Kasey's Books Read 2018

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:45 pm

Finished His Blushing Bride by Dani Collins FREE

Piper is busy finishing school and preparing music for the biggest wedding to hit Marietta, Montana, and getting over her ex. She wasn't ready to find that her parents had sent her a boarder while on a backpacking trip in South America for their house. But Sebastian was much more than the California surfer dude that he resembles. He's actually a doctoral candidate in political science, and he's in town to make sure his sister (subject of the big wedding) isn't marrying the wrong person. He wasn't looking to getting married himself. The two agree to a fling, but once they started, they can't get enough of each other...

Sweet, but not much else. There's a lesson there about "you can't judge a book by its cover", but not much else. 5/8

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Finished Wired by Evelyn Adams FREE / Cliffhanger

Claire English is an electrical contractor running the company her father started when he was no longer able to. She knew there are those misogynists that don't believe woman can be just as competent. But with her house flip projects, sabotage on the primary jobsite, and her father's care bill all coming due, she needed a miracle... She got Luke Masters. Luke Masters is a billionaire that made his way up from simple construction jobs to a mogul, and he's as handsome as sin. Women flock to him, so he's delighted to find Claire, someone who challenged him. But who is sabotaging his project, and who painted threats on one of Claire's flip houses?

The book ends on a cliffhanger, and Luke came out to be really really flat with no powers other than he can be handyman despite being rich, and he's rich. Meh. 3/8

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Finished Garden of Dreams by Patricia Rice

JD was about to revolutionize e-commerce, but he has enemies that want their hands on his breakthrough. When he found out he has a son in Arizona, he dropped everything to go get out of town. After rescuing his son from an abusive step-father, they were heading back when they were rammed off the road in the middle of Kentucky and was rescued by Nina Toon, the local horticulturist. Nina wants to honor her aunt by building a botanical garden, but all her salary is barely enough to make taxes and repairs of the house, and pay for her aunt's care. Now the phone company wants to build a phone tower on her aunt's hill, and she has two boarders who is offering her 1000 a month to stay off the radar. Is this guy a criminal... or simply an eccentric rich man? Who's driving the Mercedes around town following them?

Nice complications. JD's company was under threat, there's some drama with his ex-wife, Nina eventually found out about her true parantage and what happened to her mother, and the garden became rallying point of the small town, giving it hope. The mystery at the end was wrapped up, but it took a bit of extended conclusion to finish up the Nina / JD arc. I guess I can give this 7/8 for the number of twists in this book.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jul 02, 2018 4:33 pm

Finished "The Wolfe Brothers Trilogy" by Jami Davenport. // 3 book anthology (however, the collection is not on Amazon)

Melting Ice Isaac "Ice" Wolfe did not get along with any team in the NHL, and he was dumped to the newest team in the league, Seattle Sockeyes. He knew if he screwed up again he'll be out on his butt, without a job, without prospects. And he was nothing without ice hockey... Until he met next door neighbor Avery. // Avery dropped out of college to train and show horses, a decision that no one in her family agreed with. She can help the most cantankerous of horses, if you give her enough time. But can she help the wounded hockey player next door? And what happens when they had a hookup, a hot one-night stand, only to find that Avery's sister is the team captain's fiancee, and Ice was ordered to choose between his career, or the woman who can heal him?

A bit deeper than the typical sports romance, all the conflicts seems quite honest, and believable. There's also some family trauma about these three brothers who were all traumatized by their father after death of their mother, and after death of their sister, blamed each other and didn't speak to each other for years. 7/8 Next volume is about the other brother.

Blindsided Tanner Wolfe is the QB of the downtrodden Seattle Steelheads, and they had suffered their worst season ever, that rumors of a buyout and full house-cleaning, as well as drafting of a rookie QB means he has the fight of his life. When his buddies dragged him off to karaoke night, he obliged, figured it's better than sulking at home. When he saw Emma (Avery's twin sister, from earlier book) doing karaoke, he was completely smitten, and he joined her in a duet. And their moment was captured and went viral. What Emma could not say was Emma had a LONG time crush (since high school) on Tanner. When the new management told Tanner to clean up his act and become a family man, the only way Tanner can see is to find a temporary wife... and the only candidate seem to be Emma, the "good girl". But when Emma's talent was discovered and she got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study under a genuine country music star in Nashville, can this marriage, how temporary it is, survive?

The Nashville angle seems a bit "out of nowhere", and it didn't integrate that well. But still, the introduction of "evil dad" works pretty well. 6/8

Bottom of the Ninth Zeke Wolfe is the baseball star of the family, and when he found he was just traded to the Seattle Skkokums, thus, putting all three brothers in the same city, he just about saw red. He wrote off his entire family because they left him at a time of need. He shouldn't have stopped, but the woman with a broken car and three kids (8, 5, and 5) was just too much to leave stranded at the side of the road at midnight... // Paisley wanted a real home, and now that her sister was found dead, and her sister's crazy BF was in jail (for drugs, not murder), she needed shelter for her sister's children... and a do-over. Being rescued by the "choir boy" Zeke would be a fantasy come true... and she'll gladly hire herself as his assistant / housekeeper, if just to keep a roof over their heads. But even as Zeke and Paisley explore the boundaries of their relationship, their respective pasts came back to haunt them...

The end was a bit of... "wuh"? but seems to work. Though the build-up of the evil dad into an even MORE evil figure was done actually quite well. But you need to have read through multiple books to find that. 6/8

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 2:24 pm

Would be curious to hear what you think of Need to Know by Karen Cleveland, if you ever get it. I picked it up by mistake, thinking I'd be getting a good spy thriller, but it's really chick-lit thinly disguised as a spy thriller. While the author's a former CIA analyst, her main character does some really moronic things for someone in an intelligence position.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:04 pm

She wants $13 for kindle edition?! Sheesh.

EDIT: Looks like my local library has a copy, I'll hold it and get back to you.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:55 pm

Finished Trouble in a tight dress by Lori Sjoberg Romantic suspense

Austin is the head of Six Points Tactical Security, and working for him is a diverse crew of security experts, including cybersecurity expert, Nina Petrov. They want each other, but they are not going any further other than saying "hi", as he's her boss. However, Nina is hiding a big secret... She walked away from her Bratva princess life almost a decade ago, but a chance encounter at a social meeting in Florida means her secret is about to be blown open... and what's worse, her brother, who had taken over the business, wanted her back in the family biz, the one she ran from... and he, with a business deal in the area, has the resources to force her. Now Nina has to choose between either telling Austin and enlist his help despite her "betrayal" in keeping her secret, or run again, as she cannot risk her brother hurting the only true family she has...

While the action is quite good, the whole plot is trope. It's a standard protector/woman-in-peril plot. 5/8

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Finished Beneath this mask by Meghan March FREE
Charlie is in New Orleans, living paycheck from paycheck in a tattoo parlor, for she has a terrible secret. Her father was the biggest scammer in the history of US, dwarfing even Madoff. He went to prison, nobody knew where the money went, and she was unable to deal with the spotlight. She disappeared, changed her name, and gotten a lot of tattoos, both to reinvent herself and hide her past. She was happy with that life... Until she met Simon. // Simon is son of a congressman, and enjoy being back in New Orleans but he has PTSD issues from losing his friend in the skies of Middle East. Charlie is so different from any woman he knew, even as he had to keep up appearances with a different woman who's trying to figure out her own life. When Charlie found a notebook hidden in her belongings that contained code, she knew it contained clues to where the billions of money went. She knew she can only drag Simon down, but Simon will not take no for an answer... Until an ambitious reporter spotted her...

At first reading, all the emotions felt raw and powerful, but it was upon a second reading you started to notice "wait a minute..."... Charlie was very quick to get butthurt when she spotted Simon on the society pages (with that other woman), even though she accepted she can never be with him. Instead, she eventually convinced herself that she can have a fling with Simon, but not tell him anything (which obviously is when it all went pear-shaped). Simon's PTSD seems really... shallow? And sleeping with Charlie apparently cured him (however temporarily) and that just felt wrong. The two basically went back and forth, one breaks up, one makes up, it just goes back and forth. I really want to give this abetter score, but I ended up with 5.5/8 (3/5 on Amazon scale)

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Finished Before I knew by Jamie Beck RPIME READING

Colby is ready to turn over a new leaf by opening her restaurant in Oregon, but the sudden departure of her chef mean she had to hire Alec, old family friend with a Michelin star. But more than two years ago, Alec's brother lost his life on a dare by Colby's husband... and Colby's husband, already in the midst of bipolar mania (something Colby chose not to spread around), committed suicide months later. Now, both Alec and Colby with guilty conscience. She lamented about not seeking help for her husband sooner, and he felt bad about going into a depression after hsi brother's death and lost his restaurant. There is also family drama ("her husband killed my boy"). But now, Alec is recovered, and wants to resurrect his career. However, can he admit to himself, that he has always loved Colby from a distance. Now that they have to see each other daily, and she's technically her boss... will they go all the way? And what secrets may they be keeping that will destroy all they worked for?

There was WAY too much angst in this series. Every page I turn, there's some sort of guilt and shame. ARGH, it's depressing. EVERY character is miserable. I felt as if I'm reading some tragedy. Gah. Both MC's are just... total pushovers. This one is BARELY a 3/5

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Finished Tell me by Abigail Strom

Jane is the quiet sister, for she can never hope to compare to her vibrant sister Samantha. She had a hankering for the family friend Caleb, who's also a real cowboy from Colorado, but she never said anything for Caleb is also Sam's business partner in an adventure company. Caleb did push Jane to go after what she wanted, but Caleb and Jane has nothing in common except Sam... Until tragedy struck... and Sam's last wish was for Jane to scatter her ashes on a specific mountain top, and to do that, she will need Caleb's help. But is Jane really going there just for the wishes, or is she going there to meet a man that could be the man of her dreams, that's NOT Caleb?

Hmmm... I liked the book right up to the end, when he did the "my cowardly stupid self-sacrifice" thing. He ran away when he got jealous and hurt, and he reasoned it away as "I am no good for her, she's better off without me, and be with someone she really likes"... Which is, obviously completely the WRONG interpretation. GAH! Call it 4/5 (or 6/8 on OO scale) due to all the nice polish before this.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jul 09, 2018 1:28 pm

Finished Scorch Road by Toby Neal and Emily Kimelman Post-Apoc Survival Romance

*sigh* Sometimes, I really, really wish the authors actually hire skeptics to read their books. This book really tried to portray a post-apoc US when the "scorch flu" devastated US with fatality rate of 90%, and the obligatory "it's really a bioweapon in the US arsenal" conspiracy angle, but the book has so many "wait a minute" plot holes that it simply made no sense and took me out of the world.

The story goes like this. PhD Candidate "Doctor" Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of senator, is in Seattle helping to isolate the virus for the pandemic "scorch flu" spreading around the nation. Most of west coast is infect, and multiple states are under quarantine with air travel stopped. She needed to get the just isolated virus samples to CDC... But on the way, her plane crashed, and JT Luciano, former biologist, rescued her, and reluctantly agreed to take her all the way to DC...

0) Uh... CDC HQ is in ATLANTA, GEORGIA, which is NOWHERE NEAR Washington DC.

1) Somehow, the doctors in Washington DC cannot isolate the virus, and it fell to some doctor in Seattle to do it. So she had to be driven from Seattle to an air force base. The closest AFB is McChord AFB in Tacoma, then flown east. Except her travel time was quoted as 6 hours, when normal flight time for a commercial jet from Tacoma to DC is 4 hours and 30 minutes. They took off, and somehow, just as they crossed into Montana, they managed to hit a bird. It must be a huge f***ing bird because the engine died and somehow the plane had to crash land.

2) Her backstory was she's afraid of men because one of her male school mates tried to rape her at the pool. Somehow, while wearing her Speedos (he was trying to rip it off her), she was carrying her gift knife from her grandma, to to defend herself she stabbed him to death. You can't rip a Speedo with your bare hands, can you? And where would you carry a knife in your Speedo?!?!?!

3) So he managed to save her, and NOBODY came to help, even though this is supposed to be an Air Force VIP jet. Any way, he ended up driving her to the East Coast, also to pick up his own family in Philadelphia. On the way, he needed to steal gas from a gas station. The pumps are off. Somehow, he found the underground gas tank lead, but instead of using a pump, somehow he was able to MOUTH-suction the fuel from an UNDERGROUND tank?!?!?! WTF?! That defies the laws of physics!

The problems didn't stop, as the story continued. Basically, she got there, only to realize it's a total mess, and what she came for was... total bull****. So she took the vaccine (yes, there's already vaccines) and left to find JT. JT was a prepper and he had somehow bought a government doomsday shelter cheap and outfitted it already. Now only if the rest of his family would come along...

I guess the adventure aspects is not bad, but really, hire a fact checker, PLEASE! 4/8 (review already posted on Amazon)

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Finished Stuck Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Soraya normally don't look at guys on the train, but this guy... was just so different, she can't look away. He is handsome, yet haunted. And in a moment, he was gone... Then she spotted his phone... She grabbed it, looked through his contacts, trying to figure out how to return it... His name is Graham. Finally she called Graham up... except... He didn't want to see her. So she sent him a few pix of her sassing him. Okay, now his interests are piqued. Turns out, he just found out that not only did his ex-wife cheated with his best friend years ago, she even hid their daughter from him. Soraya understood family... she wanted one but she never really had one, not the way her parents lived anyway. She wanted Graham, but she can never take him away from his family... When Graham's ex intended to get back together with Graham (now that his ex best friend died), Soraya saw the perfect excuse to bow out gracefully... but why does it hurt so much?

Argh. While I enjoyed the parts about falling for each other, at about mid-way through the book, when the ex decided to start her offensive, the book turned into basically silent angst suffer fest, and it's REALLY REALLY depressing. Graham, who actually livened up, is like "I must do everything for my daughter" even though he knew he's being played... he apparently didn't care or is too blind to see. Soraya, who showed sass in the beginning, suddenly turned into a spineless whimpering mess "I can't keep him from his family, I don't belong next to him". It took multiple epiphanies (one for him and one for her) to make them see the error of their ways. ARGH. 5/8

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Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:12 am

Finished Dead of Winter by Melissa Pearl and Anna Cruise

Rosie ran from her BF. She thought she saved him from the police for a drug arrest. She found that not only he didn't care, he would pimp her out to save his own ass. So she ran, with just the clothes on her back, all the way back to her hometown of Aspen Falls, even though her parents have already moved to Florida. // Blaine became a police officer after that one fateful day in high school when Rosie saved him from suicide. Then she left. Now that she's back, and obviously running from something, what was her problem, and how can he save her? When her evil BF found her, will she tried to solve everything herself... or confess and enlist professional help?

