The Heartbeat Hypothesis: Lindsey Frydman

The good news: my tear ducts most definitely still work.

The bad news: I can't stop crying.

I was in no way prepared for this book to be so emotional. This was a pretty dark book, lots of death and horrible things happen, like, seriously. I was in shock at how emotionally devastating this book truly was. This author wrote an amazing first book.

I loved Audra, she was full of life and spirit, and watching her find her way back to that was a rough ride, but worth reading. Jake was the quintessential guy-with-dark-and-tormented-backstory. He and Audra's relationship was something that grew naturally, through pain and heartbreak, but with love and bonds that are hard to break. 

But, as hard as this book was to read at some points, it really was beautiful. It was so well-written and well thought out that I can't stop thinking about it. 

Hard Stick: L. P. Dover

Hockey romance books are my weakness. So of course when I saw this one, I requested it immediately. I feel slightly let down. This whole story felt rushed and fast-paced. It was hard to like the characters, they felt slightly fake and superficial. It was a quick read, so it didn't take long to get through, but it just wasn't my kind of book.

Royal Affair: Marquita Valentine

Finally, a romance book that got me back into the genre. This book was sweet, with a great plot, and just enough romantic angst to keep me happy. This installation was about Princess Charlotte and Brooks, the man who outed her family and sent them out of hiding. I loved Charlotte, she was as relatable as a princess can be. Brooks was the "villain" that wasn't so villainish as we first think.

The character development was perfect for these two characters, and the complemented each other so well. I loved Brooks' family, especially his brother. The ending left me a bit off-kilter. It wasn't what I expected to happen, or necessarily wanted, but it worked well with the story. 

This was well written and interesting and made me want to squeal a bit because it was so cute in some parts.

Trying It All: Christi Barth

Like all of the others in this series, it had humor, seriousness, and some super sweet moments. It was much the same as the rest, and I was glad that these two characters ended up together. Riley and Summer were the perfect contrasting pair (as Knox so helpfully pointed out). Reserved and carefree, serious and full of life, and all of the sarcasm that couldn't quite truly be contained within the pages made me fall in love with this falling in love story.

This was a well-written story that sucked me in from the beginning. It had great backstory, and the characters didn't just suddenly fall in love after a whole one week of knowing each other. I loved the buildup for the characters and their romance.

I really enjoyed reading this one and it was the perfect book for a mental break.

The Billionaires: Calista Fox

This one was a bit longer than I expected, and actually had something that could be considered a plot. There was a lot of backstory for all three of the main characters and their family feud. Jewel was a woman scorned by the man she loved. Their reunion was everything that I hoped for. Vin and Angelo were pretty cool, Vin less so because he has the typical male inability to communicate properly, but he gets over it.

The three made a good pair, and like every other romance story, it all works out in the end.

The Billionaire Beast: Jackie Ashenden

This one was quick and easy, and I surprisingly enjoyed it. The characters were well written with a somewhat shocking amount of backstory to add to the story. This one can be read as a standalone. Reading the first one in the series isn't necessary. It was full of angst and frustration but a sweet and sappy ending.

Confession: Calista Fox

I just really couldn't get into this one. I struggled the whole time. I didn't really care for any of the characters he plot was nonexistant.. It was just a nice quick smutty book that I could read to get my mind off of finals.

If that's what you're in the mood for then go for it. It was just like the other books in this series.

Eternal Ecstasy: Setta Jay

I felt like this one wasn't as good as the past books have been. I have been waiting for Sirena's character's book from basically the time I read the first book. She is such a strong character. She is intelligent, kind, and protective of every single one of the guardians.

Hroarr was introduced in the previous book, and he ended up being Sirena's mate. I dislike him. I know he's supposed to be this big bad guy who deep down has feelings and cares about Sirena and that for them, dominance is the way that they win a woman's heart. But he just seemed like an aggressive asshole to me.

The plot on this one also felt really rushed. I loved the background story going on in these book so much. I think it could have been expanded, and the romance could have been the side plot. I was left feeling a bit disappointed and like there should be more happening. However, I am happy we got to see the other characters in this book too.

Overall, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't that great either.

Still in Love With You: Lexie Davis

I really wasn't a huge fan of this one. It seemed fast paced, with a lot of background that we didn't get to see. Which made it feel very rushed, and like the characters were stagnant.

I absolutely could not stand Aubree. I get that she was supposed to be independent and a bit pushy and this somehow makes her charming. But I didn't get that impression. She came off as overbearing and way too pushy. She repeatedly broke personal boundaries after being told no, but don't worry, everyone seemed to be fine with it after the fact, as if that was the way Parker should be treated.

