ARC Review: Andre by Sybil Bartel

Andre is the third book in the Uncompromising series by Sybil Bartel. This is a standalone story though, so don't worry about starting here if you haven't read the previous books in the series. While this was my first book of this series, I had no problems understanding anything. I liked this world that Sybil has created. It is a bit dark and gritty with the alphas that she is known for. While there was a lot to like her though, I did have a few issues with this story. 

Andre is a former Marine that has now transitioned to civilian life and owns his own security firm. He is the best in the business, but all of that could come to an end when he comes face to face with Kendall Reed. What starts as an instant attraction between them quickly turns to more, though Andre never suspects who Kendall really is. But once he sees the mark on her back he knows that not only is she in danger, but that everything about his life has changed as well. Can Andre find a way to keep Kendall and himself safe?

I loved Andre. He was smart and sexy and all alpha. But I loved that he was caring and kind as well. He was a great guy and he was 100% devoted to Kendall, even knowing the risks that came along with that. I will say that things seemed to happen very quick for these two, especially when it came to what Andre was willing to do for her but I still loved him and believed that his actions were genuine. My biggest problem with this story was actually Kendall. She got on my nerves so much and unfortunately that never changed. I kept waiting for the moment when the switch would flip, but it never did. She remained the same throughout the entire story, no matter how much those around her were willing to sacrifice for her. She was selfish and only seemed to think of herself. While she had been through a lot, that only went so far to justify her actions and I just couldn't bring myself to like her.

Overall, I liked this world that Sybil has created and with the exception of Kendall, I liked the characters. Andre was great and I really liked Hero as well. I am excited to get to know him better, especially after the revelation at the end of this story. I really wish that I had been able to come around when it came to Kendall though as I wanted to love this one but wasn't able to. I do think that this was a good story though, and I enjoyed seeing how everything would play out. While I didn't like Kendall, I am very curious to read more in this world and would go back and read the previous books as well. I think that there are a lot of readers that will enjoy this one, and I urge you to give this one a shot if you think it sounds like one you might like.

**ARC Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**

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ARC Review: Chance at Redemption by Samatha Harris

Chance at Redemption is the third book in the Madison Square series by Samatha Harris. This is the first book I have read by her, and I didn't have any problem understanding anything by not having read the previous books. I have to say I was intrigued after reading the blurb of this story and I had to read it despite the fact that I had seen some readers who had a strong dislike for the heroine. Unfortunately even just reading this book, I definitely see where they were coming from and she was what kept me from being able to really enjoy this one. 

Gwen had it all until her father cut her off. Broke and desperate, she is forced to get a job as a waitress where the new owner of the bar seems determined to make her life hell. Liam walked away from the obligation of his family to make his own way and since becoming the owner of a business he has experienced several roadblocks. So when his waitress injures herself and his sister hires Gwen, he knows that she is the last thing he needs. But when the tension between them becomes more than they can fight, they'll have to see if they can put their apparent differences aside and learn to embrace their new circumstances. 

Like I said, I had some issues with Gwen. Unfortunately I was just never able to really warm up to her. I had no preconceived notions not having read the previous books, but she just kind of rubbed me wrong from the get-go here. She was spoiled and didn't really care who got hurt or what she did as long as it got her what she wanted. I just have a hard time relating to that or finding any kind of sympathy for a person like that, even when they do try and change. Not that it is impossible, but it just didn't seem that genuine in Gwen's case. Liam was down to earth and genuine though, and I liked him a lot. I just wish that I had been able to like Gwen more since he was such a great guy and these two did have chemistry. 

Overall, Gwen made it hard to really feel invested in this story no matter how much I liked Liam. I also felt like the ending wasn't entirely what I had been hoping for. So while this one had some good moments, it just wasn't one I loved. I think that maybe I might like the previous books of the series better than this one, and I might give them a try. If this one sounds like a book you might like, I recommend giving it a shot. I think if you can get past Gwen's personality you will probably enjoy this one a lot more than I did.