Argh. Rosie is possibly one of the most frustratingly too-stupid-to-live FMCs in the 1200 romances I've read. She seems to think that she can just steal all the money, pay off the criminals, and spend the rest of her life paying it back. Instead of going to the cops. GAH!!!!! Criminals don't play by rules or promises, and she's somehow, no, I have to save EVERYONE all by myself. WHAT AN IDIOT! Fortunately, she finally confessed by 80% point to setup the climax. The ending's kinda lame though. And there were WAY TOO MANY flashbacks that I deem completely unnecessary. 3/8

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Finished Blue Wide Sky by Inglath Cooper Prime Reading

Gabby and Sam promised their hearts to each other at the shores of Smith Mountain Lake. It was the best of times. Until Sam's father was transferred out of the country, and Sam was forced to move. They promised to wait for each other, then Sam made the one mistake... Years later, Sam went back home to Smith Mountain, having left behind everything. What he found was Gabby, still there, still waiting, and this time, she's not taking no for an answer... but he is back to deal with a devastating truth that he can't share...

Good emotional roller-coaster for both Gabby and Sam. He's not really here for redemption, but he's here to... explain why he did what he did. Gabby... uh... well, didn't really grab me as much as Sam. Still, a very good book. 6.5/8

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Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:29 pm

Finished The Transporter by Liz Maverick Prime Reading

Cecily falls for the wrong guy all the time. That's why she's running away from her current BF, and gotten into the backseat of Shane's BMW. Shane's just doing a favor for his team leader (and his best friend), who needed his sister rescued. Shane's the wheelman of the Hudson Kings, a special band of mercenaries, currently on assignment from a three-letter agency trying to root out Russian spies in the US... and it turns out, their handler was Cecily's boyfriend, who apparently befriended Cecily as both an insurance policy and attempt at counter-intel. Cecily can't help falling for Shane, even though she's tired of taking orders from men in general. Shane needed to avoid temptation, esp. his best friend's little sister... But when bad guys want to play, innocent pawns sometimes got hurt... Esp. when she agreed to use herself as bait...

Actually not bad, no obviously mistakes that I can see, it's more enemies to lovers kind of scenario when she's just full of sass against his high-handed "do as I say so you won't die". The end was Hollywood, but not completely implausible. 6/8

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Finished Anything for Love by Lola StVil FREE

Winter Bennet had a horrendous bad blind date. On her way to duck out, she saw her ex with a hot new girl. She decided to duck out the window of the restroom and risk jumping into a dumpster instead of facing humiliation... Right into a drug bust by Detective Wyatt Hunter and his team. The bad guy got away, but he's smitten when he had to protect her from stray bullets. But she's too broken for love, esp. when her evil ex pushed her into kinky sex and then revenge porn'ed her when she broke up. Can he heal her?

Didn't feel too much on this one. Scenario is cute, but not too much else. Call it... 5/8

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Finished Riverstorm by Tess Thompson

Grant Perry and Liz Teeny were once lovers and promised each other, until one of them made a mistake that broke them apart. Ten years later, both are respected attornies, he's about to be made equity partner, she just lost a big case where a poor waitress was raped by a rich guy and she decided to take the case pro bono in a civil suit (criminal suit already dropped for "lack of evidence") Grant was deeply wounded in childhood by his abusive father. When circumstances brought them back to Rivers Valley, can they find their family secrets, let go of their hurt, and love again?

Basically a fated mates story with deep family drama / secrets, there were some deaths in the families that were not talked about... and deep secrets that needs to be brought into the light, if only to ease the pain on the current generation. While I like the mystery, it's a bit on the slow side. 6/8

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Finished Boomerangers by Heather M Orgeron Prime Reading

Spencer is a sex therapist who's not getting any. She has THREE kids to care for, after falling for men who didn't want to be daddies. When her senior partner couldn't keep his dick zipped, the clinic was shut down and she had to move home... which is when she ran into her high schools sweetheart Cooper // Cooper always wanted Spencer, but somehow, life got in the way. He married and divorced a wife already, and he's not eager for the "ol' ball and chain". Having Spencer living next door again, along with three reminders that she had a life without him was hard, but he's supposed to be taking over the reins of the family law business... He loved the girl, but not sure about the kids... But in the end, they do belong together, esp. when one of her ex's suddenly decided to contest for custody...

Second-chance love story, with potty-mouthed kids. The romance actually wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good either. The funny parts are basically kids learning bad words (after discovering urban dictionary). I did LOL at a few scenes (the "truffle butter" one was hilarious). But the threat was mostly meh. 6/8

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Finished Time for Honesty by Mette Barfelt

Emmelin, a professional tour guide / adventurer, has a child with her husband Leo in Oslo, Norway. Her one crushing secret regret was losing her lover Denis (who she thought abandoned her), or she had gotten pregnant at 16 (by Denis), and had to give up the baby for adoption. The marriage is... tolerable, though Leo incessantly blabs about why can't she be a home-mom like her sister Julie. When Emmelin's mother died and left her the childhood home at the small town of Slovik, Emmelin wasn't sure if she wanted to keep the house. When she encountered Denis on a trip in Europe, she was surprised, the shocked when she realized her father had concealed all the letters and phone calls from Denis. Denis lost his wife a while back, and was considering moving back to Norway. When Emmalin got back home, she got two more shocks... her biological daughter, now 18, came to visit her... and she found Leo was cheating with her sister... As her marriage disintegrated and she decided to move back to Slovik, she found herself wondering about life with Denis... Even as Denis got homesick and decided to move back...

Romance set in Norway, finally something that's not a major US city or London/Paris. The tone and style was different from the typical American writers. It feels a little more detached. The characters are nicely drawn, and there were a LOT of family drama without resorting to plot tropes like weird will or marriage of convenience. This managed to blend on the rocks / second chance / triangle / mystery / into a good tale. I wanted to give this a 7/8 but I'm not TOO sure about characters. Emmelin just somehow coward her way out of many situations "I can't tell him over the phone" multiple times over several MONTHS until someone else outed the secret. And Denis, well, still not sure what to think of it. He's a bit flat to me. In the end, 6.5/8 (4/5 on Amazon scale)

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Finished Chez Stinky by Sausan C Daffron

Kat Stevens lives a boring life as a technical writer with a goss who never seem to do any work except barking orders. When she suddenly inherited a house in the small town of Alpine Grove, her life turns complicated indeed, when the inheritance has many conditions... Such as the existing pets, 4 dogs and 5 cats, must be taken cared of, and not just fed and sheltered either. Unfortunately, the house is seriously in need of repairs, both in terms of having a dead critter in the walls, a cat that may have fallen through the cracks... and a horribly leaky roof. The dogs can scare her (one of them is HUGE). The cats... didn't like her. Fortunately, she had Joel... an unemployed techie who previously worked construction, but who seems to barely tolerate her. And the house is apparently uncleaned by many many years, that it's not just dust bunnies, but dust dinosaurs that inhabited the place. And she can't get to inheritance to fix the house UNTIL she gets clear title to it, i.e. she demonstrated she "deserved it". Oh, and there may be massive spiders, and an old grizzled hippie passed out in the yard... Any way you dice it, Kat's life will never be the same...

Good rom-com with pets and some ingenious solutions to problems. Joe doesnt' seem to have too much personality though besides very loyal and helpful. Still, the dogs and cats are cute. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:42 pm

Finished Wait for It by Mariana Zapata

Diana's brother died, leaving her with custody of her nephews Josh and Lou, and Diana will do her darndest to raise the two kids right... She reminds them every day of her brother's legacy. She set her goals in life relatively low, something realistic, something achievable, which disappointed her mother greatly. Now Diana just moved into a new house with the boys, and met the sexy new neighbor, Dallas... and it did not go well. They settled into a platonic relationship and learned about each other. Dallas also happens to be the coach of the local teenage baseball team, and is great with her kids. But Dallas is basically handyman, even though they go to the same bar... Can they actually fall for each other?

This book left me a bit confused. On one hand, the slow-simmer romance is exquisite. Both characters are excellent, with nice details, psyche, strengths, and weaknesses. On the other hand, it is also... slow. In fact, the Amazon page count is 600+ pages! And the two finally consummated their relationship practically at the climax... at almost the 90% point. So it's a bit too slow. If the plot was tightened a bit, I think I can give this a higher score. 6/8

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Finished Forbidden Passion by Melissa Devenport and Camielle Crosby

Charlene just buried her father when Clayton reappeared in her life. Clayton was once her father's best friend, and Charlene's crush at 16. Then Clayton disappeared from her life... ten years ago. Now he's back... And now finally, Charlene understood why her father made that decision to end the friendship... Clayton is a kinkster, and if Charlene wants him, she'll have to learn her own desires... But when someone else wanted Clayton, and is willing to do some evil things to get him, what will happen to their relationship?

Didn't feel much for this one. It's swinger's party and similar kinks. Meh. 5/8

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Finished Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen FREE

Audrey is a chef reduced to a gofer. Right now, she's on a purchase run in Vermont for her Boston restaurant group, which should have fired her already... Until she spun out into a ditch on the road to Shipley Farms... and met up with her hookup back in school, Griff Shipley, who was yummy then, but now, a true physical specimen of manliness // Griff had to give up his NFL dreams when his father died, leaving him to run the family farm. He has no time for a girl sent on a fool's errand... Trying to purchase top-grade organic produce for 1/2 price. The two are on opposite sides of the issue, but their bodies hadn't forgotten about each other... Esp. when she managed to demonstrate some of her cooking skills for his farm crew... But when Audrey's boss pulled the rug out from under her, what will happen to their relationship?

While I like the bits about opposites, the recipes, and more, the ending was basically a deus ex machina, when a different group inspired her to quit when Griff suffered a huge injustice (her boss backed out of a verbal contract, which would cause Griff to lose 40K, enough to ruin the entire season) then a different restaurant group wanted her be their Vermont procurement specialist. 6/8

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Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 2:20 am

Rumpy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 2:24 pm Would be curious to hear what you think of Need to Know by Karen Cleveland, if you ever get it. I picked it up by mistake, thinking I'd be getting a good spy thriller, but it's really chick-lit thinly disguised as a spy thriller. While the author's a former CIA analyst, her main character does some really moronic things for someone in an intelligence position.

Just finished it. I'll post my review in the regular book review section.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:00 am

Finished Perfect Husband by Leslie Johnson

Tiffany was dumped by her ex via text. And since she also works at his cafe, she's also out of a job. While commiserating with her bestie at a girl's night out, she ended up going home with a gorgeous blonde guy. They woke up next morning... Still dressed, sorta, but it's clear there's been some heavy make-out session. The guy's name is Denton North... billionaire, and he has a proposal for Tiff... find him a fake wife so he can make his grandpa, who may be dying, very happy. But when none of the candidates were satisfactory, Denton offered Tiffany a million bucks... for six months of fake marriage. When Tiffany ended up pregnant, just how real are their emotions to each other? Or is it all based on obligations?

Eh... Denton's just TOO nice, even though he doesn't know how to express himself. And Tiffany really needs a spine. She's like "He has to love me for me, or else I'm not marrying him." Oh, puh-lease. *sigh*. Still, it did manage to avoid any douche-baggery. 6/8

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Finished Running Into Love by Aurora Rose Reynolds Prime Reading

Fawn is a teacher who decided on a man-fast because of all the toads she kissed. Levi is a detective with an evil ex-wife that soured him for all women.
The two ended up being neighbors, but Fawn is not about to fawn (pardon the pun) over Levi, even though Fawn's dog loves him, much to her chagrin. As their lives become intermingled, will they realize they are fond of each other, even as she wanted to ignore her affection for him, while he wanted to know all about her?

Fawn was too much like her name-sake... insecure and naive... and klutzy that she doesn't sound like a teacher at all, but there many cute moments esp. with the dog that sort of redeemed it. All in all, 6/8

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Finished Don't Break My Heart by Laurie Kellogg (Free)

Justin Rivera is left to raise his goddaughter Haley when both of her parents are gone, leaving her an orphan. But he's busy taking care of the company now that his main business partner (and Haley's father) is gone. When his brother's family was invited to a ski resort as a part of destination wedding AND Christmas, Justin can't leave Haley to sulk at home. Justin never expected to run into Trisha, the only woman he loved, but disappeared 16 years ago... // Trisha Mason left 16 years ago when she got pregnant, and she's tired to living under her strict father's roof. She eventually lost the baby, and there really hadn't been anyone since Justin. Seeing him after all these years was a reunion... a bittersweet kind, but he can't commit to anything while raising Haley, and she... can't tell him that she's pregnant... from a sperm donor. She didn't want to wait anymore to have her family. Trisha and Haley bonded, but Justin seems as anti-marriage as ever. What will it take to get these two star-crossed lovers together?

I saw the twist coming a mile away. I swear I knew the sperm donor was none other than Justin by 50% point, even before Justin mentioned it. And it was... an interesting twist. There was also a lot of posturing, pretending not to be affected, and so on. Add some obligations of being godmother and so on, and prior history, and you have a rich set of obligations and love that pushed the story from good to extraordinary. 7/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Jul 28, 2018 6:41 pm

Finished After the Fall by Tamara Hart Heiner

Luce married, then divorced her husband who ruined her financially due to his gambling addiction. He stole every cent she had. She had to give up her passion, ceramics, and be forced into a career as a nurse back home in Arkansas town. Then she found out Connor is there... // Connor cannot get his mom to take him seriously... to keep the family store running. Instead, his mom is on one BF after another. Connor blamed his lying and cheating father (turns out they are the "side family", when he went back to his "real" family). He didn't expect Luce, the girl from high school, back in town as a nurse, even as he found out that his GF, Regina, also a nurse at the clinic, had been lying to him... // Connor and Luce got together, but Luce can't tell Connor about her evil ex, Brian, who was still scheming about extracting more money from her, and his latest tactic is to sue her, claiming she didn't disclose all her assets, even though it was her own trust fund, not community property. When Connor finally learned Luce had been married, he turned away, treating that "neglect to mention" as lying. But when his mom fell ill, and wanted to see him settled before she goes, Connor will do what mom wants... Pretend to marry Luce, the woman he loved, but had to turn away...