Parker was, on the other hand, a likable character. He knew what he wanted, even if he was afraid to go after it. I felt bad for the guy really, everyone in this town seemed to know what he wanted and needed better than he did, and they weren't afraid to go against everything that he told them not to do. For some reason this just bothered me. Just, give the guy some space, seriously. If this had been done to me I would have become a bit slap happy.



Overall this was an ok read. Like I said, it was fast, I read it all in one sitting. It wasn't very long, had a decent plot, and a sweet ending. If that sounds like something you're interested in then happy reading!

Take Me Harder: Jackie Ashenden

As much as I wanted to like this one I just couldn't. The dialog was hard to get past. It was just so....cheesy. I get that Rush is supposed to be a cocky know-it-all who doesn't give a shit and likes to show off and be obnoxious on purpose, but it was just too much for me most of the time (so I guess in a way, that character is incredibly well-written).

Rush was annoying, and most of the time he spoke, I was rolling my eyes or skimming over what he said. Even the dirty talk guys, even then.

Ava was great, I loved her attitude. She knew what she wanted, wasn't afraid to take charge, speak her mind, or throw an asshole in handcuffs if necessary (which honestly might have been my favorite part of the book).

The plot was pretty basic. Predictable ending. It was your average romance book with sex. I know this one was the third in a series, but you don't really need the first two in order to understand this one. I thought it was perfectly fine as a standalone, although some of the characters had me interested in their books.

I read this one twice just to make sure I had the right feelings toward this book. Each time it only took me a day to read, and my opinion on it has not changed. It's still only 2 stars from me.

Cheater: Rachel Van Dyken

So I liked this one, the witty banter, the enemies to lovers plot. It was all pretty well done. I was laughing most of the time during this book. The two characters were likeable, it was easy to root for them.

Lucas Thorn was a guy who made a mistake, given, it was a pretty big one, and was aiming for redemption. He was really sweet (except for the whole different woman every day thing), he was basically every woman's dream bad boy that they could reform to make him fall in love with them. Which, is exactly the plot of this book.

Avery Black was a girl who was a spitfire. She was a bit too much at times, but overall funny to read about, and really someone that deserved to get everything she wanted. Her sisters treated her terribly, I mean, seriously awful. They hurt her over and over again on purpose, trying to undermine her, trying to tear her down, and it was heartbreaking. I really wanted Lucas to join in and beat the crap out of them at the engagement party. But, one of them eventually helps out her love life and saves the day.

The plot was well done. It was a quick read that was well written, sweet and light-hearted with a happy ending. Perfect for a break from reality and heavy books.

Empire: Lili St. Germain

Ok but seriously, if I never have to read another one of these books it will be too soon. I ended up skimming so much of this book and not missing much. It just got ridiculous. Just really not for me.

The characters didn't get any better, most of them were just worse. I know this was supposed to be a dark and twisted romance, but it wasn't that well done. It just seemed disturbing and leaves me a bit concerned about the information presented.

Kingpin: Lili St. Germain

The first 80% of this book was just as bad as the first one. Then, for some reason, the last 20% was slightly better. I honestly still haven't figured out why though. Probably because Dornan finally shows that he truly is a piece of shit.

The characters are still fucked up and really just bad people, but now the story is...interesting? I guess?

Dornan has gone downhill mentally in this one. He gets crazier and more dangerous throughout the book, and it seems like he just snaps at the end. Mariana has finally grown some balls, and she has almost nothing left to lose. In this installment, she is sneaky, stealthy, and very dangerous. John is the only character that I have come to enjoy reading about. He may not be a good person, but in these books he's practically a saint.

These books are considered "dark romance" but these are darker than dark. I mean, seriously. If you don't like dub-con, slavery, and some really fucked up shit, I would stay away from these books. Far, far away.

The books are written well, just not a plot that I enjoy.

I really hope the next one is somewhat interesting. I came close to quitting this one a few times. And still might in the next book.

The Edge of Everything: Jeff Giles

This book is...interesting...I guess?

I'm still pretty on the fence about this one. It was some weird combination of a bunch of sci-fi-fantasy-romance books.

X is a bounty hunter for hell? I think? Zoe was human. Star crossed lovers and all that. A bunch of plot-twists and action and confusion ensues. The end. Basically.

Except, it ends on a cliffhanger, so I'm assuming at some point there will be a second one. I don't think I'll be waiting around for it.

