Kasey's Books Read 2018

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:16 pm

As suggested, I'm keeping my own topics as not to clog up the rest of you slow readers.

Finished Keeping Katie by Patricia Keelyn

Maureen just settled in a small town hours out from Seattle with her three-year old daughter Katie, and working as a waitress in the local cafe. Local sheriff Alan knew there's something not quite right with her, as if she's fleeing from something, but he decided not to push, for he liked her a lot. Maureen had indeed been running from something... the law itself. When Alan learned this... what will he do about it? And will she keep running? Who was the stranger in town keeping an eye on them?

Nice and angsty. The resolution was masterful in tying up all the loose-ends. I'd say this is better than book 2 and 3 which was reviewed earlier. 7/8

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Finished On a night like this by Barbara Freethy

Aiden Callaway is a smokejumper, until something went very wrong. His best friend Kyle died on the job. and he awoke at the bottom of a ravine, only recalling fragments of what had happened. Everybody assumed he had f***ed up somehow. The only way out would be to put the blame on the dead man, which he was unwilling to do. Upon arrival at his home, he had to rescue a neighbor from a housefire, and found himself face with face with Sara, who left years ago. Sara was the good girl and Aiden was the bad boy. They never went that far, but that's because Aiden turned her down... even when she threw herself at him that one drunken night. She was back in town, hoping to reconnect with her father, who somehow never liked her, and something in the basement of her father's smoke-charred house made her realize her life may have been a lie... and the only one she could turn to was Aiden, in search of his own truth...

Angst-y, and I found the romance was a bit forced, but the background made the story better than average. 6/8

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Finished "The Greek Billionaire and His Secretary" by Marian Tee

Willow Somerset is a writer seated at Stavros Manolis's table. Stavros is a Greek billionaire, but he let his woman go, and this was her wedding party, and he's here to sulk, except she won't leave him be... So what's he going to do about it?

It's basically billionaire hook-up. At 44 pages, it's just a short prequel, and a big "meh", filled with stereotypical "slap leading to a hard kiss" type moments. 3/8

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:22 pm

BTW, did you ever get a count for 2017 books read?

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:48 pm

McNutt wrote: ↑Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:22 pm BTW, did you ever get a count for 2017 books read?

It's probably in the 1300-1400 range. Total downloaded was 1766.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:11 pm

If this thread existed in 1989 - 1994 or so id have a even larger post count. I would sometimes read a book a night. I once had a stack of books 25 high fro ma used book store I went through. Loved to read then. I read all Star Trek original series books that were out. Most from the 70 and 80s. Then I had to wait on new ones each month. Bought them all. Then Next Gen started and Star Wars. But after i got a PC in 94 I quit. Plus there were so many books I could not afford them. I looked the other day at Barnes and Nobel online and theres not may released these days and they are even more expensive. Still have all my books though.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:12 pm

I still want a Carpet_Pissr's wrench thread.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:15 pm

Thanks, Kasey, and yes, guilty as charged, I am an extremely slow reader!

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:11 pm

It's been 2 hours. What have you read since your last post?

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:01 pm

Just haven't typed it up yet. Hahaha.

AND playing FO3, ya know.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:33 pm

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:01 pm Just haven't typed it up yet. Hahaha. AND playing FO3, ya know.

Are you including in-game books in this thread?

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:41 pm

Finished Undone by Amelia Wilde (ARC from NetGalley)

Beau's a prim and proper businessman. He needs to be to court government contracts, and romance was far from his mind. Annabel is a free-spirit with no goal and no agenda, wandering the world for new experiences, because that was her early life. When Beau rescued Annabel from a bike messenger in New York, a chain of events was unleashed, and the two fell for each other... hard. His work started to suffer. She started to question her whole lifestyle. But are they willing to make compromises to make it work, or will their hearts be broken?

I'm not too sure what to make of this novel. It feels like opposites attract / fated mates kinda story, but the struggle feels as if it's not all there. There's no "long and arduous slide into hell", so to speak. The flip from "hi" to "madly in love" feels a bit too fast. 5/8

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Finished A SEAL for Christmas by Leslie North (ARC from NetGalley)

Murphy Coen is not having any holiday spirit. His sister Aileen is missing, and he believed a certain corporation is responsible. He was about to nab one of their folks for "a chat" when they were interrupted by Shayma, his friend Daveed's former fiancee. Shayma enjoyed being with Murphy, who's got the tall dark and brooding thing down pat. But Murphy is not known for his subtlety, and Daveed asked Shayma to keep Murphy "out of the way" while he and another friend check out leads to Murphy's sister. Murphy knew he's being kept away, but Shayma was too irresistible. When push comes to shove, will he choose family... or love?