WAY too much angst. I don't get Luce. She runs away from everything. After divorce from Brian she ran to her hometown. It took her sister to force her to go see a lawyer to protect her rights. And even that portion was written rather poorly. After fake-marrying Connor she ran off the Poland (she took a job there to stay away from Connor, figuring there's no way she can live in town of the guy who broke her). Connor's "brutal honesty" is cliche. When you combine the two, you got a lot of forced angst, as he won't listen, and she just wanted to run away. At least the extra characters, like Regina and others seems okay. ARGH! 4/8

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Finished How to Unbreak A Hart by Jennie Marts novella

Trip Turner walked out twelve years ago on his life and his love and landed in juvenile detention. Now he's back in Montana, at the dude ranch for wayward teens to help his mentor John Stone, run the ranch, but it's also a bitter reunion, but his love, Bre Wilson, is there... // Bre had moved on after Trip left her. She finished vet school and got her new practice in town, she just never expected to see Trip again. But she's not going anywhere, and trip is only staying for a few weeks. Now she just has to survive the next two weeks without kissing... or killing Trip. // Trip let Bre go once, but that's a mistake he'll never commit again. Now he just has to figure out how to unbreak her heart...

Eh, not feeling too much here. At least it's short, but the characters seems a bit cliche, and much of intro was the standard "horse has a breech birth and all hands on deck" scenario. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:37 am

Finished Thunder Snow by Mini Foster

Callie needed to get away and went to her father's cabin up in the tiny town of Nederland, Colorado. She hoped she would never see her evil ex again, even though he's been off the jail for a while. She loved the cabin, which is more of a mini-mansion, built by the famed architect Montgomery. She did not expect to meet the quiet and gruff Jack Franklin in town. // Jack Franklin did not like strangers, but he's a good man and keeps to himself, mostly. Callie's sass intrigued him, even as Jack's quiet firmness attracted Callie like no one else. As their romance deepens, sparks flew. But both are hiding deep secrets and pains...

While I like their push-pull as they dance closer and closer, the ending felt way too abrupt and practically counts as a deus ex machina.

Spoiler:

I like the push-pull, again, but this ending means it's problematic. 6/8

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Finished Love 'me or leave 'em by Angie Stanton PRIME READING

Ashley somehow found herself as the 25th girl on a reality dating show... starring no less than super-hot NFL quarterback Luke Townsend. She was a last-second substitution when her assistant producer friend needed a fill-in after one of the girls actually showed up on set with chicken pox (!) and was sent home sobbing. Ashley is a deeply private person after her high school male nemesis mounted a harassment campaign for years documenting her every embarrassment with a camera. She expected to be sent home at the first rose ceremony... // Luke Townsend promised his family that he is slowing down and thinking about settling down, and this reality dating show idea sounded cool at the time. What's wrong with 25 beautiful girls vying for your attention? Little did he realize he would be surrounded but bimbo ditzes and camera crews almost at all times, and some of the girls are just trying too hard... all except for one... the one girl that is trying to get OFF the show

Eh... I'm not feeling too much with this one. She's flip-flopping back and forth. If she doesn't want to stay, she can just refuse the rose. But she took the rose, and in the end, she had to force Luke NOT to give her the rose for the final two. The tension was actually quite good, but some of the stuff just didn't quite flow right. 5.5/8

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Finished Her Bodyguard by Emily March Historical Western

Mari-Beth did not believe she and her sisters are bound by a family curse, but when one of the sister's husband died after only a few months, another is carrying on a secret liaison with an actor that the family does not approve of, only Mari-beth seems unaffected, even as she tries to run the chocolate shop in town. That is, until Luke Garrett walked back into town. // Luke Garrett has a whole family of black sheep. His adopted brother is the leader of the most notorious gang around. His step brother is a chameleon and a scoundrel. He used to be one, until he settled down somewhat and lived a somewhat respectable life in Fort Worth, Texas, and found himself drawn to Mari-Beth. When he found his step-brother is romancing the other McBride sister, things may be quite complicated indeed, esp. when he was knocked unconscious and then a fire started... and the youngest McBride sister was presumed to have died in the attack alongside his step-brother... Then Mari-beth found a clue that they may still be alive, but she'll need Luke's help to track them down... But do they even want to be found? Or will they all become victims of the Clan McBride curse?

More adventure than romance, it's nonetheless a fun tale. There are some very good comedic scenes, and some tense moments, including sexy times. 6.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:45 pm

Wow, didn't realize I hadn't posted something here in almost two weeks!

Finished Hearts on Fire by Julia Gabriel

Becca Trevor was adopted and always knew she didn't belong... and bad luck followed her, even when she's trying to do the right things. She tried to help a girl being harassed... and was fired because the harasser was the boss's brother. Her BF is in jail, and she just got evicted because her BF stole the rent money too. She went back to St. Caroline, only to have her mom's quilt shop burn down around her. And she can never tell her family why she left town and went to Ohio... // Jack Wolfe was the golden boy of St. Caroline, destined to be the smart one in the family, went to Ivy League school and Law school... then work in California as a lawyer for a startup. In reality he dropped out, and is barely making ends meet as a security guard and volunteer firefighter... in a family of firefighters. Telling his mom would break her heart, but his mom is already dying of ovarian cancer, and it's already terminal. // Becca's back in town, and seeing Jack and finding his secrets (he dropped out) made her despair... She left town to protect his future and his reputation... and it was for NOTHING... seven years ago. That one drunken night after a party... produced a daughter, and Becca let a woman adopt her. But now, that woman is dying of breast cancer, and she wanted Becca to take her daughter back... even as Jack's mom may be going any moment... will the biggest mistake in Jack and Becca's lives break them forever... or be the one thing that unites three families?

Very sad and very poignant, but I am not sure I feel the LOVE between the two characters beyond the typical stuff. 6/8

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FInished Wish I Might by Kait Nolan

Cecily Dixon went with her boss to Wishful, Mississippi and fell in love with the town, but her internship is over and she needs to spread her wings... somewhere else. However, what she didn't tell people is she's also a Davenport, one of the richest and most powerful families in the US. She wants to make her own way, and she's not sure where. // Reed Campbell is a Wishful native and proud of it, and even as his family bookstore struggles, he found Cecily irresistible, esp. when Cecily offered her services as a marketing consultant. But he said something that turned Cecily off, and now she's giving him the cold shoulder... If only he can recall what he said... And the clock is ticking... even as his bookstore started to take off, thanks to Cecily's efforts... When Cecily left in a huff, misinterpreting Reed's attempt to fend off an over-enthusiastic employee, will the two ever get back together?

A bit of rom-com with a lot of small-town charm, it's both trope yet warm at the same time. Author knows how to polish the plot. 6/8

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Finished Hearts Stolen by Caryl McAdoo

Sassy Nightengale was just a young wife when she was stolen off the prairie by two Comanche braves and spirited north and became one of the wives for the war chief. She didn't know she was already pregnant. Five years later, a team of Texas Rangers came to negotiate with Bold Eagle for peace and return of all the stolen white women, and one of the rangers was Levi Baylor, Sassy's cousin. Levi knew he had to save Sassy as well, but he didn't count on Sassy's son... as they trekked back south, they knew they love each other, but she's still married... so they had to deny their passion for each other, not even a kiss... But God has other plans for them...

Okay, I like the twist at the end. It was used quite effectively, IMHO. And that, I will not spoil. 7/8

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Finished Sweet Home Cowboy by Marin Thomas

Elena Puente just arrived in Marietta, MT and was actually about to ask for directions at the Copper Mountain Chocolate shop when she was shanghaied into a speed-dating event... and found an instant attraction to local cowboy Wesley Banks. However, Elena, still smarting from a broken engagement, is not ready to date. Instead, she's here in town to meet Judge Kingsley, the great-grandfather she never knew. Judge Kingsley is a recluse who still hurts after loss of his grandson, and Elena was both shocked and elated that Wesley is the caretaker of the judge's rural property. Wesley may just be a cowboy, but he knew what he wanted, and he wanted Elena... but when Judge Kingsley decided to be more involved in Elena's life, will Wesley give up on his dreams?

Awww, both sweet and cute with just enough poignancy at the same time. I like it. 6.5/8

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Finished Brownie Points by Jennifer Coburn

Lisa and her family moved from San Francisco to the suburban town of Los Corderos, so his husband, an African-American, can be the new fire chief. Lisa is white, and they are the only interracial family in town. She's a sculptor... and their 13-yr-old son Logan is gay. When Logan was bullied in school, he found an unusual refuge: the local girl scouts. When the Girl Scouts refused his admission, he sued, and that ignited a media firestorm... as people who have no idea what they're talking about started taking sides... which causes problems in town. The macho father fire chief is having problems accepting his son is gay... and Lisa is having problems fitting in with the local moms who seem to be waging cold war on each other for sleeping with each other's husbands while be perfectly "friendly" in town...

Not a romance per se, it's more of "adventures of a suburban mom" with a lot of quirky family life, and dystopic moments. 7/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:33 am

Finished January Girl by Mari Carr

When Caitlyn met Lucas, they should hate each other. Lucas is there to buy out the family pub... something the family has kept for several generations, and he's not taking no for an answer. And Caitlyn... and indeed, the entire clan, is fiercely protective of each other. But Caitlyn is a submissive, and Lucas is a dom... and they have tremendous chemistry. And Caitlyn instinctively knew that Lucas knew exactly what to do with her... // Lucas knew he's sleeping with the enemy, but interactions with Caitlyn's extended family made him realize how far off the tracks he had gone to please his father... now, both will have to make a choice when push comes to shove...

The end somehow felt not quite right. It is explained, but it "felt" like a deus ex machina. Still, this author has the dom/sub relationship described quite nicely, without the kinkiness dialed up to be just weird. It's about the emotional intimacy of dom and sub in "subspace" that made it emotional 6/8.

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Finished Safe in a Stranger's Arms by Shirley Wine

Gabe Callahan is in Catherine Bay to talk about a secret real estate acquisition. It was by chance he came upon Jenna Mullein's door... and greeted by a loaded shotgun. What had spooked the single mother of twins so much that she had to resort to the threat of violence to protect her homestead? // Jenna had lived in her house all her life... It was her grandfather's land and house. Her mother, with her final words, made her promise "Jenna, promise you won't sell the land..." So why is a neighbor forcing her to leave? Why are there thugs threatening her? // Gabe was supposed to get the deal done before speculators hit the area, but his encounter with Jenna left him rattled... and fiercely protective of her and her family. But the town is full of secrets... Does Jenna really own the family land, and if so, where is the deed? Is the local cop dirty? Who murdered the town librarian? Can anyone be trusted... even Gabe?

Okay, this almost feel a bit like a Jack Reacher mystery, except Gabe had to call in help from his billionaire brother and his connections, so it doesn't feel that much... tense. A lot of explanations was told, not shown. Not quite up to her third-book, IMHO. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:34 am

FInished Fierce Attraction by J B Heller

Ashlynn is the shy librarian who was almost killed by her crazy boyfriend when her pregnancy turned out to be a false alarm. Her ex went to prison, but she's traumatized for life. She thought she's getting better, but she's not ready to date, when Axel walked through the door of her library... // Axel is a PI who wondered if he can ever find the right woman, when he ran into Ashlynn in the library. One look and he knew she's the woman for him, but she's not ready to date... but with a bit of consultation, he knew he can wait... That is until they found Ashlynn's evil ex had just skipped his parole check-in...

Axel and Ashlynn are okay characters, but the solution was a bit much on seredipity. Still, it's above average, IMHO. 6/8

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Finished Coming Up Roses by L K Farlow

Myla Rose is 20 and pregnant, but she'll make do, as her grams taught her, since her ex didn't want any babies. Her plans didn't change even when her trip to the Piggly Wiggly had her literally ran into Cash Carson... // Cash is still reeling from a bad breakup, so why does he seem unable to forget the southern beauty that rammed him with her shopping cart? He knew he's no knight, and she doesn't want any saving... Doesn't mean he won't try, of course.

Nice southern without too much caricature or stereotyping, both are soured by love, but may find salvation with each other. Adorable friends too. 6/8

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Finished A Baby for the Officer by Henley Maverick NO LONGER ON AMAZON?!?

Clay is sheriff of Rockford for five years, and he knew he's not marriage material due to his long hours and dangerous profession. But when a single teenage mother chose him to be the guardian of her baby, he couldn't refuse, since he knew her story. Yet finding a nanny for the baby turned out to be more difficult than he imagined... // Lyla is a newcomer to town... She uprooted her entire life to be a teacher, only to see the job given to someone else after she arrived. With no job, and nowhere to go, and heard that the sheriff needed a nanny, she got the job... and a lot more, esp. when the baby's maternal family suddenly decided to contest custody. // Lyla and Clay knew they have to put baby Emily first, but they cannot deny their attraction to each other. Can a fake marriage enhance his chances of retaining custody? Or is there real love?

Not too bad, good forced proximity and slow-peel into why the teenage mother chose him. But the legal move was, IMHO, quite stupid, since all secrets will come out (I mean on the part of the bad guys, not the good guys, as there's a quite Perry Mason move). 6/8

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Finished Burn So Good by J H Croix

Caleb and Ella were once an item, until a tragedy tore them apart, and she pushed everyone away, and ran. Ten years later, she's back in town, running from something else, and he's now a hotshot firefighter. Can he get her back this time?

The threat this time was really nebulous: a cyber-stalker / co-worker who basically harassed her incessantly, heck, even came to Alaska to harass her some more. Apparently cops in Oregon claimed he broke no laws and can't arrest him, but somehow, cops in Alaska can? WTF? This premise doesn't really make sense. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Aug 19, 2018 4:58 pm

Reviewer ranking up to 919.

Finished Timber by Frankie Love

Jax lives as a mountain man in the woods after the town sheriff decided to run him out of town for sleeping with sheriff's daughter (she's of legal age ). He left to save his company and his friend. He didn't expect an angel, in the form of Harper, to drop into his lap... // Harper was a home-schooled 21-year old virgin and daughter of a preacher who was dumped by her fiancee a week before their wedding and needed to find herself... She got stuck near Jax's cabin, and she wanted Jax... But it's what happens after... that's the problem. Jax is fine being single... His log cabin is just big enough for himself, and maybe Harper too. But when Harper realized she's pregnant, and her family regarded her as a source of shame, what will Jax do?