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ARC Review: Rough by Sybil Bartel

I can't believe that this is my first book by Sybil Bartel! Rough was so good and I couldn't put it down! When I read the blurb I knew I had to take a chance on this new to me author and I was hoping for the best. This one was such a nice surprise because it was everything I had hoped for and more. I am definitely going to have to check out Sybil's other books and I cannot wait to read more from her!

Jared a former Marine has spent the last three years working as a male escort. He doesn't do shy or sweet clients, preferring to keep his control and often times being on the rough side. But when his friend and fellow escort asks him to take a few clients for a night, he ends up meeting Sienna. Sienna having been hurt isn't looking for anything serious, which is why she hired an escort. But Jared is unlike Alex who she thought she was getting. Jared and Sienna can't deny the attraction between them though and things quickly become more complicated than escort and client. 

I really liked these two together. They were so different and that was exactly why they worked so well with one another. The chemistry and attraction was there right from the start and these two were beyond hot! This was one seriously steamy story, and I couldn't get enough of Jared and Sienna. I did like that there was more to them though, and I felt their connection grew in a really genuine way here.

I will admit that there was a bit of drama that was at times on the unbelievable side, and the ending for me was pretty abrupt. Otherwise though, I really enjoyed this story and I am already looking forward to reading more from Sybil Bartel. This is the second book in her Thrust series and each book is a standalone. I can't wait to go back and read the first in the series and this is definitely one I would recommend if you are looking for a sexy alpha.

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Review: Josh & Anna and Gabe & Claire by Eliza Freed

To be completely honest, I probably should have quit reading Eliza Freed's books after I read her Lost Souls series. She absolutely killed me with that series, and I truly thought that I would never read another book from her again. After having gone through yet another books of hers, I can say that this will be my last book from her. She is a beautiful writer don't get me wrong, but her stories leave me wrecked and I honestly think that she does things for shock value. Josh & Anna and Gabe & Claire sucked me in with the blurb, but of course since this is Eliza Freed there is always a catch. I am still trying to process exactly how I feel, but unfortunately this one didn't work for me as I had hoped it would. 

Josh and Anna have been trying to have a baby. While Anna is determined, Josh doesn't seem to be putting forth the same effort as Anna is. Gabe is trying to survive life with his crazy wife Claire. They seem to have passion everywhere but the bedroom, and it is slowly killing him. Josh and Gabe work together and as they got to know one another, the four of them became best friends. But when an accident changes everything and there are only two survivors, secrets are revealed and the truth finally comes to light. 

I have to say that I struggled a lot with the characters here. I know the situation sounds messy and it was. I love angsty books though, and I honestly thought that this one would be a huge hit for me. I thought that the characters that survived were actually really great for each other, and I was rooting for them from the start to be honest. They seemed much better suited and I could tell that they had a strong connection as well as chemistry. But I have to say that I wasn't entirely happy with how things went down, and I was frustrated much of the time here. 

Because of my frustration, I did find myself skimming some of the time, though I was determined to finish this book and see the story through. As I approached the end though, I could tell that I was about to be even more upset. Eliza Freed seems to be incapable of providing a straight forward HEA, which brings me back to the point I made earlier in this review. With the stories I have read from her, things seem to be done for shock value rather than because it is genuine to the story which is where my problems truly lie with her books. If I felt that these books were true to the story and that things happened as they should, even if I wasn't happy with the outcome, I wouldn't have a problem with them even if I didn't like it. But once again, this felt forced and as though things just didn't happen naturally. There were things left vague and I wanted them to have been resolved. While we are left to assume certain things, I prefer to have things revealed in the end. I wanted more and unfortunately we weren't given all the answers. While I think that a lot of people will enjoy this book and others by Eliza Freed, I think that it is time that I stop reading her books. This is probably an it's me personally thing rather than her because she is a talented writer. Unfortunately for me though, her books just don't seem to click with me as I prefer answers given in the end, a genuine story, and HEAs when it comes to romance. I encourage those that are interested in her books though to give them a shot. Just because they don't work for me doesn't mean they won't work for you.