Somehow, this is NOT a romantic suspense. Or it does not follow romantic suspense beats. It has some conspiracy, but it's more about Shayma seducing Murphy and vice versa. The suspense part was actually kinda lame. 5/8

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Finished Hometown Girl Forever by Kirsten Fullmer (ARC from NetGalley)

Lizzie gave up her busy life in Boston and settled in Smithville, PA, with a farm of alpacas, and a job at a spa. Things are nice and relaxed... Until her socialite mom restarted her matchmaking. Elliott, an architect from DC, designed the spa, and was visiting when he was double-teamed by mother-daughter team, except Lizzie wasn't interested, while mom was very much interested... as a prospect for her daughter of course. And the folks in Smithville, obviously, can't resist "helping" them along...

Kinda opposites attract with a bit of matchmaker, one always begs the question... Do people actually drive out to the country side to attend a spa? Still, it's kinda interesting 6/8

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Finished Blade Gunner by Austin Dragon NOT ROMANCE, scifi cyberpunk detective (ARC from NetGalley)

Cruz is a PI in the future world, and this new case's got him puzzled. A woman came to him asking him to find her missing twin sister. Later her twin sister showed up explained that the first twin has mental problems. Who does he believe? He also had to plan for his own nuptials, accede to his soon-to-be-in-laws requests (when possible), and trying to find out who the heck is "Blade Gunner" which seems to be the boogeyman a lot of folks were talking about... that some evil corp need to eliminate?

Probably should have read the first one first, but the world was fun and the act fast. 6.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 2:59 pm

Finished Rocky Mountain Romance by Vivian Arend FREE

Steve Coleman never realized what he had been missing... Until it's gone. But now Melody's back in town, it's time to show her the new and improved Steve... Melody went off to veterinary school but ten months later, she's back, just as her boss went on a vacation, leaving her in charge. But the town wasn't quite ready for a female large animal vet, and the cold shoulder she got, as well as power struggle with the other vet (small animals) in the clinic had her fuming. Only Steve's wicked distractions (lots of hot sex) held her frustrations at bay. But is this now the "real" Steve?

Less angst, more sex. This series had always been about hot cowboys. 6/8

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Finished Ruby by Lauraine Snelling Historical adventure, not really romance.

Ruby Torvald and her young sister Opal were working as governess and servants at a rich household in Chicago when they suddenly got a letter from their father who left years ago... he's dying and he needed them to come claim their inheritance. The two young girls arrived in the tiny town of Medora in the Dakotas to see their papa die, and to realize that their inheritance... Is a brothel called the Dove House. Ruby was determined to turn the Dove House into a regular hotel, with no alcohol, and no... whores. But with remaining hostility from the town, and dissatisfaction from the "usual" clientele, can Dove House survive its first winter?

There's a hint of romance when a young army captain took interest in Ruby, but it's more adventure than romance. 5.5/8

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Finished What Once Was Perfect by Zoe York FREE

Laney left her hometown for medical school and found her true calling, but knew something very precious behind... Her heart, to Kyle Nixon, in her hometown of Wardham. Laney is now a reknowed facial reconstruction surgeon, esp. cleft palette for kids... something a small town could not provide. Laney finally took a brief vacation home, and very quickly Kyle was there, and they picked up where they left off... But she's only back for one week... and Kyle... what will he choose this time?

Sweet, and just slightly angst-y,. 6/8.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jan 08, 2018 3:41 pm

Finished Melody by C L Stone FREE

Melody spent all she had to get away from her drugged out husband and finally walked away with divorce, even as her mother constantly nagged about finding a job and keeping a husband. She has little more than clothes on her back, and she ended up on Juniper Island, with maybe 3 dollars in her pocket. The bus driver dropped her at Mayana, a restaurant that serve hard working locals... and tourists. The owner Tonac makes delicious meals, but he doesn't always charge for them... he doesn't serve what people want... but what they need. And when Melody tasted the food, she knew why... Tonac's food affected people in unique ways... visions, courage, precious memories... She just had to get a job there, and Tonac accepted her without question. And locals started coming in droves, and people are happy... But there are folks on the island who do NOT want Tonac to succeed, and when Melody is caught in the middle, she'll discover just how deep the secrets really run on this island...