I guess it's okay. I wanted to like the push-pull, but the background "preacher's daughter learning to like sex" and "it feels so good, how can it be wrong" seems a bit trope. 5/8

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Finished Lucky Me by Kelly Moran 70-page novella

Declan O'Leary and his clan is cursed when 100 years ago, their ancestor chickened out and lost a 4-leaf clover, and failed claim his love. Since then, every love affair in the clan had ended in tragedy, and Declan and his brothers keep things light. That is... Until Declan met Lily Durand... actually, met is the wrong word. She disappeared on him three times, like a leprechaun... then she walked into his brother's bar. Lily wanted to... step out a bit, and Declan seems to be the man who can help her, no strings attached. And Declan agreed... one week, all out, lots of sex, every position, total honesty. But when the week's up, will he be able to let her go... Will she be the one to break the family curse... or succumb to it?

Awww, nice. Rare for novella, 7/8

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Finished Ride Baby Ride by Vivian Arend

Gage wanted her best friend's little sister Katy for a long time, but she's always with the jerk Simon. Gage needed money, so he signed up for a 6-month stint in the oilfields of Alaska... Just as he heard that Katy finally kicked Simon to the curb, the night before he leaves... and he claimed Katy (with her permission) with a promise to be back in 6 months. However, right after he left, Katy got into a car accident... with a head injury that left memory gaps, and Gage switched to an ultra-short 2-month stint that actually paid more because it's even harder work. When Gage came back, Katy barely seems to remember him... and Katy is pregnant... even as Simon tried to claim that they had gotten back together... So who's the baby daddy... and who does she want?

Awwww, that's a cute way to use the amnesia trope. 6/8

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Finished Protecting Our Virgin by Charlie Hart

Chloe, who always been by herself, got noticed by her CEO boss Jordan, who took her to Jamaica and was ready to debauch her when she discovered that he's been f***ing plenty of other women. In a fit of anger, she refused his advances. In retaliation, he destroyed her phone, her passport, her credit cards, and her cash, and tossed her onto the beach at night, with just the clothes on her back. Fortunately, she was discovered by four extreme athletes renting a nearby mansion, who took her back to their place and help her recover and keep her safe. Chloe may be a virgin, but she's not a prude, and having four guys who wanted to pleasure her is a dream come true. And the four guys have no problem with sharing, or easing her into things. But Jordan is still out there...

If you're not into "reverse harem" (i.e. one girl, multiple guys) stories this reads a lot like just smut. And in a way, it is. There's a LOT of sex here, and it ends in a gang bang and declaration of love. But the characters are actually pretty well defined. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Aug 25, 2018 9:20 pm

Finished Room Service by Mindy Wilde

Lucy's family just imploded when her musician BF just ruined her by maxing out her emergency credit cards she had never used... AND cheated on her. Then she lost her job. Desperate, she found one dream job... a housekeeping job that pays way above normal... because it values ABSOLUTELY loyalty and the ability to keep silent about EVERYTHING... And a hot guy out to help her... Who wanted her for "room service" even though she's only housekeeping... But he's so good-looking, she'll f*** him for free...

Boring as heck. It's basically a "sexy Cinderella" story. 3/8

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Finished Fighting Hard by Marysol James

Nick is a hot bartender and a fighting gym co-owner with his buddy Adam (who's the bouncer at the same club). He likes things easy and carefree, because he can't be with another woman long-term, after losing his girl years ago. One night, he saved Mia from fate worse than death... someone roofied her, practically in front of Nick, and managed to get her out the door to his car. Nick got to her just in time and got the creep arrested. Turns out Mia is a writer doing topics on sexual exploitation of women and children, and she's in Denver to work with a child advocate going after a child sex trafficking ring in the area. But when she was betrayed, who will save her this time?

Uh, the guy's panic really made no sense. Nor did the sudden appearance of the bad guy, except it made for a convenient plot. Guy saves gal from roofies was almost a trope. But I like the build-up well enough. 5.5/8

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Finished Inhibitions by K A Berg

Ashley's life had always been a disappointment. She liked good sex... until her partner started bragging about how "easy" she was and all his buddies should try to hit on her. She has very little and is deeply insecure. When her boyfriend cheated on her in her bed, he blamed her for being a prude "forcing" him to seek pleasure elsewhere. When she was suddenly given an interview assignment of the local football team's star quarterback Tanner, she can't refuse... Tanner has a wild reputation, but in reality, he's a good guy with only one friend with benefits, who enjoys a bit of rough sex. But when some crazy chick tried to claim him as father of her baby when he just got drafted, it turned him off women as golddiggers. Except Ashley... who, despite a faux pas during the interview, managed to win his heart. But both are hesitant to go beyond casual flirting...

Okay, I can sorta see Ashley, hurt by her BF, may drop the professionalism a bit and try to needle Tanner about his personal life. But the way the two later got together? It's both good and not so good. And there are two more volumes of this. Let's say... 5.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Aug 26, 2018 9:44 pm

Finished The Importance of Getting Revenge by Amanda Abram

Lexi, a high school student, was dumped by her boyfriend of three years, Jeffrey... on the night she planned to offer up her v-card. And the only one who can really console her is the one guy she can't have... her best friend's brother Jase, her former childhood friend, and her ex's school nemesis. Until Jase offered her a chance to exact revenge... Jase will fake woo Lexi to make Jeffrey jealous, and Lexi will refuse to take Jeffrey back, completing the revenge. But soon, things got very complicated indeed... When Jase wanted to get together with Kylie, the hot (and genuinely nice) cheerleader, while avoiding his own reputation of having dated most of school's female blonde population, while Jeffrey seems to be still stuck on the new girl she dumped Lexi for, despite them needing to do a project together... Then Jase's friend and sister, also got involved, and soon, fake jealousy turns into real jealousy, and what you want... isn't always what you get...

Reads a lot longer than it seems, at 323 pages, this high school drama feels YA, but a very mature YA. Sex was discussed, but nothing beyond making out. And what was supposed to be a fake boyfriend story got a couple twists and turns to it. 6/8

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Finished Claiming Grace by Susan Stoker

Logan Anderson moved back to Castle Rock Colorado to start over... when their mom, mentally unbalanced, had abused them for most of their lives, eventually ended up causing the death of their father and then committed suicide. The three brothers started Ace Security in honor of their father, who can't get help because nobody will believe he's the victim of spousal abuse. Logan also has a regret... When he was 18, he ran off to join the army to get away from his hellish family... leaving behind Grace, the only woman he had loved... But she never wrote her back. Now that he's back, he did not want to approach Grace again, until he realized he was looking at the situation all wrong... // Grace had always been under control of her family, despite having tried to win their approval for 28 years, yet getting nowhere. Every one of her dreams had been crushed by her family. Logan never wrote, and she was pushed into office admin degree despite wanting to go into marketing. Only the presence of her two friends kept her sane... Then her mother escalated by trying to match her with another family's son, who's polite (but apparently gay?) When Grace found from Logan that her family had intercepted the letters, she decide confront her family... and everything went from bad to worse...

Now that's a pretty f***ed up family, yet believable. Like the build-up, but there wasn't enough foreshadowing of the depravity that followed, or the resolution which involved someone else taking over the investigation. All in all, 6/8

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Finished Say Yo'll be Mine by Maria Luis

Shaelyn left New Orleans after getting her heart stomped on, and only her grandma's declining health brought her back to town... She wanted to avoid Brady, the guy who broke her heart, but when a family member requested help, she had nowhere to turn except to Brady... // Brady wanted to the next promotion to be Sergeant in NOPD, but Shaelyn's return is about to wreck his plans. Brady can never resist Shae, esp. not when she asked so nicely. But when her request ended up affecting his case, he may have to choose between his career... and his heart.

Eh... the darkest hour was kinda lame, IMHO. Basically, the family member requesting help was a kid who never knew his father, and Shaelyn's an aunt of his. His father turned out to be a suspected murderer and Brady, being a homicide detective, can't say anything. The two didn't really tie together, and obviously Shae ended up liking Brady despite the "betrayal". 5/8

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Finished The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown

Jancy lost her mother and ended up following her father all over US until he died. When a bad boyfriend got her into trouble, she survived probation and was headed to Louisiana to join her cousin. She stopped in Pick, Texas to visit her grandma's grave, having spent a few years there in her childhood. She tried to leave when her car burned up in the parking lot of Strawberry Hearts Diner. Given she has no money left, and no wheels, and the diner does have a "help wanted" sign, perhaps it's a sign for her to stay put for a little while... Jancy had never known a real home, when her father has wanderlust and her mother chose to follow along. When an old crush tempted her, will she fight for the town against a possibly evil real estate developer?

Romance is there, great characters, but not quite to the must-read level. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:14 am

Finished Bent by H B Heinzer

Julia left her hometown behind after the one man that promised her forever broke her heart. She ran off to college, vowing never to return. But ten years later, divorced, Julia is back in town, when a friend offered to rent her the place cheap so she can figure out what to do next. She sorta forgot that the man who broke her heart, Micah, is still in town, and he has a 12 year old son he's trying to raise. (Yes, do the math) In a small town, gossip moves at speed of light. Julia is hesitant to give her heart again... and Micah's "other woman" is still around, and she's not pleased to see Julia...

Not feeling much with this one. Both Julia and Micah are just way too moody, IMHO, and the "mom" was too... flippy, even though it could be explained that she was on drugs when she... uh... did some bad things. 5/8

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Finished The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland

Emma is a realist, but when she lost her job at a high-powered accounting firm AND fiancee in the same week, she's having problems being real. Her best friend gave her a challenge... why not trying being a Pollyanna for a while? See the upside in everything? It was then she realized she always wanted to do interior design... so she set about to paint her room, and met Will in the home improvement store, and Will was able to blend a custom shade of blue. There is attraction between Emma and Will, and Will even invited Emma back to his boat. But Will is keeping two secrets... He's the heir of Ballard Paints, and he has MS. When his GF split, he doesn't want to be hurt again. So he ran, leaving Emma confused as ever. Is the Pollyanna plan working... or will Emma go back to her old ways?

Surprisingly deeper than first suspected, both characters underwent epiphanies about how they had closed themselves off to the world after hurt and should fight for what they believe in. 7/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 3:30 pm

Finished Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson

Hannah McDermott is a wedding photographer who just landed job of her dream: wedding of Sierra Kaswell, country music sensation, on Galveston Island. Unfortunately, she's currently the number TWO wedding photographer on the island, behind her archrival, Drew Kincaid. She's meeting with Bella Neeley, Galveston Island's most famous wedding planner to see if she can get a leg up on her competition. Hannah had always come second in the stuff that mattered in her life so far, like losing to a different archrival back in high school. It was to her surprise (and horror) that she found herself falling for Drew Kincaid, who turned out to be a genuinely nice guy... and a fellow Irish...

The romance between the two are cute, even though it wasn't that extraordinary. What took this book over the top was the boisterous family, the ton of "Irish proverbs" 7/8

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Finished Her Summer Cowboy by Katherine Garbera

Hudson Scott left Marietta behind after a big fight with dad just after mom died. He had been wandering across the US ever since. Years later, he's heading back home. When one of his favorite country singer and friend is putting on a farewell tour, and is headed that way, Hudson came along as bodyguard / horseman. He didn't count on meeting the one woman who may complete him, but she's his boss's granddaughter... // Emma Wells turned her back on the world of music when she, barely 18, lost both of her parents, and the music industry expected her to take on her father's (and grandpa's) mantle. She gave up on her dreams, and became a school teacher, but her grandpa's farewell tour brought her back into the limelight when he asked her to come along. She realized she had been running away... and the hard cowboy was the one that made her realize it. But what is she running toward?

Okay, enough angst here, as this is basically a fling to a thing, but I'm not too sure about the shift from "just for the summer" to "let's be forever". Still, good tnough. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Sep 02, 2018 1:16 am

Finished The Virgin's Fake Fiance by Kim Loraine

Charity was just cheated by a limo driver who took off with her wallet and her suitcase when she arrived in NYC. Only the hotel owner's generosity allowed her to check in to her room... with barely the clothes on her back and her phone... and no ID or credit cards. His name is Linc, and he made her the strangest proposal... If she'll agree to be his fake fiancee for a week or two (to satisfy his mother), he'll not only make her look great in her sorority reunion... But a fake engagement will soon turn into real love, and he'll show her what real love is... as she's never been with a man...

Eh, yes, it's quick and fun and sexy, but it's basically insta-lust. 5.5/8

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Finished No Stranger to Love by Pamela Aares

Juliet Cabot, a marine biologist and conservationist, is campaigning on the Greek island of Zantos trying to protect the sea turtle breeding beaches, but strange threats have showed up at her door, and her campaign has stalled, and she's forced to call upon the one man who can set her heart on fire... Parker Tavonesi, winery owner in Sonoma and international polo star... and expert organizer. Parker arrived intending to repay his debt to Juliet, but the threats are more complex than he imagined. Soon he had to put a guard on her, as strange sabotage and theft plagued the place, and with the Greek economy depressed, locals may want food on the table instead of nature. But what are they really up against? Who are the "developers" supposedly investing? Who is considering selling out? Can the group rally enough signatures for the Greek Prime Minister?

The guy simply has too many connections, IMHO. He basically fixed everything, while she's having way too many TSTL moments. The marine conservation bits are good, so I'm giving this 6/8.

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Finished The Write Match by Margaret Carroll

Kit McCabe is a brand-new associate editor at New York's most exclusive bridal magazine that just landed assignment of a lifetime: cover the dream wedding giveaway's winners, Mark and Ruby, as they prep for the special wedding extravaganza. When she fell into the same cab with Mark Dawson in a rainy day in New York... yes, that Mark, half of the happy couple, Kit didn't know it was good karma... or bad karma. // Mark Dawson may be a Wall Street trader, but his loyalties run deep. He's actually not really in love with his fiancee Ruby, but he can't abandon the wedding plans as it will damage Ruby's career, as she wanted fame in modeling and show hosting, and this wedding is all about her... Not him. When Kit practically dropped into his lap, he really felt conflicted... Kit is the woman he wanted... if they only met at a different time, not with the big wedding in less than two weeks...

