ARC Review: The Finn Factor by Rachel Bailey

The Finn Factor is my first Rachel Bailey book. I really love NA books and the friends to lovers trope though, so after reading the blurb for this one I had to read it. I have to say that while this one had some really enjoyable moments, it was also not what I expected at all. I wouldn't say that the blurb is misleading, yet it definitely didn't really touch on what all was going on here. I thought that this book had a lot going on, and none of that had been mentioned in the blurb. 

When Scarlett begins to notice that her dry spell is going on much longer than she has ever experienced before, she decides that it all leads back to her kissing abilities. Thinking that she must need some help in that department, she tells her roomie and best friend Finn that she is going to find a guy to help her. Though they have always been platonic, Finn can't stand the idea of her turning to anyone else and offers to give her a few lessons himself. But once they cross that line, their friendship is forever changed and soon they are both beginning to think about each other differently. Not wanting to destroy their friendship, they agree to not kiss each other again. The more they try to stay away though, the more they find themselves wanting it to happen again though. But can they take the risk of possibly having a relationship together when it means that they could also lose everything?

I think part of my issue here was that I didn't connect with these characters at all. Finn seemed to be off in his own world and almost completely aloof to everything going on. Except when it came to Scarlett dating anyone else, in which he would constantly sabotage them since he felt that they were never good enough. He wanted Scarlett to be happy, yet he never really gave her that chance. He also was hugely against dating her, yet he would then become very protective and possessive. Scarlett was a bit childish for me at times, then at other times she was made out to be wise and smart and almost motherly. Because of Finn's parents dying when he and his sisters were young, he was forced to step into that role and relied on Scarlett's help a lot of the time. The whole thing didn't really seem to fit though, and just never really rang true for me. It was so weird that he would be okay with both of his sisters just dropping out of school to return home while he was trying to finish his PhD after everything that they had all been through. Him and Scarlett basically went from being friends and roomies to a ready made family and full house, all while trying to figure out their feelings for one another. It just seemed like too much going on, and the focus seemed to be more on them interacting with all the family members rather than themselves. 

The other big issue I had was that they seemed to get over the whole risking the friendship thing relatively easy, but then suddenly the future was a huge issue for them. It was years away and hadn't ever even been thought of before. Rather than just focusing on becoming a couple and making that transition, things got way complicated super quickly and instead of discussing things rationally they both just seemed to give up. I just didn't really get it, and the whole book and relationship just seemed a bit forced. I also didn't understand the teddy bear thing at all, and didn't really get the significance of why she did that for Finn. I just thought it was weird that Scarlett painted them for him, and weird that he had them all hanging in his room. If I ever entered into some twenty-something guy's room to a ton of pictures of teddy bears, I am pretty sure that I would immediately turn around and run away. I get that he kept them because she made them for him, but the whole thing was just odd to me. There were some really heartwarming moments here, and I do think that these two had a great friendship. But overall I never really saw a romantic relationship develop other than a few steamy kisses that seemed to immediately make them view each other differently. I felt like it was told rather than shown, and I wanted to actually see it. This one wasn't what I was hoping for, and ended up falling flat for me.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Feature and Giveaway: Nowhere to Hide by Lindsay McKenna

Lia Cassidy left the Army scarred physically and emotionally after a vicious attack by two fellow soldiers. She turns to helping others, working at a Delos Home School Charity in Costa Rica that provides schooling for children. But when the deadly drug lord, La Arana, attacks the school, Lia finds herself on the run for her life. The only person she can trust is the ex-SEAL sent to protect her.

Cav Jordan is strong, honorable and gorgeous…and intrigued by Lia. He knows she has suffered pain in her past, and he is determined to break through her barriers and earn her trust. But as Cav slowly chips away at the walls Lia has built, ghosts from her past threaten to destroy their fragile relationship.

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ARC Review: The Affiliate by K.A. Linde

I am not a huge fan of fantasy books, and I think a lot of that is because I have the same problem with them as I do with a lot of paranormal stories. The world building usually loses me and I find that most of the time I just get lost in the details. But I have to say that I knew I would have to read this series when I saw K.A. Linde was writing it. I absolutely love her writing, and she has created some of my absolute favorite books and characters ever. After reading this book, I am interested to see where the series goes and I am glad that I took the chance on this series. 