Delightly tale that's more mystery than romance, IMHO. Good character growth for Melody. But it's pretty good. 6/8

Spoiler:

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Finished Billionaire's Fake Fiancee by Claire Adams

Gavin no longer has the heart for the business his father built and left to him. His mother has cancer and it has metastasized, leaving her only months to live. Gavin sold the company, bought a small mansion in Alaska, and built a cottage for his mom with a live-in nurse 24/7. He stays in the mansion, and is content to spend the day boating and fishing with his best bud and at night checking in his mom, as more money can't cure her of cancer. When mom wanted him to get married, he brushed her off. After all, Gavin isn't even dating anyone. Enter Maddie, a friend of Gavin's family, and a model trying to make it in Hollywood, except she can't afford to live there yet. Maddie agrees to be Gavin's wife... until his mother passes... for a price. She wants some startup capital so she can live near Hollywood and attend auditions and such. Gavin is appalled at her mercenary attitude, but he'd do anything for his mother, including swallowing his resentment. What he didn't know is she is deeply ashamed at her own request, believing Gavin deserved a much better woman than herself, even as she admired him from afar all these years. The two pretend to have a relationship, and they even have sex a few times. But is this love fake... or real?

WAY too angsty, guy's way too cool, girl's way too doormat. And a lot of the situations made no sense. WHY stay in Alaska? What's a model doing in Alaska? What's a cancer patient doing in Alaska? WTF? 2.5/8

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Jan 08, 2018 3:48 pm

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 3:41 pm What's a model doing in Alaska? What's a cancer patient doing in Alaska?

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jan 08, 2018 4:02 pm

the point is if a billionaire can afford to buy a mansion and a cottage, he can afford moving to near Mayo Clinic or somewhere really advanced treatments are offered.

FWIW, Alaska Cancer Treatment Center also offers "integrative care", i.e. naturopathic blah blah.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Jan 08, 2018 7:23 pm

Finished Finding Harmony by JoMarie DeGioia FREE

Harmony Brooks is a plant conservationist at Cypress Corners FL, and her latest job is to stop the construction on Institute property when endangered plants were found near the construction site. Rick Chapman is the on-site rep from Chapman Financial, the company financing the construction and nothing can delay this project or Rick will severely disappoint his father. Harmony and Rick faced off quickly, but both admire the other secretly. Rick admired Harmoney's free spirit and dedication to her cause, and Harmony like the Rick for his honesty and integrity. But Harmony had been fooled before. Her ex stole her parent's money and left them broke, and destroyed her trust of men. And Rick don't ever want to disappoint his father. So how much is each of them willing to give up to be together?

Thoroughly average romance, even includes a standard trope near the end to add a little complication. At least it's not standard "jealousy". 5/8

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Finished Mad About Matt by Theresa Paolo FREE

Shay Michaels is back in Red Maple Falls after seventeen years and opened the Sweet Dreams Bakery. She does not want to talk about the time she spent in New York... ever, not even to Matt Hayes, the local sheriff... whose heart she broke when she left seventeen years ago. But when a break-in ended up with her bakery trashed, and her cupcakes needed for next day ruined, she refused to treat the break-in seriously, even though Matt can see she's worried. Had trouble followed her to Red Maple Falls from New York? Matt is determined to protect her when Shay is determined to keep Matt away, figuring she does not deserve him...

Angst-y, when old secrets came to light, I do find the evil was way too sociopathic though. Call it 6/8

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Finished Bad for the Boss by Talia Hibbert FREE

Theodore Chamberlain is a stereotypical badboy businessman with terrible temper. He should have never met model employee Jennifer Johnson, until Jennifer's email accidentally ended up in his inbox, and he's intrigued, and what he wants... he gets. Jen's not ready to give in, as she does not want to risk her perfect job for a fling, but Ted's determined to offer her any guarantee she wanted, as long as he can have her... And when a threat from her past surfaced, Ted's there...

Ted's supposed to be Asian? Well, he's HALF-Asian, supposedly his father married Chinese from Hong Kong. And JJ is black with curves. But I honestly don't feel much ethnicity there in the book except for occasional bits. The guy's British except for his name (Ted's actually his middle name). The plot was actually above average, with a bit of bookend beginning and end. I guess I can give this 6/8

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Finished The Billionaire's Bid by Nicole Casey

Preston Maxwell can buy most things on the planet. He's handsome, and he's rich. Women threw themselves at him... Except for one... Lyla Bishop, a nurse he met. She's petite and curvy. AND she's not impressed by his wealth or charm. So why was she offering herself at a virgin auction at his favorite gentlemen's club? He must have her... // Lyla Bishop had never thought she'd sunk so low. She's efficient as a nurse, but she was let go nonetheless, downsized. With bills piling up, and her father also in financial ruins, she saw the virgin auction as the only way to get some breathing room while she looks for a job. And her winning bidder is none other than the entitled jerk Preston Maxwell... who's also oh... so hot, and he can teach her about sex... but is that love, or was she just whoring herself?