Kinda rom-com, lots of embarassing moments, and some near-sex, but nothing really happened. This is definitely clean, and angst-y. My problem is Mark just comes across as a wet noodle... Not an alpha, quite opposite from his supposed Wall Street career guy. 6/8

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Finished Inseverable by Cecy Robson

Trinity grew up on Kiawah, and always had lots of platonic male friends and some dear female friends, but she's the "little sister" every boy overlooked for her blonde goddess girlfriend. Until her heart was broken when her boyfriend cheated on her with her best female friend. But this will be their final summer together... Then they go their separate ways. And Trinity has the furthest to go... She enlisted in the Peace Corp for 2 years. // Callahan, an ex-army sniper, saw too much devastation and death. When he inherited an old house on Kiawah island off South Carolina, he went there to rethink his options, while bartending to pass the time and pay the bills, and rebuild the old house. Trinity is just a distraction, way too perky for him, but somehow, they fell for each other... Except, she can't tell him that she's leaving... It somehow, was never the right time...

Nice slow-burn opposites-attract. He's kinda PTSD'ed, and she's a bit raw from betrayal, even though it happened more than a year ago. The meet-cute and push-pull was very nice, and the grand gesture to resolution was quite fitting. All in all, 7/8

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Finished The Awesome Girl's Guide to Dating Extraordinary Men by Ernessa T. Carter

Thursday: daughter of a former rapper star, she knew the price of betrayal... when her mom one day drove herself off a cliff after divorce. But she wanted to write, and falling for a movie star, muchless one of her girl friend's ex, is not in the plan...

Risa: skinny punk rocker, bold and audacious, but she only loved one person... but she's so closeted, NO ONE knew they were an item... Except for them, and a very loyal fake boyfriend

Sharita: BBW accountant, swore she wanted only black men... until she fell for a white guy, who has his own secrets...

Tammy: terribly afraid of disappointing her rich family, she dated a movie star for a while, but she's hiding two terrible secrets... even as she struggled to find her own way in life, after getting fired from her family company.

Part chick-lit, part anthology, and plenty of heart. This is four intertwined stories about four best friends (all black) in college that lasted. Ten years later, and over a period of two years, their relationships will be tested to the brink. Several will have their hearts broken, several find their love in unexpected directions. And one will lose her life... 7/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Sep 03, 2018 12:44 pm

Finished A Blossom of Love by Sherry Dykes

Annabelle Larson left the east coast as a mail-order bride, hoping to start a family, having never had one... Unfortunately, she arrived in the small town of Aspen Ridge in the middle of a funeral... // Luke Crawford is half Indian and despite his honorable service in the War between the states, few people seem to look past his heritage. He did advertise for a bride, to take care of his niece left to him by his family... a niece whose funeral he just attended. No longer in need of a wife, Luke thought only to rid of Annabelle... // Annabelle knew Luke believe he was destined to bring tragedy to people around him, can she convince him otherwise?

Good escalation, complete with a deranged suitor. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Sep 09, 2018 3:01 pm

Finished Ranger's Legacy by Vella Munn

Amber moved to Sweetheart Montana to survey the local area for native american sites and other historical heritage worth of documentation, and fell for the hot forest ranger Garret. Garret became a ranger due to his love of nature... and a tragedy that he never wanted to talk about again. Meeting Amber made him feel things he hadn't for a long time, but Amber is prickly about needing "protection"... Can they realize they are good for each other?

The characters just didn't grab me... Amber's too prickly, and Garret is doing too much of that strong-silent-type thing, way too angst-y. 5/8

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Finished Perfect by Diana Fraser

Archaelogist Emily was doing excavation and restoration of an ancient Roman mural on the Italian estate of Count di Montecorvio when work crew started moving in, and the old count is nowhere to be seen. With nowhere to turn, she had to crash a party the count was allegedly hosting, and met the most handsome man: Alessandro Cavour, who promised to introduce her to the Count next day. She arrived at the appointment, only to realize Alessandro is the Count... She had negotiated with his father, who died two months ago. // Alessadro knew Emily was like no one he had ever met... smart... and had been hurt before (but she hid it well). But Alessandro lost his wife and child after a moment of rage cost them their lives, and he can't ever love another again... But they are drawn together, even as he needed to complete his father's wish: hire Emily to finish the mural... even as he had no wish to dig up the past...

The different threads did not come together. Emily was jumpy even though some simple Google search should have told her that her nightmare was nothing to worry about. And Alex... Bah. This guy seems to be awfully convenient in finding people's secrets... and keep mum about them. Sure, there's ex, but again, the characters didn't feel that sympathetic to me. 5/8

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Finished Cupid Stupid by Sylvia McDaniel

Taylor and her best girl friends are reunited in Cupid, Texas... and NONE of them are married... yet. Taylor almost did, until she caught him cheating. It's Valentine's day, and supposedly, if someone did a naked dance around cupid statue at night, they will find true love... The girls, drunk, decided to do their college dare... as fully grown adults of 25... And Taylor was caught, starkers... by Sheriff Ryan Jones. // Ryan had dated one of Taylor's best friends... until a drunken night lead to one of his worst mistakes of his life. Ryan vowed never to cheat again, and he always wanted to date Taylor... But Taylor's evil cheating ex was also a cop, and Taylor's too burned out. Ryan's inability to come clean meant they are only to have a fling. Both wanted more, but what will happen when the truth come out?

I've seen this plot before, but this one has some decent polish on it. 6/8

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Finished Bear to Love by Amy Lamont

Macy is a bear shifter in a family of bear shifters, and has a gift to calm and care for any animals, including humans. // Nash and Gage, both bear shifters, survived their mission and made it back, but traumatized. What they've seen... shall not be talked about, and they found only they can calm each other, else both have nightmares. When Macy decided to help them, she suddenly found herself (and her bear) wanting both of them... even though every bearshifter she knew are monogamous... Will she end up the only MFM paring in history, even though it felt so right?

Eh... I guess it's okay. 5/8

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Finished The Rancher by Kelli Ann Morgan

Abby can ride and shoot better than most men, but someone is messing with their ranch. When her father, who was hiding something, ordered her to visit her auntin Denver or get married (knowing there's no one local she wanted) she set out to do just that... find someone to marry... and into town rode Cole... // Cole came to Silver Falls, Colorado, for revenge. Someone killed his best friend, and the friend, in his dying breath, asked him to take care of "my Abby girl". Cole also came to fill the foreman position on Abby's father's ranch. When Abby approached him and asked him to marry her, he couldn't say no. So who was sabotaging the ranch? What was their agenda? Can Cole really love Abby? What will Abby do when she found Cole didn't really marry her for honest intentions?

Lots of mystery, reluctant lovers, and CLEAN (no sex). 7.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Sep 10, 2018 1:53 am

Finished A Christmas Proposal by Shirley Wine

Kayla was betrayed, broke, and unemployed after her cheating ex, a doctor got her fired from the hospital. When one of her friends said she can use their lodge up on the mountains, and will meet her there, she did not hesitate. But the long driving took a toll and she almost ran over a sexy Scot, who apparently will be sharing the lodge with her, much to her surprise. // Jamie has had a bitter divorce from his entitled and spoiled ex, and he needed to finish the book the publisher already gave him two extensions on. He's also traveling incognito, for Jamie... is his name, but not the name he's known for. // Kayla swore she won't get involved with any man with emotional baggage, and Jamie swore he won't get involved with any woman recovering from a failed relationship. So why do they feel so right together? What happens when his ex wanted to visit? What happens when Kayla learned who he really is?

Good, but it's basically a nicely polished "billionaire in disguise" story, nothing much beyond that. 6.5/8

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Finished The Billionaire's Gamble by Ava Miles

NOTE: Book 1 of 4, ends on sorta cliffhanger.

Evan Michaels, tech billionaire, had lost his creative mojo, then lost his biggest bet in a poker game in Paris. He had to live and work like a "normal" person in the small town of Dare Valley, and stay celibate. he came to known Margie, his landlord and new boss... and it becomes very hard to hold himself back... // Margie grew up in Dare Valley, but she already dreamed big... she wanted to learn to cook and bake in Paris. After perfecting some recipes, with Evan's help, she's about ready... even as she fell for the plain, protective, sweet, and helpful Evan. But Margie hated rich people, which made Evan cringe... What happens when she found out he's a billionaire?

Ends on a cliffhanger, as he left without telling her he's rich, though he promised to see her in Paris in two weeks... The story's good, but cliffhanger... 5/8

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Finished The Darling Songbirds by Rachael Herron

Adele Darling is back in Darling Bay, the town her great-grandpa founded. She left many years ago, and she lived in Nashville... Until she learned her uncle had died left her the bar, the cafe, and the "hotel". Already a bit down on her luck as a songwriter, she decided to see what may be there. Except only the bar is open, and the only upside to the place is the handsome guitar-playing bartender Nate... who always believed he would be the next owner. Adele and her two sisters were once known as the Darling Songbirds, a top country girl band, and she knew talent when she saw one. She should just sell the bar to Nate and be done with it, but where would she call home? And how would she get to know Nate? Can Nate encourage her to sell? Wouldn't that just make her leave town? Yet without the bar, what would Nate do?

There were a LOT of emotions to unpack. The three sisters had not spoken much to each other for YEARS, due to some big dark blow-up that drove them apart. Adele had to deal with the way she was brought up, for she's the oldest. Being a country music family, there wasn't really any home... except Darling Bay. Adele basically had to figure out how she can reunite her family... AND put Darling Bay on the map again... by putting in money to fix the place up... Lots of relationships. 7/8

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Finished Billionaire's Baby by Pamela Kelley

Anna just got kicked out of her house after death of her father due to cancer, and her (evil) step-mother informed her that there will be NO money available to send her to law school, despite her acceptance to the cheapest option: state university. With no job, and nowhere to live, Anna was just commiserating with her best friend when she can't help but overhear the single guy with a baby in the next table... // Tech billionaire Ben was raising his sister's child Taylor after she passed away from an aggressive cancer. He got away from the tech life in Silicon Valley and settled in the small town of Riston, but even with a housekeeper, he can't keep up with the 11-month baby niece. Interviewing 4 of the best candidates... Didn't work out at all... Until the phone disturbed baby Taylor's sleep... and Anna managed to calm her down. Anna's hired on the spot, even though she didn't even apply... // Ben's handsome, Anna's gorgeous, but neither are ready to take it beyond "best friends" relationship, even though both sensed there can be a bit more. But Anna's hiding a secret, and Ben wanted to fix things for Anna...

Not bad, good polish and good cadre of aux characters (but this is book 42 in the series after all) so it's like serial drama, even though it's really a standalone. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Sep 12, 2018 3:27 am

Finished Bad Mother's Diary by Suzy K Quinn

Juliette had a baby with... a man-child who claims to be an out-of-work actor, but he does have a rich mommy. He was sweet though, and sometimes he almost said "I love you." But the baby is teething, the mother-in-law is a terror and the husband is a douchebag in addition of being a man-child... and Juliette doesn't know how to cook or bake or even put Daisy to sleep...

Written in diary-form, it's absolutely hilarious to read, and yes, there's a plot. And it goes on for a couple volumes. Let's just say the BF caused some major drama... when Juliette's best (girl) friend admitted of having an affair with the BF... and Juliette obviously had to cancel the wedding. And she's suddenly famous as the run-away bride. So she trained for a marathon as a way to psyche herself... and her old schoolmate, Alex... hotel magnate, wanted to woo her... Now that she's single, but is she going back to her baby-daddy? It's run and chick-lit too. 7/8

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Finished Lucky Charm by Carly Phillips

Derek Corwin knew his family was cursed... every Corwin man who married for love ended up broke and divorced (or worse). He thought he could outmaneuver the curse by breaking up with his true love at 18... and married a girl after getting her pregnant, without love. And for a while, it seems to have worked... He made a ton of money as an investment advisor... Until the economy ruined him and his wife divorced him. Now he lived back in his hometown, with a teenager daughter, and a lot of regret... Until the girl he thought he left behind, Gabrielle, came back into town, now a famous writer determined to prove that curses are just silly superstitions... But someone in town is determined to preserve the status quo, and Gabby may be in danger...

Not the first book I've read with the same premise, this one turned it into a small-town conspiracy / mystery rather than rom-com. And it's pretty good. OTOH there seems to be a few too many characters, but this is a series starter, and other characters need to show up as support casts now so they become stars later. It felt a wee bit long, but the twist at the end was pretty good. 7/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:10 pm

Finished Protecting Summer by Susan Stoker

Sam "Mozart" Reed had been chasing after a serial killer for most of his life, ever since he learned that his little sister Avery was abducted, tortured, and killed. He grew up, and became a SEAL. But this killer was never caught. Years, later, with a lead, he's going up to the tiny town of Big Bear, California. That's when he ran into Summer. Summer had it all, until was all destroyed. Her friends shunned her. With no job, no prospects, she left, and wandered into Big Bear, where her car died, leaving her stranded, with a job that barely put enough food on the table and shivering at night. Then she met Mozart, who promised to come back for her. So she waited. But someone else is waiting... watching...

Eh... I'm not too sure about the bad guy. Serial killers generally don't give off vibes, and these SEALs have civilian helo support in the US? Wow, some big favors. 5.5/8

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Finished All for Hope by Olivia Hardin

Hope is committing the biggest gamble of her life... In order to save an innocent baby, she is going on the run, by kidnapping the child, and fake her own death and the baby's. But she was surprised when Brennan chose to come along with her. They were high school sweethearts, and almost more. And a chance encounter at a gas station means she's stuck with him, even as he offered to check out his mother's estate, supposedly left to him... May be a great place to hide out... But there's a detective out there who did not believe Hope died... or justice had been served...

Eh... I've seen this plot before. The characters are a bit... Meh. Brennan and Hope have way too much angst between them. And there's way too much serendipity. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:52 pm

Finished Out of Bounds by Jillian Quinn

Victoria aka Tori was betrayed by the man she loved. Subsequently, she fell into a deep depression, lost her scholarship, and hated football... and the man. But she is determined to graduate, even within sight of the man she hated... // Sebastian aka "Bash" loved Tori, but one night at a party and it all fell apart. Nothing actually happened, not that he could explain it in his drunken stupor. He knew he wanted Tori back, and it has been two years, even if he had to keep a big secret from her to save her from herself. But he's rich, he's the team captain, and he's even got the Heisman trophy to prove he's good. And this time, he's not looking just to score...