**Review Copy Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**

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ARC Review: '90s Playlist by Brighton Walsh, Lorelie Brown, Amy Jo Cousins, Audra North, Rebecca Grace Allen and Jennifer Blackwood

I'm not too big on anthologies because of the length of the stories. I really wanted to give this one a shot though after reading which authors were a part of this one though. I have to say that these felt even shorter than most stories in anthologies though since there were six here. I really loved the '90s concept though, as I am a huge fan of all things '90s. It was great to see some things here that I hadn't thought about in forever, and I really enjoyed seeing all the different music referenced here. I will admit that I definitely had to listen to some of them as I read these. 

My Strongest Weakness-Brighton Walsh

Mason is the typical All-American Jock and Tia is his exact opposite, the goth girl. Yet despite their differences, they find themselves drawn together in a way they aren't with anyone else. They live by a set of rules to keep others from finding out what is going on between them, but before long real feelings are starting to develop and Tia wants more. But is Mason willing to risk everything by letting others see how he really feels about her? 

I really liked this short story from Brighton Walsh. I always enjoy her books, and she proved to me what a talented writer she was here with this one being so quick of a read. I was really surprised with the amount of depth and feeling she was able to show here between Mason and Tia, and I really felt like these two were it for each other. They were really sexy together, and I liked seeing them get to know one another better too. My only complaint here is that even though this was really great for being so short, I would have loved more. This opposites attract story was romantic and emotional, and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Creep-Lorelie Brown

Roni and Tom meet when Tom shows up at the shop where Roni works looking for his brother Corey. Roni knows Corey as her drug dealer Skittles, and is reluctant to give information to Tom. She is attracted to Tom though, and gives him some information on where he might run into Corey/Skittles. The attraction between Roni and Tom is instant, and she finds herself drawn to him.   

This one was flat out confusing, and it didn't really go anywhere or explain anything. It made no sense to me and ended right where the story seemed to start. I have no idea if this story is continued anywhere by Lorelie Brown, or if this is all there is. The whole thing with Roni and Tom didn't work for me, and I didn't feel like they had any connection at all. It was too instant, and honestly just seemed out of nowhere. The situation with Tom and Corey/Skittles was never briefly and partially explained, but it was never resolved. If this one hadn't been so short, I would have ended up not finishing. I also hated how casual the use of drugs was here, and the fact that pretty much everyone seemed to be okay with it. This one was a miss for me. 

The Belle vs. The BDOC-Amy Jo Cousins

Shelby wants Florence, but Florence is convinced that Shelby is straight. So Shelby sets out to make Florence notice her and finally realize that she is also a lesbian. But what starts out as Shelby putting together a team to beat Florence on trivia night quickly escalates, and soon Shelby and Florence are not only competing at trivia. But can Shelby show Florence that she wants more than to just beat her?

This was one that I just couldn't connect with at all. I don't read a lot of F/F stories, but I don't have anything against them. For me though, I wasn't really feeling the connection between Florence and Shelby here. Florence was super judgmental, and flat out awful to Shelby at times. I didn't understand why Shelby would continue to want her after everything. I just didn't really care for the characters or the story here, and this was another case of it being just short enough that I was able to finish. 

Worthwhile-Audra North 

Just as Jill begins a semester abroad, the boyfriend she traveled there for dumps her. Two weeks into her semester and she is ready to return home, but she stumbles into the arms of sexy Stuart. As Jill and Stuart get to know one another, sparks begin to fly and soon Jill is glad that she decided to stay. But is Jill ready to move on with Stuart, or is she still hung up on her recent ex? 

I really liked Jill and Stuart. They were great together, and Stuart was such a good guy. This story was short, but really sweet and I enjoyed it a lot. Stuart and Jill's connection was quick, but it felt very real and believable to me. I loved how cute they were together, and this was definitely one of my favorites of the entire anthology. I would have loved for these two to have been given a full story though, as I was really curious to see where things would go from here for them. I also found myself wishing that we had been given Stuart's POV, as I would have loved to have seen what was going on in his head. 