Overall, it was pretty well written, with characters I enjoyed getting to know. X was pretty funny, and really just wanted to be normal, which was adorable. Zoe was a bit over dramatic, and a bit whiny honestly, but given that she's a teenage girl, I let it pass.

Even the side characters were good. Zoe's little brother pretty much made the book. I loved him. Ripper and Banger were off-beat characters, but written so that the reader can laugh and enjoy them.

 But the plot...the plot seemed to jump all over the place. This book was written from dual perspectives, but was frustrating in that the two perspectives took quite a while to actually contribute to one another (other than in the romantic sense). But bonus points! This took place in my home state, so that was cool.

It seemed choppy, and hard to follow, I felt as though I was missing important back information, but there was none, you just jump in and attempt to figure out what is going on.

Cartel: Lili St Germain

This trilogy caught my eye when I was scrolling through netgalley. I have previously read a few similar books (captive that gets a weird version of Stockholm syndrome, ends up falling in love with her captor who just happens to be one of the good guys deep down), and really enjoyed them. 

But this one. This one was not good. I found myself completely disconnected from the characters, not enjoying any of them. The plot was a bit jumpy, sporadic, and really didn't have much of a point. I thought this was difficult to get through and even more difficult to enjoy.

While this wasn't for me, I hope some of you out there enjoy it!

Seduction: Calista Fox

Here's another one that I read so long ago and had to re-read a few times. I felt the same after every time I finished it.

Well....it was....interesting. Ususally I'm all for this plot, but man was this one difficult to get through.
The whole time I just felt like...



Lily was ok, as were Lex and Jax. But the whole thing felt rushed and not planned out. It was a really quick read and I was able to skim most of it without feeling like I was missing much. I just felt like this one was kind of a dud.

Don't worry, it was still all hot and steamy with plenty of sex between the characters, but it wasn't up to par for me. Hope everybody else enjoys it!

The Billionaire's Virgin: Jackie Ashenden

I've been so busy that it took me almost an entire year to review this book. I had to read it a couple times to refresh my memory, but still liked it every time I read it, which says something.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Yeah, there was smut, yeah, it was kinda ridiculous, but it wasn't something that I got bored reading.

Mia was someone who lost everything, and still bounced back. She didn't give up hope, and didn't really need a man to save her (I have complete confidence that she would have eventually saved herself), but learned how to be vulnerable and accept love.

Xavier seemed like a total tool (although he admits this frequently), and honestly, he never really changed to me. He tried and kinda succeeded, but really should put in some more effort in my opinion.



It was a quick book, the characters fall in love pretty quickly, it's a little over the top. But it was so cute that I was able to look past it. Both the characters and the plot were well written and likeable (after the reader gets to know that they really are good people deep down).

Giving It All: Christi Barth

So I may have missed the previous book in the series, which made things a little bit confusing. However, I was still able to understand what went on. But I would not recommend reading these as standalones.

Anyways...I really did like this book. I thought Logan was an amazing person. I liked the transformation he went through during this book. And of course it was mostly due to Brooke. Brooke was a character that had an amazing amount of strength and resilience.

I found that she was my favorite character in this series so far. I loved that she was so passionate about what she does, and that she saw through Logan and his issues. She cared enough to stick around and help him, and love him.

The two had such wonderful chemistry. Their banter was on point, and made better by the fact that they had so much history together. Overall, the book was really well done. It was funny, and somehow incredibly emotional for a romance novel. Don't worry, it still gets hot and steamy and mushy and everything else you would expect, but there really is some harsh reality in this one as well.

It was a quick read, and I would recommend that any of you on the fence should just read it.
Now....I get to go back and read the one I missed.

Royal Scandal: Marquita Valentine

Can I just say how much I love these awesome and quite ridiculous prince-in-hiding falling in love with a girl who doesn't know it but then gets to become a princess plots? Because I absolutely love them. Seriously. And now that I think about it, there are more than there probably should be. But oh well.

So when I saw this one pop up on my dash, I ran for it screaming with excitement.

And let me tell you. This book lived up to all my expectations. It was perfectly cheesy, cute, predictable, funny, dramatic and emotional, but well worth the read. It was an easy read, and I did it all in one sitting.

Colin was a great character. The traditional perfect prince. He is kind, protective, and loyal to those he loves. Della was wonderful. She was kind and loves and devotes herself to those she considers family. I loved the interaction between the two of them as well. Colin was so taken by her, and she was so sassy, so fun and livened up his life.

