem? It's that something about this book reminded me of someone who read a lot of MC romances and thought 'oh hey, I could do that.' The problem is it felt like this was a contemporary romance dressed up like a MC romance. Like all the characters seem like caricatures of MC characters. Cooper must say 50 times 'we're Ravage, Ravage takes care of family, nobody fucks with us, blah blah blah.' It was kind of like, ok, once but it was weird how Cooper kept going on these internal rants about how great Ravage was. It just seemed like the author was trying to hard to give us an MC romance instead of writing a good story about a MC romance.

The sex scenes in this book are seriously nothing to get excited about. A lot of scenes include information that you think might get explained later but isn't fully explained. And OMG, if Cooper called Bristyl "beautiful" one more time, I was going to kill somebody. Other than that, this is lots of fun.

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ARC Review: Running Mate by Katie Ashley

Running Mate is my first non-MC romance by Katie Ashley. This is one of my most reliable authors for a strong romance and storyline and she definitely did not disappoint in this political romance.

I personally am a sucker for an "arranged" romance type of story. I love two characters who are thrown together because of some like age old blood debt or in a Cinderella fashion for money. So when I saw that Addison was going to agree to be Barrett's fiance for political reasons, I was all in. I'm still not sure why but Barrett was a triflin manwhore. He was obsessed with banging chicks in creative locations. To be honest, when the book starts out, his obsession with sex and constant references to it made him seem a bit immature. On the other hand, Addison is a serious character who has her ish together and is a true believer in Barrett's Dad who is running for president. Addison is working as a staffer on the campaign and even though the million bucks she's offered to pose as Barrett's fiance is tempting, she also kinda does it for the greater good because she wants to see Barrett's Dad win.

The thing that I really like about this book is that Barrett and Addison instantly clash. Even though they are both hot and they both notice the hotness right away, they don't immediately hook up. In fact they can barely get along. Barrett does not know how to deal with a woman who does not fall down at his feet. Addison does not know how to deal with a man who has developed very limited skills for dealing with women outside of the bedroom. Even when Barrett is trying to be nice, he comes across as sexist and kinda clueless because he hasn't done more with women than get them naked.

Barrett and Addison are stuck together on the campaign trail. As time goes on both realize that they don't want their fake relationship to end. For Barrett, a period of forced celibacy is just what he needed to see that there really is more to life than sex and maybe a relationship is the "more" that he needs. For Addison, I don't know about Addison. She just needs to figure out that all men are not her ex. And that brings me to one of my two 'not quite 5 star issues.' Addison's little drama at the end of the book did not make me happy. I know every good romance needs a conflict to resolve but Addison's self inflicted drama at the conclusion of this book just made no sense to me. The only other issue I had with this book was the lack of sex. OMG, I need the hot stuff to get me through the day and it was like 75% in before we get anything other than the Hero banging someone other than Addison (no cheating, it was pre-relationship). Beyond those two issues, this is a great contemporary romance that you should give a try.

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ARC Review: Beaus and Arrows Anthology

I have to admit that anthologies aren't always my favorite, but they are a great way to discover new authors and stories that you might not get a chance to otherwise. Not only that, but all of the profits from Beaus & Arrows are going to Pennies-4-Paws, so this is a great way to do something that you love and give back at the same time. I will say that I enjoyed this anthology a lot! There were several authors that were familiar to me, while others were new. The great thing is though that you do not need to be familiar with any of them in order to enjoy this anthology. 

This anthology was filled with stories for romance readers of all genres. The stories ranged from sweet to sexy, with some characters being well loved favorites while others were new. The great thing about an anthology is that even if you aren't liking a particular story, they are short and you are able to move on to the next one quickly. I found myself drawn in right away though, and I have to say that there are so many authors and stories that I will be checking out after sampling their work here. If you are looking for some great short romance stories, this is definitely one worth picking up. These are great to fit in when you are limited on time, or if you are looking to discover some new authors that you might have been wanting to try.

I definitely recommend this anthology, and while I did have some that I liked better than others, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this entire anthology. Make sure that you pick this one up quickly, as it will only be available for a limited time.

Beaus & Arrows contains the following stories: Perfectly Us by Abby Brooks, Right For Love by Aria Cole, Pinnacle - A Destined Series Story by Ashley Suzanne, The Wedding-Night Stand by Ava Harrison, One Night by Callie Anderson, All Wrong by Callie Harper, Love on a Plane by Ilsa Madden-Mills, Taking My Shot by Jen Frederick, Someone Not You by Jessica Hawkins, A Very Locklaine Valentine by Jessica Prince, What Love Built by J.L. Berg, Special Delivery by Liv Morris, Mr. First Time by L.J. Shen, Rhythm by Mandi Beck, Livi's Love by M.J. Fields, Yes, Yes, Yes by Nicola Rendell, Game For Two: A Valentine's Staycation by Rachel Blaufeld, Backfire by Rebecca Yarros, Entwined by SE Hall, Love and Latte by Sharon Hamilton, Beauty Knot by Stephie Walls, and The Brightest Star by Yessi Smith.

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ARC Review: Fake Fiancee by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Seeing as how I love the NA genre, I am a fan of Ilsa Madden-Mills. The books I have read by her are always entertaining and I couldn't wait to dive into this one. That being said, this was not my favorite books of hers and sadly I have to say that this might actually be my least favorite of hers to date. I had quite a few issues here and that kept me from being able to fully enjoy Fake Fiancee. 

Max is a star quarterback and Sunny is his neighbor. When he discovers they have a class together, he offers her a ride. But when they walk in together, everyone starts to question who she is and why they are together. Max views it as the perfect opportunity to keep the football groupies and his ex at bay, but both Sunny and Max quickly realize that what started as fake has now become real. 

I have to admit that I had a hard time relating to these characters. I didn't click with Max at first because it seemed like he really didn't care about anything but football, but he never seemed to really get beyond that for me. Sunny was likable, yet unremarkable. There wasn't anything to really stand out about her, and I found myself just not invested in either of these characters or their relationship. There was no big revelation about them meeting back up after three years after they first met, and I just kept waiting for it only to be disappointed. Their relationship and this book felt like so many other NA stories that I have read before, with nothing special to set it apart.

I also felt like there was so much telling here rather than showing, and it never felt like we saw much happen. I wanted to feel their connection and the emotions as well as chemistry between them, and I don't think that ever really happened. Overall, this just wasn't what I had been hoping for or expecting. I kept reading because I have loved books by Ilsa before. But this one just fell flat for me and didn't seem to have been executed the way I know Ilsa Madden-Mills normally does. I wanted to love it, but sadly this one was just okay and easily forgotten once finished.

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