Meh, and lots of problems with reality. By the end Lyla was offered the head nurse position at a different clinic, when she's NEVER had a supervisory position before?!? Oh, and the sex scenes are crude as f**** with with terms like "meat" and "seed". It's a fairy tale and a crudely told one. 4.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:35 am

Finished Rebel's Redemption by Jolyse Barnett

Jeremy used to be an addict and drunk, and even stole from his family. He went through AA and is recovered, and he knew exactly how many days he's been sober, and he does not want to backslide for anyone. He's now a successful author and artist, though he kept his identity hidden. He thought he could not love any one, not when his previous fiancee had so thoroughly betrayed him then blamed him for the failures, that's when he turned into a drunk. But one night on a beach with a mysterious woman who seems to know what she wanted, and he felt an attraction to her like never before. When he found her having opened a sports fitness store in his town of Lake Placid, he's determined to woo her. Elizabeth had put everything into this shop, after a disastrous few years when she had to face her own personal demons. That mysterious stranger who kissed her on the beach showing up in her shop is just a bonus and a dream come true. But when Jeremy's old demons, including his evil ex returned, it's time for Elizabeth to share her demons... that perhaps, they truly deserve each other...

Ah, comparing personal demons... a bit dramatic. but realistic. It's just that they don't exactly fold into their relationship except in a very peripheral way. So that ended up being a bit of meh. Still, a good book overall. 6/8

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Finished The Cinderella Arrangement by Vanesssa Waltz FREE

Jessica grew up under horrible foster care parents and she moved away as soon as she was able to. However, circumstances have not been good, to her, when she couldn't find a job. She very reluctantly set up a profile on a Sugardaddy website, hoping to be "sponsored", even though most propositions creeped her out. Then she came upon one that didn't... to find that her sponsor is Luke Pardini, billionaire heir to the hotel fortune... but he is in his own personal hell. His mother died young, and his father was extremely cruel to him. He just needed arm candy, and Jessica fell for the wounded man, not the billionaire as they travelled to meet his family. But when the arrangement was exposed, and Luke was threatened with being written out of the will, Jessica left him, because she refused to be the reason he'd lose his fortune...

Uh... the plot points are way too obvious and super-cliche. Meh. 4.5/8

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Finished The Circle Eight: Caleb by Emma Lang FREE / Historical romance

Caleb Graham is a Texas Ranger and no stranger to danger, but the latest assignment may be his most challenging yet. His family suffered when his parents where gunned down and their youngest brother kidnapped and apparently sold into Mexico with no solid leads. He had been searching, and left his family to fend for itself and the Circle Eight Ranch is doing well. His brothers have married, but he's not settling down. His latest assignment should have been simple: kick some blacksmith squatter off government property. But it's nothing simple when he got there... The blacksmith turned out to be Aurora "Rory" Foster, who wears men's clothes and swears like a man, with strength to match, and she ain't going anywhere. Caleb admired "Rory"s conviction, but he has a job to do. When Rory became injurred, Caleb had no choice but to take her to see the head of a neighboring ranch for medical help. But the ranch, technically a huge hacienda, is full of armed men who's clearly keeping secrets... and when Caleb found his youngest brother there, now known as Marcelo, supposedly Garza's son, Caleb must escape with both Rory and his brother... and make his way back home, several hundred miles away... But "Garza" is not a man who would let go so easily...

Not a bad adventure 6/8

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Finished Cowboy's Barmaid by Piper Sullivan

Sierra had a crush on Jack for the longest time, but he's her best friend's big brother, and he doesn't seem her as girlfriend material. Then he went off to joined the army. She kept writing him letters. Now he's back in town, and they reluctantly became business partners when she wanted to buy back her ancestral ranch, but doesn't have time to run it, while he's familiar with ranching, but have no ranch to run. Then came the Halloween party... and everything changed...

Okay, that's not too bad, but it's a pretty typical fling to a thing, and is this serious story. Kinda "meh" to me. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:39 am

Finished Carter: Sinner Saints #1 by Adrienne Bell FREE

Carter Macmillan was a captain in US Special Forces. Now retired, Carter runs Macmillian security with his former teammates, doing security assignments, and they were just hired to provide extra security for a certain senator when news came earlier that his chief of staff's car blew up on the freeway... With him in it. So when a young woman crashed the party, Carter zoomed in on her... and she had the most incredible story to tell... Ally Weaver chases the story as a reporter, and the story she's chasing was incredible... Until her source, scared out of his mind, told her a story even she can barely believe... just as her connection was lost and then news came of his car blowing up. Desperate to find the last words of a dead man, she snuck into that man's office... and was trying to rifle through the contents when Carter came in behind her... But not to detain her... But to save her... and his own company, as he realized he was being set up... As circumstances forced the two together to go on the run, they couldn't help but to fall for each other, as they battle someone corrupt enough to rig the system, and lives are nothing in front of billions in dollars... What was on the flash drive Ally recovered, even as enemies close in on all sides?