SPOILERIFIC: If this is young adult, it barely made sense. The complications are childish. Bash was so powerful he can force the school to "fake" a scholarship for Tori to keep her in school. But it took TWO YEARS to get close to her again?! And Harper, the queen bitch, somehow found out and use this to blackmail Bash into having sex with her? WTF? This doesn't even make sense. What exactly changed in 2 years? Nothing. 5/8

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Finished Racing Hearts by Candi Heart

Charlyse is a race car mechanic, taught by her dad, and she's very good. She was noticed by Tyler Dalton, head of Dalton Enterprises, one of the few honest teams in Grand Prix racing. Their chemistry is undeniable, and Tyler asked her to come with him to Las Vegas... on a road trip, driving from Texas to Nevada. Charlyse is a BBW, and never been wooed like that. And Tyler is good... but Tyler's sudden cold shoulder left Charlyse confused and hurt...

Plot is extremely simple, and Charlyse didn't quite came across as a BBW except in descriptions. Tyler is just confusing. Eventually he revealed why he pulled the handbrake, and basically came groveling. The plot is overly simplistic, IMHO. 5/8

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Finished The Heartbreak Cafe by Melissa Hill

Lakeview, an Irish village not far from Dublin, is a sleepy town, where three women, who grew up together, are reunited by circumstances... Jess has a wonderful husband and great life... but she's somehow feeling her biological clock ticking as her other girl-friends are secure on their motherhoods with little rugrats. Wanting to fit back in, she embarks on her plan, but will she lose more than she hoped to gain? // Nina found herself pregnant and alone after breaking up with her boyfriend. She came home to live with her father, who can't seem to express emotions, but can she ever reveal the secret to others? // Ruth had found success in Hollywood as an actress, but a fling with a co-star left her with some seriously unplanned consequences... will meeting her old flame in town be her salvation, or another heartbreak?

It's chick-lit, but good stuff, as each woman realized they can't really rely on anyone except REAL friends, parents, and themselves. 7/8

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Finished When I Kissed You by Suzie Grace

Riley is a finance student. Ian is a guest lecturer and billionaire. They barely met, but they can't seem to keep their eyes off each other. He's 48, she's 21. He impulsively gave her an internship at his company in New York. And she learned a lot for real. But one passionate night, and they have consequences to consider...

For a pretty stale plot, it's actually not too bad. 5.5/8

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Finished Playing With Fire by Amy Knupp

Derek abandoned his Dallas FD job after a tragedy almost destroyed him. He ran to his uncle's beachside bar on a Texas island, slinging shots but not imbibing, hoping to heal... until his childhood best friend, Macey, tracked him down... // Macey spent two years in the Peace Corp and learned self-respect. She hoped to start up a new foundation but when her mom and Derek's mom asked, she can't refuse. Six weeks on a tropical island with the man she admired from afar for years? No question, she'll go. But is she enough to break him out of his self-imposed exile? or will this only be a summer fling that will go nowhere?

Okay, not to bad. Derek is really angst-y, and the HEA, well, sorta "okay, we'll both go grovel to each other..."... Okay, I guess. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 4:24 pm

Finished Black by T L Smith

Black is the most fearsome hitman in town. He's lived alone, and he has no qualms about killing, until he walked in on a bunch of drugged out women, and recognized the one girl back in school that was nice to him ten years ago. The only bright spot of his life. Then she went away. He rescued her, weaned her off drugs, but her husband is powerful. Black knew what he had to do... esp. when they came after him... and her.

Eh... a bit too melodramatic. Some twists are okay, but the author dragged it out for 2 more books and it got kinda ridiculous. 5/8

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Finished Take Two by Hayden Wolfe

Kyle was about to pop the question to his high school love when he found she left the previous day... without even a goodbye. Broken hearted, Kyle put his heart into construction business instead, but it's not doing well, years later. When Veronica (Ronnie) returned. Ronnie returned to Sander's Valley to fulfill a wish after violent death of her mother. Her fortune was supposedly cursed, not that she believes that nonsense. She had to leave Kyle behind back then because she's obligated to her family. Kyle wanted another chance with Ronnie, but Ronnie isn't staying for long. How can he convince her this is the best course, and may even break the curse?

The curse left me a bit confused. 5/8

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Finished Black and Blue by Cynthia Rayne

Ex-SEAL Jackson West is starting over after death of his son. He formed Black Star security with his buddies, and their first job is to apprehend three US Marshal fugitives who escaped during transport. Jackson did not count on someone cutting on on his ops... a tough as nails ex-Marshal Annie Foster, who was one of the Marshals that was shot during that escape attempt. // Annie is determined to hunt down the three fugitives to atone for letting her partner down (he died during the escape attempt). She was surprised when Jackson offered her a job... even more surprised when he offered up companionship. But one of the three escapees is a serial killer and they will not give up easily...

Not too bad, pretty realistic but the relationship was a bit of meh. 6/8

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Finished Following His Heart by Donna Fasano

Sara Carson is a widow with a busy and good life in Ocean City, Maryland. When the ancient plumbing in her shop sprung a leak, she was surprised to find a dark-eyed stranger rushed to her rescue... // Landon Richards knew something drew him to Maryland... and Sara. She somehow felt familiar even though he did not know her at all. They explored that attraction, even though Landon has recurring dreams that cannot be explained... and the only explanation may scare her away... or bring them closer.

Good pun in the title. 7/8

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Finished This Love by Emily Snow CLIFFHANGER

Veronica is the daughter of the housekeeper that grew up alongside the ultra-rich Delaney brothers, esp. Bennett. They have had affairs on and off, but she knew she can't be with him. They are from different worlds... But heart wants what it wants... Until secrets came to light... and everything changed...

Good back and forth, reluctant lovers and all that, but it's a cliffhanger which gets -1 automatically. 3/5 (5/8 on OO scale).

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Finished His Secretary Book 1 of 3 by Harmony Raines Cliffhanger

Helen is a single mom with two girls struggling to make ends meet after her husband skipped town. Her brother's fiancee got her a one-week temp gig as a secretary, only to find out the company is in turmoil when the boss is sick in the hospital... and his nephew, Oliver, is here to oversee the potential deal. And Oliver picked Helen to work with him for the week. Oliver is a taskmaster, and most days ended up overtime, as Oliver sensed there was something wrong with the deal yet having no numbers to back it up, despite his and Helen's analysis. Oliver realized he had been missing a family... even as Helen realized her desire for a career may be too big a price to pay. And Oliver does NOT date employees. When Oliver asked Helen to go with him to Monaco to convince his uncle, will he be able to admit his feelings for Helen?

Eh, not feeling much there. AND it's only book 1 of 3. 5/8

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Finished Rivers of Ink by Julie Archer

Alicia seriously needed a job, but there are none to be had locally. Commiserating with her BFF, Alicia ended up going home with a gorgeous tattooed hunk. She was mortified to find at her interview two days later, at a tattoo shop as the receptionist / marketing person, that Callan was the part owner. But Callan has a dark secret... His brother had died recently.... after cheating with Callan's girlfriend Isobel... who was the receptionist. Is history repeating itself?

Nice short, 6.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:44 am

Finished Sweet Life by Dakota Star

Alexis is a marketing specialist who just landed the account of a dude ranch. Having never been on one, she and her BFFs decided to try it out for a weekend, and had a grand time, and met a handsome cowboy Mitch... only to find out he's the owner's son, who did NOT want a marketing campaign, afraid it will ruin the charm of the place. But their chemistry will not be denied. However, she's not a country girl, and he's not a city slicker. How will they resolve this conflict?

The solution wasn't a compromise. Let's just say one side did a full surrender. And getting angry over pretty trivial issues. While writing style is pretty good, the plot points left me a bit wanting. This different worlds contemporary western didn't quite work for me. 5/8

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Finished Dirty CEO by Mickey Miller and Holly Dodd

Vince is known as CEO of Chicago... the capo of Italian Mafia after the death of his father. He and Kelly should be enemies, but it's like Romeo and Juliet... Kelly's the prodigal daughter of the Irish gang, with a degree in accounting, but temporarily moved back to Chicago... currently cooking the books for the family bar (and other unmentionable businesses). Vince and Kelly had a thing together, until their respective families broke them apart. When one of Kelly's cousins got killed on a raid on the Italian side, all-out war is on the horizon. But Vince has a plan... Vince will be seen in public with Kelly, essentially declaring a truce. And Kelly agreed that for the good of the city, even her relations with her family comes second. She was about to make a run for California, as soon as she gets enough of her own money. But Kelly soon was reminded how good Vince is in wooing... but someone is out there, watching... waiting...

There was something I liked, then the plot took a random turn and let's just say, I don't like the solution. That wasn't a twist. It was a TOTAL surprise out of the left field, and it didn't really make sense. Sex is pretty hot, and the two characters have good chemistry. If the climax and ending made more sense it'd gotten a better score. 6/8

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Finished Home At Last by Mary Jane Morgan

Ashley left her hometown, taking her secret with her, twelve years ago. Now she's back, having accepted her brother's offer of a job as his new dude ranch's public relations director. However, she did not count on running into Hank, the town vet and equine therapist of the ranch... AND the reason she left town. // Hank lost his son and did not really want to share a secret hot spring that he shared with his son... He had seen his son's spirit around that spring. Ashley's return unsettled him and thrilled him for he never understood why she just left. And they got back together. But when Ashley was forced to reveal that secret, will Hank be pleased... or angry?

While the secret child plot point was pretty trope, the slightly supernatural bit and the equine bits are good. 6/8

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Finished Men of Inked 3-book collection by Chelle Bliss

Throttle Me -- Suzy had mapped out her life: work hard, get her own career established, find a stable man, get married, live happily ever after. Unfortunately, her plan got derailed when "City", a tattooed Harley rider who works in a tattoo shop, came into her life, by rescuing her one night. They had chemistry together, but City had his heart broken at college and is now a rake and a commitment-phobe. But their relationship had both of them question everything they thought they knew about what they wanted... and City is keeping a secret...

Not bad, different worlds novel is pretty obvious, and scars are pretty trope, but there's some good polish on it and multiple layers of tropes, like biker, Italian, and even a bit of disguise. 6/8

Hook me -- Michael Gallo is the MMA fighter who enjoys the physical domination of his opponent, but a fight ended up with him in the ER, and met Dr. Mia Greco. Mia is having nightmares about all the people she can't save in the ER, and she prefers running the neighborhood free clinic. Michael, who's actually quite smart, wanted to woo Mia, and they have chemistry together, but Mia can't reconcile the fighter who damages people with the caring and sensitive man Michael seems to be...

I honestly don't feel the conflict other than she can't see past his gruff tattoed exterior. 5/8

Resist me -- Isabelle "Izzie" Gallo is the baby of the family, and even though she trash-talks just like her brothers, in secret she loves a man who can dominate her, which can be difficult when no one dare get close with so many brothers around. She got one great night with an undercover cop handler James, who was alpha enough for her... But she figured it's one-night, and she snuck off. Later, she went off with one guy "Flash" for a MC weekend in Daytona, and ended up in a MC club, where she was almost claimed by the MC VP... until a disciple stepped in... It was her older brother Thomas, in deep undercover. And Thomas had to call in James to rescue her. She's just too much sass... and he's just too much alpha. But he needs to watch out for her brother Thomas, and she has her own life...

A bit too much sex, as things got a bit kinkier, but other than initial chemistry, and basic inadequacy issues, there isn't much threat to the relationship. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Sep 22, 2018 11:37 pm

Finished Buyer Beware by Colleen Charles

Marcella is dirt-poor and too proud to beg. She's got a brilliant mind and got scholarships... Except her brother kept stealing her money and spent it all on the casino tables, despite multiple interventions, visits to Gambler's Anonymous, and so on. So she's stuck doing housekeeping in a sucky hotel owned by an Elvis Impersonator. Then one day she met Nixon, hotel mogul... // Nixon knew he should not fall for Marcella, who's innocence incarnate, but he had never felt that way toward any woman before... He was too busy taking care of his family and keeping the family hotel thriving... and fend off a demonic rival hotelier who destroyed his father. Nixon knew Marcella is his... and he has a plan... But what will Marcella do when she realized she had been manipulated, even with the best of intentions?

While sweet, there really wasn't that special about it. The characters aren't especially deep, plot wasn't especially great, and for all the "demon" the bad guy turned out to be, the final solution was a total letdown. 5/8

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Finished Taming Him by Kennedy Fox

Alex is the sweetest cowboy playboy in Texas. He's a gentleman and his mama taught him manners. He worked on the family Bishop Ranch as a genuine cowboy and he can wine-and-dine girls with the best of them... and he's great in bed too. But he's not a commitment kind of guy... Esp. not when his brother and him ended up in Key West, Florida for a two week vacation... // River is a pediatric nurse who thought she found the love of her life, and carried a relationship for six months... Only to realize he's married and hiding a wedding ring from her. To get away from it all, she reluctantly tagged along with her BFF and her fiancee for a trip to Key West Florida. When Alex's best friend almost drowned after falling off a boogie board, River was there doing CPR and mouth-to-mouth. Alex fell for her right there... and was determined to show her a great time. And River was able, for a while to forget the troubles... and it will be only two weeks of bliss... Except they are getting a surprise that will make its debut nine months later...

While charming, the rest of the story didn't really follow the momentum. The fun was half the book, the rest was she moved to Texas and the how the rest of the Bishop clan accepted her. Not much conflict. 5/8

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Finished Valorous by M S Force

Natalie encountered the gorgeous and famous movie star Flynn (in book 1: Virtuous) and they started their torrid relationship, only to find that her shameful secret were exposed to the world at the end of the book 1. She had been raped at age 15 by her family's best friend... and the state governor... Then her father told her to drop the charges or he will disown her. She couldn't, and she never saw her sisters again. She found a lawyer, had her name legally changed, started wearing a disguise, and moved across the country to start a new life. Flynn knew she had been assaulted, but never the nightmare she had endured. He vowed to treat her like a princess and fix all that's wrong in the world for her, esp. when she was fired from her job as elementary school teacher for "lying on application", and someone leaked her old identity to the media, leading to papparazzi stalking them. He can deal with that, but he's hiding one huge secret from her... He's a sexual dominant. And when Natalie found out from Flynn's spiteful ex, will that be enough to destroy their relationship?