Of course, what would a book like this be without a slightly-crazy but still relevant fight between the lovely couple? Boring, really, really boring. And even though the conflict was meant to bring in some drama, some new element to the story, I just couldn't help but feel like this particular argument/drama bit has been done just a tad too much. It was still good, and as far as secret-prince with an unknowing girl go, there isn't a whole lot of other conflict that meshes well. I did enjoy the whole parents-were-crazy plot. That kept the book interesting for sure, it was something new that I hadn't really encountered before in a book like this.

Colin's family were great characters as well. In fact, most all the side characters were likable. 

Overall, I really did like the book. It was well-written and just a good read. Really guys, I guess...just read it.

And now I get to read the next one!

The Deepest Blue: Kim Williams Justesen

Well guys, this one was just not my cup of tea. I couldn't get into the plot, couldn't really relate to the characters, didn't particularly enjoy some of the characters (let's be honest....it was one very specific female side character, you know who I mean). Not for me man...

This was a phenomenal plot, seriously. It was emotional, with complex characters, had a real life feel to it. Which is one of the only reasons I liked it. I could so easily see everything happening as I was reading it. And it was heartbreaking, but uplifting at the same time. That part of it, that was wonderful and amazing.

Overall, this one was just a dud for me. The book was well-written, well thought out, and easy to read, and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would enjoy it. I'm just not one of them.

I would recommend this for people who have some time to spare, enjoy a little bit of high-stakes drama, and those who enjoy emotional books. For the rest of you, you might still enjoy it.

Happy reading!

Becoming A Legend: Sarah Robinson

First, I have to say that I am so glad I stuck with this series. The first one was a bit iffy, the last one was pretty good, and this one is even better. Was it cheesy and predictable and maybe a little ridiculous?

Did I love it anyways?

I have no regrets.

Moving on, I loved Nora and Kane. They were perfect for each other. They both needed to relax and have some fun....and oh boy did they.

I have loved Nora from the moment she was introduced. I liked her backstory, it gave her character so much depth and strength. Nora was a character I could easily relate to (except for the whole crazy bookie thing). Of course, like all his brothers, Kane was a hero. He came in and swept her problems away, but still gave her independence.

I liked that the relationship had a bit more authenticity to it. It took place over the course of almost two months, instead of days. Kane has always intrigued me, and I'm glad he ended up with someone like Nora. 

I'm also super happy about the fact that we got to see the marriage of two other characters in this one. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Both of the characters were well written, and the book was an easy read. It was well written and easy to get hooked on. But now I'm excited to see whose story we get next!

Wrong Question, Right Answer: Elle Casey

This is the third book in this fabulous series by Elle Casey. I have followed this series from the beginning, and it just keeps getting better. I have to say that I was curious about Toni, and this book provided me with answers and the most amazing love story.

This one wasn't all completely lovey-dovey. It was rough and rocky and full of heartbreak (of the cry-alone-in-your-room-to-sad-music kind).

But it was worth it. So worth it.

I didn't really see Toni and Lucky coming in as a couple, but they work well with each other. Really well. 

Of course, this book wouldn't be complete without the wit and humor that I have come to expect from this author. I was laughing so much during this book. And crying....it is a roller coaster guys, get ready and buckle up.

Overall I loved it! It is just what I wanted from this series, short, emotional, and has a happy ending. I can't wait to read the next one! Well done Elle Casey, well done.

Storm of Ecstasy: Setta Jay

As much as I like this series (beyond all the smuttiness and sex-crazed otherworldly beings) I am beginning to find myself a bit bored. Don't get me wrong, I still liked this book, but oddly, I want more of the plot, instead of the romance.

In this installment, Pothos (known as P) finds his mate Gefn. Gefn is a goddess of another world, and this book picked up exactly where the previous book left off. With a standoff between the worlds, before P whisks away with Gefn for some old-fashioned bonding time.

As you can imagine, the story is predictable from there, the two mate, and Gefn's brothers try to intervene, a little bit of plot development with whatever bad shit is going to eventually happen.

I liked the new characters, and the hint at what the next book is about. However, there are officially too many characters to keep track of. I have very little idea who anyone is anymore, they are just a list of names at this point. And with these new characters (and their names), it seems less likely that I will remember them as well. I can see all these new romances developing, but I'm really not interested in that aspect anymore.

On a sidenote...where is the author getting these names. I don't even know if I'm pronouncing them right anymore they've gotten so weird.

Overall, the book was good. I read it all in one sitting, it was short, but had a couple things I didn't quite see coming. I am committed to finishing this series, and am excited for the next one to come out.