Smells Like Teen Spirit-Rebecca Grace Allen 

Rory is working a dead end job in the town where she graduated college. One night she meets James, a sexy singer about to graduate from the same college she went to. They instantly hit it off, but Rory is scared to allow herself to feel anything for him after all that she has been through with her parents. She has always felt lonely and abandoned, but James makes her want more. Can Rory and James have something together or will it be over before it ever really begins? 

I liked James and Rory. These two were super hot together, and the chemistry between them was explosive. I thought that they also had a great connection though, and I enjoyed seeing them get to know one another. Rory loved poetry and James loved music, and they seemed to always be able to relate to one another and discuss their passions. James and Rory's connection felt real to me, but it was a bit rushed. I did feel as though these two were meant for each other though, and I would have liked to have seen a bit more down the road for them after where things left off here. 

Little Red Thong-Jennifer Blackwood

As Emily, her brother Drew, her best friend and her brother's best friend Chase set out on a spring break cruise, they each set out to win a game of spring break bingo. There are several things that they must each accomplish in order to win, but with each of them being competitive they will do whatever it takes to win. Chase has always liked Emily, but he knows that he needs to stay away from her as the sister of his best friend. Emily finds herself drawn to Chase though, and is interested to see where things could go between them. But will Chase risk his friendship with Drew in order to see what he could finally have with Emily?

I love stories about heroines falling for their brother's best friend, so I couldn't wait to read this one. It was really good, and I liked the characters a lot. I loved that Chase had grown up with Emily and Drew, so they had a lot of history together. That made this super short story about them seem real and believable to me in a way that it might not have been had they just met. Because they already had a connection, it didn't feel rushed. Chase and Emily were cute together and they had a lot of chemistry. My only complaint here is the same as most of the stories in this anthology, in that I wanted more. I would have loved to have seen what happened after the cruise was over and they returned to their lives at home. I didn't doubt that they could handle the distance, yet it would have been nice to see. 

Overall 

Overall, this was a good anthology and I really enjoyed four of the six stories here. I wish that those had been longer though, and that was my biggest complaint for them. There were two of the stories here that just didn't do it for me though, and I probably wouldn't have finished those if it wasn't for how short they were. I would still recommend this anthology for the other stories though, and I will definitely be checking out other works by those authors.

**ARC Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**

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Review: Sky High by C.J. Lake

Sky High is the third book in the Attraction Series by C. J. Lake, but it can be read as a standalone. This was my first book by C.J. Lake, and I didn't have a lot to go on when I started this book. With the blurb being so short, I will admit that I was mostly drawn in with the cover. While there were some really cute moments in this story, I did have a lot of issues with this one overall.

Jamie has set out to make this year his best yet. He already has the job, and with him moving into a new apartment and getting a new care, all that is left is the girl. So when his new neighbor Sky steals his parking spot, he never expects that she could be the girl for him. But as Jamie and Sky become friends, he helps her weed out the horrible men she keeps being set up with. Soon though Jamie is starting to wish that he was the man she was dating. 

I liked Jamie. I thought that he was sweet and kind, funny and easy to get along with. He was such a great guy, and I really liked seeing him with not only Sky but also his friends. He is one of those guys that you just can't help but love. Plus he was also extremely sexy. Sky on the other hand was hard for me to connect to, and there were times that I almost didn't like her at all. She made some horrible decisions, she was on the whiny side, and she didn't seem to take much responsibility or blame when she had a part in them. At the end of the book when she up and leaves the country, Sky didn't seem to understand why Jamie would be upset and wasn't more supportive. She was irrationally mad about the situation when it was her decision in the first place. Then Jamie ends up apologizing for not being able to handle the distance, and Sky didn't really seem to feel any regret for leaving at all and that didn't feel right to me. So while these two had an obvious connection and chemistry, it was hard to really feel much for Sky because I thought that Jamie was definitely getting the short end of the stick here. 