Nice plot, lots of complications, even though the underlying plotline is still boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, as there are things even he can't fix with money and his connections. Like the first book too, 7/8

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Finished Victorious by M S Force

Book 3 of the same series. Flynn has exposed all his secrets for Natalie to see. He is a dom, and surprisingly, Natalie has expressed some interest in the kink lifestyle. But Natalie's traumatic past holds some triggers that they have to step around carefully. Then came news the lawyer who exposed Natalie's identity had been murdered... And Flynn is one of the suspects because he joked about it during a TV interview. Even as Flynn and Natalie explore the kinkier side of their relationship, and settle into domestic bliss and the HEA, complications seem to be just around the corner...

This one, being the conclusion, basically solved most of the problems, so what you are left with is mostly just kinky sex. It's pretty hot, but the plot suffered as a result. 6/8

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Finished Return to Totara Park by Shirley Wine

Winsome and Jared were married... Until a terrible tragedy tore them apart, and she moved out of Totara Park estate, never to return. But death of Jared's father and reading of the will brought her back... Unless Winsome and Jared move back to Totara Park and live them for two years (and everybody else has to move out, including Jared's mother) Totara Park will be sold and proceeds donated to charity. Winsome reluctantly agreed, not wanting Jared to lose his family heritage. But Jared knew his father never does something without a reason. This is manipulation from beyond the grave, and it had EVERYTHING to do with that tragedy that sent Winsome fleeing Totara Park... And he will learn what it was, even if it breaks his heart again...

Spoiler:

7.5/8. The revelation was shocking, and made TOTAL sense. And it took a lot of pushing for the secret to come out. And it was emotionally draining.

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Finished Get Bunny Love by Kathleen Long

Beatrice "Bunny" Love is a graphics designer, and prone to creative distractions, from buzzy bunny slippers to feng shui, she needs positive creative energy flow. Nate McNulty is an event planner and needs order in his life... and his heritage, as he's the co-owner of McNulty Events. When his aunt, the other co-owner, announced she's selling the company to their chief competitor, he's seeing red. His aunt told him that unless he pulled off the Wothington Cup, the regional kennel club show, she won't change her mind. Being one event coordinator short, he grabbed the nearest candidate available... Beatrice "Bunny" Love, and Nate agreed to mentor Beatrice. Unfortunately, the two can't be more different. To Bunny, Nate's offices are a monotonous gray, and the only thing more stifling is Nate's stuck-up personality. To Nate, Bunny is a veritable storm of chaos and distraction from his ultimate goal. But will Bunny's chaos bring out the fun side of Nate? Will Nate be able to rein in Bunny's chaos? Will the Worthington Cup go without too many hitches despite a couple minor sabotages?

Rom-com, and quite good. You'll LOL quite a bit. 7/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Sep 23, 2018 12:42 pm

Finished Intercepted by Love Book 1 by Rachelle Ayala

Cade Prescott is the notorious QB who had just lost the Superbowl with a pass that everybody warned him not to make. He decided to hide out in disguise, only taking his dog with him. // Andie Wales is a librarian who likes to research ancient kings, and her only constant companion is her dog. // When her dog and his dog ended up doing the deed (neither were fixed) they ended up meeting, and both were charmed. But then Cade's real life intrudes when someone recognized him...

Cliffhanger, and this runs on for SIX volumes. Each about 150-170 pages. It's charming, but not top of the line. 6/8

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Finished Hometown Love by Christina Tetreault

Jessie is the hometown girl of North Salem, the quiet one who's friendly with everyone, always ready to help out. No one knew the scars left by her last boyfriend. // Mack returned to North Salem as a liaison with the FBI and a single dad to be closer to his family after his now ex-wife's betrayal. Mack no longer sees Jessie as the quiet girl, but a potential life mate, and Mack's love helped Jessie get past the traumatic experience that she had hid for so long. But when Mack's ex wanted him back, will their relationship survive?

Eh... Jessie is a little bit hard to like, as if she has no backbone, always serving others first and herself last. You can guess by the end it's like "I'll just show myself out, since that's your baby's mama over there". ARGH!!!!!!! Still, the small town setting is good. 6/8

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Finished Fix Her Up by Carey Heywood

Finley just had a bad divorce, and to get a fresh start, she bought a fixer-upper on the other side of the country. having never had any fixing experience before. Good thing she ran into Noah, her realtor's brother... who is a handy man and can do construction... and his family owns the town hardware store. Noah realized Finley may be the one he can settle down with, but is Finley ready to try love again?

Good rounded characters, Noah may be a shade too perfect though, but that's fine in a rom-com. Swoon-worthy, sure. 7/8

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Finished Love Bats Last by Pamela Aares

Alex Tavonesi is a MLB all-star, and tries to run his family vineyard in Sonoma Valley of California during his off-time with help of his staff though he had a lot of interest in marine biology as a youngster. // Jackie Brandon is a marine mammal veterinarian, running from her aristocratic past, and memories of a soccer star who did a runaway groom before their wedding. Now Jackie runs the Marine Mammal rescue center on the Norcal coast... and hundreds of seals and sealions are turning up dead. Someone upriver is releasing fertilizer into the soil, which is causing an algae bloom, which caused the deaths. It had to be one of the Vineyards... // Alex and Jackie met in a storm where they worked together to free a stranded whale. Alex realized Jackie is the woman he had never expected to find, but need in his life. But Jackie has a deep distrust of jocks. Jackie's determination to find the ones "poisoning" the bay means the culprits are trying to silence her. Will Alex be able to protect her and win her heart?

The scenario is a bit contrived, IMHO. I honestly don't see how a MLB player would have to time to run a vineyard, run around with a marine biologist, and still play the baseball games unless it's during the off-season. The other details are fine. 6/8

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Finished Fashioned for Love by Jaclyn Hardy

Debra is done with romance after a couple bad breakups, and is now solely concentrated on her career, and her ad campaigns are brilliant, which caught the eye of one of her clients, Lance Walker of Walker Apparel. Lance wants to woo Debra, but Debra is in too much of a work mode. Can she accept Lance's affection?

Honestly I'm not feeling much from this one. 5/8

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Finished Stetson by Danielle Norman

London Kelly, one of three daughters, now runs the Iron Horse Ranch after death of her father, and it seems she always left some things undone, despite help from the staff. Some misogynist attitude in town that "women can't run a ranch" left her shaking. She needed a night off, and after running into a sexy deputy Braden during his off night, they had a one-night stand. It was good, but she's not down for a repeat, even though he's smitten. Someone is also sabotaging the ranch, but why? To what end? Will Braden be able to root out the bad guy and save London?

Not a bad polish for the plot, even though it's pretty trope. It's romantic suspense with a bit of mystery. I think the author telegraphed the who a bit too early, and it's obvious how the story's going to end. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:32 pm

Finished Beware the Ranger by Debra Holt

Twelve years ago, Kaitlyn thought about HEA with Clay Morgan... Except her grandma has much bigger plans for her, and being a young wife of a lowly deputy in the small town of McKenna Springs, TX will not do. So Kaitlyn went to Broadway to pursue her career, but with a broken heart. Years later, Clay is now a Texas Ranger, and has a young son to raise. He let go of the only woman he loved, and it was not an easy choice. But grandma's guilty conscience and heart disease brought an epiphany... It's time for Clay and Kaitlyn to have a second chance... But only if they can see past the pain and guilt in each other...

Angst-y, but everything seems to flow together quite well. My only problem is a Texas Ranger using Texas State Trooper to conduct a traffic stop so he can get there with a chopper... Isn't that abusing authority?

6.5/8

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Finished Sweet Distraction by Lainey Davis

Timber "Tim" Stag runs his empire of lawyers under Stag Law, and overworks himself everyday. When his grandma told him to hire an executive cook for the company since he always works until nothing can be ordered, he decided it's a great idea. He didn't count on meeting Alice Peterson, new cooking school graduate. She's wild and spicy just like her food, and so delicious. But Tim can't work with distractions, for he's a regimented guy... What he didn't know is Alice also found him extremely distracting... and sexy but oh so uptight. Until they finally gave in to their desires and chemistry... and everything changed with one little mistake...

Yes, she got pregnant, when he silenced her alarm, not realizing it's for her birth control pills. Then it's "I don't want your high-handed-ness", and "I want you to marry me for me, not because of our baby". Putting a cook with a lawyer and throw in hot for boss is a new twist, and the pregnancy thing was good, add the family angle and it's 6.5/8

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Finished Fighting Irish by Katy Regnery

Rory Haven had always an eye on Brittany Minion in his family summer camp for the kids, the Summerhaven Camp in new Hampshire. But Rory is one of the sons of the owner, and staff never mingle with guests... And Brittney is practically an heiress, and out of his league. So it's more of an unrequited love from afar infatuation. Ten years later, Brittany is divorced and engaged, and looking forward to being married again, and she wanted the wedding in Summerhaven. When her fiancee gave her carte blanche, she headed out to Summerhaven to arrange the venue, only to run into Rory, who's having family problems, but she recognized the scorching hot young boy from way back when. Rory sensed that Brittany's marriage is actually not about love, and wanted to woo her, but can he really compete with a pediatric surgeon with a ready-made family for Brittney?

Okay, very good polish, for Brittney have to come to a realization all by herself. And Rory... have to solve his own family problem first. I think I can give this one 7/8 for having the FMC realize her own problem and mistaken perception, even though she did came across as a bit of whin-y brat with that realization.

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Finished Desperate Cowboy Seeks Mail Order Bride to Save Ranch by Rosie Atwood

Katie at 25 wants to escape the crushing poverty of east coast and saw mail order bride in Colorado as her only escape. But on the way, she lost the ticket and was forced to get off the train in Kansas and to help a kind woman running a boarding house to earn enough money to buy a ticket to resume the trip in a month. She didn't know that his groom needs her sooner (two weeks), in order to inherit the ranch. Then her groom came to find her...

While the characters are okay, there's way too many Bible quotes sprinkled throughout the talk, and yes, this is VERY spiritual. And the groom, Matthew, obviously needs to find his way back to God. Argh. He just took off and left his grandma and his ranch to run itself. That kinda makes sense and kinda didn't. 4/8

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Finished Love Untamed by J H Croix

Susie is a romantic, but a traumatic experience long time ago left her unable to trust men, but she will setup everybody else, just not herself. // Jared is an organized bachelor with definitely swoon-worthy, and having a relationship will mess that up. Susie and Jared drives each other crazy, and they are completely opposites, yet there's definitely a chemistry together. And one kiss lead to a lot more. But is that chemistry only in the bedroom when they are not talking? When circumstances forced them to confront their issues, will Susie learn how to trust again? Can Jared prove he's trust-worthy?

A bit too long of a dance, IMHO, but this continuing series "Diamond Creek Alaska" is worth reading. 6/8

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Finished Fearless by Carly Phillips

Kane runs the garage in Rosewood Bay, beachtown vacation spot. Lots of shallow women pass through, just looking for a good time fling. But Halley doesn't seem to be one of them... Halley is beautiful, wealthy... and lonely. She said she doesn't want any company, but Kane knew she's the woman for him... If he can only find a way to get through to her...

It's okay, I guess. There's a LOT of back and forth. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:57 am

Finished Brighter than Gold by Cynthia Wright

Katie MacKenzie helps her father run a saloon in 1864 Columbia California. Gold Rush had came and gone, leaving a town that's emptying fast. Katie dreams of being a writer and reporter, and she writes for the local news about the Griffin, a Robin Hood highwayman who robs the robber mine owners and gives to the poor townsfolks. Then Jack Adams came to town. Jack is a rogue and there is serious sizzle between the two despite their tendency to drive each other wild (with frustration). But when Katie's father died during one of Griffin's holdups, where an evil mine-owner was also shot dead, Katie was consumed by thoughts of revenge... // Jack Adams came to the sleepy town for justice, and that's not his real name. He has a very different life in San Francisco, but he'll gladly play the rogue to win Katie's heart. When he failed to intimidate the evil mine owner, he had no choice to marry Katie and reveal his true identity... But he can never tell her the secret... that he is also the Griffin... But when circumstances forced them to confront each other and the truth came out, will love survive?

Some parts are good, some parts are like... WTF? I was supposed to believe that Katie had such an erotic dream, she allowed "Jack" to deflower her (yes, take her V-card) and she didn't wake up? And Jack actually would take advantage of a sleeping woman? And this is supposed to be... ROMANTIC? Some parts are good, some parts are cringe-worthy. 5/8

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Finished Drive Me Wild by Julie Kriss

Luke is one of the Riggs brothers... no mother, wrong side of the tracks, father always up to no good, total outlaws. Father at least operates an auto repair shop, and all four brothers (and half-brothers) learned to work on cars. Luke basically drove away from it all after high school. The was only one thing he regret... leaving Emily behind. But it's expected. Emily is a cop's daughter, and going to college. They had a secret affair during that final year of high school. And it was good, but she went on to bigger and better things. // Eight years later, both are back in town. She's back to attend her mother's promotion to Sergeant, and he's called back by his father to run the auto shop... His father is in prison, and she just found her sister's marriage is disintegrating fast. To escape from it all, they meet again, and they hooked up again. But he knew he couldn't deserve her, because his father is really running a chop shop. But he has a plan...

While the threat is real enough, the ending feels a bit too... deus ex machina ("trust me, I have a plan") still, the plotting is pretty good. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Sep 29, 2018 1:44 pm

Finished Baby Daddy by Kendall Ryan

Jenna has two life goals... Run her own bookstore, and have her own family. She has a bookstore. But she's 35, and her self-imposed deadline fast approaching to make the bookstore profitable. Some big chain wanted to buy her out, and she's refusing. She decided to do the other part... By going to sperm bank and look for donor sperm. Then she was trapped in an elevator with Emmett, the most handsome guy she had ever seen, and he made her a proposition she can't refuse: he's a love them and leave them type of guy... He'll gladly sign any paperwork relinquishing any parental rights... But he'll wine and dine Jenna, and have hot sex together. Jenna gave in to the temptation, and indeed, their sex is scorching a few days later when they met for real. Then she got pregnant. Even worse, she found out he's the CEO of the company that wanted to buy out her bookstore...

Not your typical romance, it's sorta a friends-to-lovers, except these two aren't really friends. It's definitely an interesting variation. 6/8

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Finished A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert

Evan finished his military service and made Ravenswood, a quiet small town, his new home, only to find his neighbor, the rude, awkward, but beautiful Ruth, at the center of town's rumor mill for ages. EVERYBODY warned him off her, saying she's "bad news"... but no one will tell him WHY. And the more she pushed him away, the more he wanted to woo her... and all her secrets...