Cyrene Strohm is chosen as an Affiliate to the Queen on the day of her Presenting in front of the Byern Court and her family. She thinks that all of her dreams are about to come true and can't wait to finally travel the world. But not everything is as it seems, and Cyrene quickly finds herself in the middle of a very dangerous situations. Not only does she have a mysterious letter and an unreadable book that everyone else sees as blank, but she finds herself drawing the attention of the King himself. While Cyrene tries to put the pieces together of what is happening around her, she begins to develop feelings for King Edric as well and she can't deny the connection they share. Can Cyrene unravel what is going on around her and what it all means, while also deciding what to do about her connection to the King? 

There are a ton of players here, and it was hard to keep everything straight at first. Those who are familiar with Linde's work know that she tends to write love triangles. For those worried about that here, let me put your minds at ease. This story is primarily a fantasy with some romance aspects, and as Linde has said herself, though there are more than one interested in Cyrene it is very clear who her feelings are for. But that isn't the focus here at all, and actually I would have preferred it play a much larger part. I felt like the romance that was in this book was told more than it was shown. We see very little interaction or dialogue between Edric and Cyrene, but rather are told that they spent time together and grew closer. I would have liked to have seen some of that connection forming, because I really feel like I wasn't very invested in them or finding their feelings to be as real or believable as they could have been. Also it seemed as though they weren't really together much because of themselves, but rather because of the Consort's constant manipulations. 

The other thing that I had some issues with was the world building and story itself. It was very confusing at times, especially at the beginning of the book. I also found the entire King/Consort/Queen/Mistress situation very hard to grasp. I felt like it wasn't explained at all, and that the reader was left to guess what the dynamics there were. It was made to seem as though King Edric had at one time been physically involved with Consort Daufina and that it ended because she only wanted his power, thus ending up as his adviser. While it was also made to seem as though the King was never interested in the Queen other than the few times he had been with her to try and produce an heir. He was so opposed to the idea of a mistress, yet the more he spent time with Cyrene the more he wanted her. Though to be honest that whole relationship developing also seemed to be far fetched because the driving force behind it was actually the Consort Daufina pushing them together. I am curious to see where this series goes, and I did like a lot of the characters. But I have to admit that I was confused for much of this book, and I felt like there were so many things that were never fleshed out. I am hoping that we get more information in the next book, as I still feel like I really don't know a lot of what is going on. There is so much to the past and history here as well as so many different players and agendas that I really just don't know which way is up or down, and I feel like after reading the entire first novel in the series that I should have a better idea of what is going on. I still love K.A. Linde, but I am still a bit up in the air on what i'm feeling here.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: Doing it for Love by Cassie Mae

I thoroughly enjoyed Doing It for Love. In fact I pretty much read most of it in one sitting. I found it refreshing and so damn cute. I loved the fact that we get to see the couple after the happy ever after. This book was sweet, funny and sexy and left me wanting more.

Let me just say that Landon is a swoonworthy hero. Some of the things he says to Lizzie just made me sigh out loud and put a smile on my face. Loved him hard.

As for Lizzie, I found myself relating to her in many ways. She's real and quite funny at times. I totally understood where she was coming from and what her thought process was.

Honestly I loved this book and thought that Lizzie and Landon were so freaking cute together. I like that they are so clearly in love and just seem to get one another. Not only that, but they are a true united front. It's them against the world.

The thing that I adored about Doing It for Love is the fact that this book felt real. It wasn't over the top and there wasn't some crazy angsty plot line. It's just a story about a couple going through the ups and down of planning a wedding while also trying to get their 'spark' back.

All in all I completely adored this book from beginning to end. From the first page to the last I just couldn't get enough and I had a smile on my face throughout most of the story. Loved it to pieces and I highly recommend especially if you are looking for something that's a bit different than all of the other contemporary romance books that are out there. This is the second book that I've read from Cassie Mae in the last few weeks and it just made me want to read more. I definitely can't wait to read Cassie's next book.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Guest Post with Author Cassie Mae and Giveaway

Meet Cassie Mae author or Doing it for Love.

Cassie Mae (who dons the name Becca Ann on occasion) is the author of a few hundred—okay, maybe not that many—books. Since writing her bestselling debut, Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend, she has published books with Random House, Swoon Romance, and Tulip Romance. She has a favorite of all her babies, but no, she won’t tell you what it is (mainly because it changes depending on the day). Along with writing, Cassie likes to binge-watch Teen Wolf and The Big Bang Theory. She can quote Harry Potter lines quick as a whip. And she likes kissing her hubby, but only if his facial hair is trimmed. She also likes cheesecake to a very obsessive degree.

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