Besides Sky herself, I thought that this story had some problems as well. This book was told in third person and alternated between Sky and Jamie. But there were a couple of occasions when it would switch to first person, and that was a bit weird. Then Chapter 11 switches focus from Jamie and Sky to his friends Tragan and Andy. It was the only time that it happened in the entire book, but it was the whole chapter and there was no warning. It was just bizarre and I didn't really understand why it happened or was necessary. It didn't really add anything to the story, in fact it just seemed out of place and confusing for the reader. There was also one really glaring mistake here, and that was impossible for me to get over. I know one mistake isn't a big deal when it comes to the whole book, but it was the fact that this was an answer to a trivia question that they had given and ended up winning so it was really ridiculous to me that the author messed it up when it easily could have been looked up and fixed. When they are talking about the trivia game, Sky tells Jamie that she couldn't believe that he got the random question about the Arizona Cardinals correct and Jamie tells her that he loves baseball. The Arizona Cardinals are actually a football team in the NFL while the St. Louis Cardinals are a baseball team in the MLB. It wouldn't have been such a huge deal if this wasn't the answer to a trivia question, but because it was it really bothered me that the author and any editors/beta readers didn't catch that. Add that to the previous issues I mentioned and an extremely abrupt ending and this one was a bit of a disappointment for me. I think that this story could have been a really good one, but unfortunately this one just didn't deliver and felt more like a rough draft than a finished novel. I think with some editing and reworking this story could be better though and it did have promise. I did like Jamie's group of friends, so I would be interested in getting to know them all better.

**Review Copy Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**

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ARC Review: Unlikely Allies by C.C. Koen

Unlikely Allies is a standalone contemporary romance from C.C. Koen, and I have to admit that I was excited to read this book based on it being one and done alone. It seems like everything I have read lately is a series, and sometimes I am just looking for a good story that is complete with no cliffhangers etc. I loved the blurb on this one, and was prepared for a cute story with a ton of sweetness. While there was a lot to enjoy here, I did have some things that didn't work for me and kept this one from being great. 

Maggie Tyson is looking to start over after everything that her ex-husband put her through. Her only priority is to provide for her daughter and live her life according to the rules she has put in place. Unfortunately for Maggie, her daughter Cecily doesn't seem to adhere to them which is how she winds up meeting Rick Stone. Rick is a bachelor and likes his conquests to come with no strings, yet when Cecily comes barging into his office he finds himself drawn to her and her mother. But with him vowing never to get married or have a family, and Maggie looking to avoid bad boys at all costs, can they find a way to work things out? 

I really liked Rick with Cece. I love that she called him by his middle name Max (like his father had before he passed) and that they had such a special relationship right away. I truly feel as though this story was more about these two than anything else. They were beyond adorable, and I couldn't get enough of them. That being said though, I didn't feel as though there was enough of Maggie and Rick. Rick for some reason had issues with getting to close to women and with someday settling down, and quite honestly it didn't make a bit of sense to me. He had grown up with a great mother and father who loved him and each other, and there was no big issue that would have caused him to turn away from relationships to me besides the fact that his father died. I just didn't get it. I also didn't see the connection between Rick and Maggie, and by the time that I started to see anything it was too little too late. Most of Rick's interactions were with her daughter rather than her. Because this book was so much about Max and Cecily, it was hard to really get to know Maggie or like her. I didn't feel like I could relate to her and this story didn't even seem to be hers.

Besides this story being about Max and Cecily, I also felt like it was very slow at times and didn't hold my interest. There were a lot of extra characters that sort of stole the show a little bit, and it seemed to focus more on them when I felt like extra time should have been devoted to developing the romantic relationship between Rick and Maggie. As much as I liked the secondary characters, this wasn't their story and I felt like it took precious pages away from the real story. I wanted to see something happening romantically, and I really didn't see any kind of development at all until well over half way through. At that point I just wasn't feeling it and I wasn't invested in them working things out beyond the fact that I wanted them together because of Max and Cecily. The reason that I kept reading and gave this book as many stars as I did was because of their relationship alone. Had it not been for how cute and sweet those two were, I am not sure that I would have finished this story. While I have read and enjoyed books from C.C. Koen before, this one was disappointing and wasn't what I had been expecting.

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