I don't know if the "autistic" person is accurate, as every aspie is different. It sounds reasonable enough. I can see how a small town can turn on someone like that. I also know this is supposed to be a BWWM (black woman, white man) romance, but once you get into the story, you kinda forget the race angle completely. They're just two people in love against a town's prejudice. 7/8

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Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Oct 01, 2018 12:45 am

Finished One Way Or Another by Mary J Williams

Calder is one of the Benedict girls... 4 sisters who inherited a ton of money but can't access it until they marry, as their father said only a son can inherit the fortune. Their mother Billie was somehow naive in love despite on her sixth marriage. Calder runs her charity, from a no-name foundation to talk of the town. Love wasn't on her map... // Adam is a working class guy... even though he can mingle with the rich and famous and not stand out. He earned his way to the top, and saving Calder from a douchebag suiter in front of a club was just the beginning. Next day, he was one of the painting crew helping to repaint her family mansion. But he's neither bouncer nor painter. They are completely different, yet they could not resist their pull to each other. But with an evil suiter after her mother, and clearly for her fortune, Calder had to be sure Adam is after her for her, not her money...

Not too bad. The four sisters are actually all by different fathers and they all have very different looks and personalities, but they are four sisters united. But how can they protect their mom against this evil suiter, when mommy is in love? The relationship between Adam and Calder is decent, not spectacular. It's the extra bits, about family, conspiracy, and so on that made the book better. 6/8

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Finished Whiskey River Rescue by Justine Davis

Kelsey just found out that her landlord had sold out the land from under her and her horse sanctuary is in danger. She went home, only to find a workcrew already moved out her belongings from the "cabin" she lived in for two years and was set to demolish it. In a fit of range, acting on the only piece of information she had, she set out to confront her mysterious neighbor, "Crazy Joe", the source of all her problems... // Joe Kilcoyne had closed himself off after a horrific childhood and chose to live alone. He cared nothing for the rumors about him back in town, prefering it that way so no one will bother him. Until Kelsey barged into his life by cutting through a gate that most people forgot about. And then Kelsey found out the truth... A trailer was brought in later that day because Joe's foundation is giving her an upgrade... and a permanent house will be built for her, not that ramshackle cabin. Kelsey went to apologize, and realized Joe is a wounded soul... much like the horses she rescued. But can she try to heal him, and will he allow her close enough to try? And what other secrets is Joe hiding?

Good polish, but the whole story was so sad and angsty. 6/8

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Finished If I didn't Care by Kait Nolan

Judd Hamilton had always protected his best friend, Autumn Buchannon. He even took a bullet for her when he was seventeen when her crazily religious father tried to kill them both for "sinning". Fourteen years later, Judd is lieutenant in Wishful Police Department, and a shoo-in for the next police chief... and Autumn is the town librarian, with a secret career as an erotic romantic suspense author under a pen name. And they still see each other as merely platonic friends, even though Judd had a girlfriend for two years. When news came that Autumns father had been released on parole, and Autumn's flat had been torched, and the manuscript of her 3rd book stolen, Judd is in full protective mode, even as they are both forced to confront their feelings... will they acknowledge that they have been in denial about each other for too long? Who is threatening her?

7.5/8 for deft plotting, even though it did feel a bit trope at times. I knew who the perp is right away, even though the exact reason escaped me until the reveal. And the reason was quite novel.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Oct 03, 2018 2:50 am

Finished Hard Drive by Marcella Swann

Gigi is brainy and has a sharp tongue... AND gorgeous looks, but she chose to be a nerd. She left her tiny hometown behind for Silicon Valley and never looked back. She's not in the same league as Damian Black... // Damian Black is a Silicon Valley god... A billionaire before he's 30... and handsome as a model... so much so he's the face of the company... He could have any woman he wanted... and he's got a reputation as the bad boy of silicon valley. But he knew Gigi is not a one-night stand kind of girl... Yet he's drawn to her...

Meh. Black is practically a cardboard cut-out, "bad boy" with heart of gold. His only superpower is spend money. Lots of money. Air ambulance a cancer patient who's NOT critical? Really? Or fly to Milan, Italy, "for lunch"? And Gigi is schizophrenic. She's so spineless, she punched herself out of the game, yet she's jealous enough to delete a call from Damian's phone (a Silicon valley god who doesn't lock his phone? REALLY?!) And her big bad secret? She abandoned her humble parents in hometown and never really contacted them for YEARS... Hah! 3/8

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Finished Kane by Sinclaire Jayne

Kane is a two-time bullrider champ going for a third buckle. He has fame, fortune, and plenty of adoration, esp. of the female variety. But there is one woman he can't forget... Sky, who left him four years ago. Upon arriving in Phoenix, he wasn't prepared to see Sky or her 3-year old precocious daughter, and there can be no doubt he is the father... // Sky thought she finally had it made when her sculpture was picked for a charity auction... that she can finally make a good living for herself and her daughter... Until Kane walked in to the gallery and claimed her work, her daughter... and her. How can Sky explain she did what she thought was right at the time?

Extremely angst-y, but that's the way how "sudden baby" stories go... Lots of recriminations, betrayals, misinterpretations, and mistrust. She thought he didn't want her, he thought she should be going to school and not be a rodeo wife. She thought he should be free to pursue his dreams, he thought she betrayed him... Once you get past all the angst-y parts. and they reconciled, then the story gets happier. Very good polish on an old trope. 7/8

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Finished The Real Thing by Melissa Foster

Zane is an A-List actor and hot as sin... even though he's friends with bakery owner Willow Dalton since they were kids. Platonic only... Except Willow gave Zane her va-card way back when. Ten years later, her bakery is barely afloat, and he needed her... As a fake fiancee. He needs to clean up his act, and the only woman he can trust is Willow. But this fake engagement is starting to feel very real indeed... But when one's an actor, is it real love, or just another act?

Eh... I guess it's okay, the plot's trope, polish is good, but it's not an outstanding novel. 5.5/8

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Finished Bare Ass in Love by Sasha Burke

Summer is a neurotic insomniac... and the best construction project manager in the state. Working for Jason is great... He's rich, and her landlord, and definitely a man candy too. And he growls a bit but he listens to her even when she woke him at 4AM regarding her job. But Summer is starting to notice his... manly attributes. And Jason is noticing her right back...

Quirky nerdy girl hot for rich gorgeous boss. Eh... Nothing new here. 5/8

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Finished Skating on Thin Ice by Jami Davenport

Ethan Parker is determined to bring NHL back to Seattle, and even put up a hefty deposit when the owners of the Florida team is thinking of selling. But when the sale was stalled, his fellow Seattle investors forced him to go undercover in Florida to evaluate the team, even as the team managed to reach the playoffs. // Lauren is the assistant director of player personnel, but she's generally treated as an office staffer by the coaching team and ownership, despite her ability to analyze hockey better than anyone else. When Ethan appeared as "rep for unspecified buyer to evaluate the team" and genuinely interested in her opinion, she ended up falling for him... and agreed to a new job with the team upon its move... But she felt betrayed when Ethan turned out to be a liar from Seattle... but she loved the job too much to quit outright... can she forgive his lies?

Good, but not great. The butt-hurt feeling Lauren get from Ethan's betrayal seems to be way overblown. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Oct 03, 2018 12:21 pm

Finished One Perfect Billionaire by AJ Wynter

Eliza is engaged to Ben, who's a nice guy, in a small town in South Dakota. But she got cold feet and ran for Seattle, to her best friend's place. She even kept her v-card for her wedding night. Yet somehow, she knew life in a small town is not enough... // Cassidy is British royalty, but he left it all behind to start life anew as the CFO of Torver Corp in the US, and even changed his name a little. Plenty of women wanted into his bed, but he's tired of the f-em and leave-em lifestyle. He wanted to woo someone, THEN make her cry out in pleasure. When Eliza was given temp work in Torver, Cassidy was intrigued by the country-girl and protected her from staff abuse (when one of the execs tried to dump his entire workload onto her so he can catch up on his Netflix queue). But she never told him she's engaged...

Eh... Not feeling much there. Opposites attract, billionaire wooing a virgin, nothing special here. I mean, really. Sure this guy is Americanized, but does a Brit, however Americanized, think of "Hallmark channel" as a stereotype of domestic tranquility? No, it's a strictly American thinking. 5/8

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Finished Bedding the Best Man by Virna DePaul

Gabe is a poor kid with rich friends that finally found his talent in the ring, and parlayed that into a franchise of sports-adventure stores. He had a crush on Brianna Whitcomb, a rich girl that seems to want him, but he's too ashamed to take it any further, and let his rich friend Eric take the spot. After, all, they are a far more fitting couple... Until years later, when Eric left Brianna at the altar. What Brianna cannot tell Gabe was she had erotic dreams about Gabe while in Eric's bed... Gabe knew Bri is Eric's girl, and he's Eric's best male friend... There's no way he can do Bri behind Eric's back, no matter how much he wanted to and she's technically single... for he's definitely not good enough... But their passion for each other cannot be denied...

Okay, there's a LOT OF ANGST in this novel. And a LOT of back and forth that initially it's very depressing to read. Once you got through the sad parts, and they slowly come together, then the novel starts to be less depressing. 6/8

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Finished Very Thought of You by Iris Morland

Megan, the town baker, and officer Caleb Thornton, had a very complicated relationship. Caleb, then a rookie on the force, had to arrest Megan for underage drinking ten years ago. Since then, they seem to hate each other with a vengeance, despite their apparently attraction. But they are both harboring deep wounds. Caleb's family hushed up something in his adolescent past that lead to him becoming a cop, and Megan never wanted to be her alcoholic mother. When Megan's bakery was robbed, Caleb was assigned to patrol the area and the town of New Haven where a dangerous prowler lurked. And this time, bound by danger, their passions can no longer be denied... but their secrets may yet tear them apart.

The push-pull works, right up to the confrontation with the prowler, and for a psychotic prowler he's a very bad one. 6/8

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Finished Fallen Idol by Nikki Lynn Barrett

Kyra was a teen country sensation, until a car accident got someone killed and crippled another for life, she was convicted of manslaughter, sending her into a downward spiral that ended with her taking a long hiatus from her career. Six years later, she's on the verge of her comeback tour, with a new single on the radio. But a fire in her hometown that put her parents into the hospital sent her driving straight back to Texas from her Nashville flat... But in the storm, she backended another car, only miles from home, and came to meet the Greer family... // Matt Greer is still dealing with aftermath when his ex-wife ran off, leaving their teenage son and him, to pursue her "music career". He's had enough musicians for one lifetime... but Kyra is making him reconsider. But Kyra is dogged by hate mail and other problems, including a stalker who definitely didn't want her on her comeback tour. When both her Nashville flat and Matt's autoshop were broken into and defaced, it's clear someone is close by, and her entire family is targeted... and new information about the car accident six years ago shows that perhaps someone wants to keep the truth buried...

There's a MAJOR problem about the initial premise, that accident that changed everything, and the idea almost works, but something just didn't quite make sense. The plot just didn't *quite* feel right.

Spoiler:

I like the back and forth, but some bits of the suspense didn't quite work for me. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:50 am

Finished Texan's Irish Bride by Caroline Clemmons

Dallas McClintock wasn't sure what happened. He knew he rescued a beautiful Irish girl from two bandits who took her. He knew he was shot. Next thing he knew, he was married to the girl while recovering, something about they were discovered in a state of undress. But he's ready to deal with the situation. He is well-off, relatively, for he trains horses and runs an active cattle ranch. But will his family react well to him getting married? How does he deal with his in-laws that he knew very little about? Can he and his staff deal with the rustlers? What about the wagon trainer leader Tom Williams who vowed revenge for stealing "his" woman, the Irish girl Dallas married?

While the adventure bits are nice, the plot doesn't escalate properly. Some of the scenes seems a bit... superfluous. The problems are dealt with in serial, and in the end, Dallas has two superpowers: he's very fast on his gun, and he's rich so he can buy all sorts of things, even though he complains about being "cash poor". Argh. I really do want to like it more, but this is 5.5/8

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Finished Texas Two Step by Cynthia D'Alba

Mitch knew he made the worst mistake of his life after letting Olivia, the love of his life, go, but family obligation meant he had to marry his brother's pregnant girlfriend (after his brother died in an accident) to make sure the child has the family name. But she miscarried, and they divorced two years later. Now Mitch is determined to win Olivia back... but can Olivia forgive him? // Olivia survived the heartbreak and even built a life for herself... and her son (with Mitch)... a secret she wanted to keep. They meet again at a wedding in Dallas, and they discover they still have a thing with each other. But can they get past the betrayal and hurt? What will Mitch do when he found that she kept his son away from him for five years? What will Olivia do when Mitch's ex-wife tried to reconcile? Is Mitch being nice to her just to steal her son away from her?

Now that's a proper escalation of complications, even though at its core, it's a secret baby plot trope, and it's a VERY well polished one. 7/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Oct 06, 2018 10:32 am

Finished Stranded on the Beach by Noelle Adams

Rebecca's sisters forced her to take a two-week vacation at a beach house... AND took all her credit cards and smartphone so she can't simply run back to civilization when she wanted to. After a few days, she actually started to enjoy herself... Until she spotted Phil on the beach, the guy who broke her heart so many years ago by simply disappearing after their family tragedy. They decided to spend some time together for closure, but what they got instead was a second chance at love... If someone will just make a grand gesture...

Plot is pretty simple, but the push-pull between the characters are good. 6/8

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Finished Waiting for you by Heather B. Moore

Gwen is determined to stay single after a bad experience with the shallowness of wealth. She is fine with her waitressing job at the resort's restaurant, and plenty of hot guys asked her out... and was turned down very nicely. Not even the hot owner, Seth, will be able to tempt her... But she saw him as a rich spoiled brat playing part-time owner. But when Seth helped her through a personal crisis for her other love: volunteering to feed the poor, she found that Seth was not the person she thought him to be... Seth is actually a trained chef making sacrifices to chase his own dreams, much to his own family's disappointment. Even as Gwen reconciled with her own family, she contemplated a future with Seth... Until an overheard argument had her dreams falling apart...

Book was great right up till this point. This "overheard something" followed by "I'll just see myself out" as climax is a corny trope that just won't die in romance. Sure, Gwen likes helping people, but not to the point of hurting herself, and "i'll see myself out" is hurting herself. The ending sorta made up for it by someone else making a grand gesture. 6/8