While somewhat exciting on first read-through, plot holes started to appear upon reflection. The story was basically the bad guys tried to get rid of the evidence by blowing up the entire floor of Macmillian Security, since they can't find the flash drive. Apparently, nobody imagined one of the employees took it home, or uploaded a copy to the cloud, or whatever. And also, how can a computer expert made a copy that's NOT exact, complete with volume name? The good guys came back to get the flash drive hidden in a special compartment in the desk, caught the bad guy planting explosives in the building, then had to make a mad jump through a window from 2nd story as the whole floor blew up behind them. So a senator bought out the local cops, or enough to matter, but not the FBI? Uh... WTF? 4.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Jan 14, 2018 8:56 pm

Finished Brides of Beckham Four Book Bundle by Kirsten Osbourne Historical Romance

Mail order bride series, but a lot better polished.

Mail Order Mayhem -- when Maude was told by her family she must marry a repulsive man, she chose to become a mail order bride and went out west to be wife of an Iowa farmer instead. She fell for the strong handsome farmer, but does he feel the same? When her "fiancee" came calling, will she ever escape?

Mail Order Mama -- Emily's mother is marrying again, but that means the daughter won't be able to stay. With nowhere to go, Emily chose to marry herself out West, and married Benjamin, with two children he's trying to raise alone. But Emily didn't know the two kids are hellions who had run off all nannies prior to her, or any prospects... But Emily will whip these two kids into shape... without violence... except she can't forget how Benjamin tricked her...

Mail Order Madness -- Susan can't live with her younger siblings any more (there's like 11 of them) so she joined mail order bride and married herself out Wes to Texas. Except upon arrival... it wasn't her groom... but his brother... Her groom had died via a stray bullet two weeks prior, while she's on her way. But the brother offered to take his place and marry her... Can this even work?

Mail Order Mix-up -- Ellen and Malinda had never been apart. When their papa died and the bank is repossessing the farm, they had nowhere to go. It happens that the two brothers in the same town out West in Colorado are both looking for mail order brides... Ellen wanted the sheriff, and Malinda wanted the banker. They arrived in the Colorado town and each immediately fell for one of the brothers... Only to find they each fell for the wrong one!

I'd say each of these are 6/8, with good polish in the plot and reasonable decision making, as well as some excitement on WTF do I / we do now? moments, much better than some of the **** mail order bride stories I've read.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:45 pm

Finished Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush by Victoria Pinder

Penny did all she could to get away from her gold-digging mother out of manipulate her. She moved back to Miami for a job, and ran into her old friend Jay, a former crush now in the friend zone. Jay needed a stable GF, not gold-diggng supermodels, and Penny is perfect. it wasn't supposed to be about love, but Jay found himself falling for Penny for real. A pretend date turned scorching, then mothers conspire to bring them together, even as they deny their feelings for each other, even as Penny's job evaporated and she was only given a stipend. She concealed it, not wanted to embarass Jay, but secrets will leak...

The plot gets darker and darker, and this book is seriously angst-y as everybody is keeping secrets and manipulating others, except Penny, it seems. She just feels a bit to... doormat? Eh. 6/8

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Finished Legally Yours by Nicole French

Skylar is a fiery redhead and on her third year at Harvard Law. She's too busy to think about anything else. When a chance encounter with Brandon Sterling, a top lawyer in Boston, and CEO of his own firm Sterling Ventures, her plans went out the window. Brandon found wealth actually limited his social circle, because he had so much money everybody wanted something of him, and the fiery redhead, while cliche, really took his breath away. And he wanted her... but things are keeping the pair apart. Skylar's father has a gambling addiction and is involved with the mob. Brandon's history means he's intense... He only knew how to buy gifts, and Skylar, after losing her heart to a sociopath, is wary of such display of affection. Can such different couple come together?

Angst-y, and polished, Like it quite a bit, even though it's long (454 pages!) 6.5/8

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Finished Vodka and Chocolate Drops by Jean Oram

Amber Thompson thought she had the perfect boyfriend, a reporter writing a book. Until he dumped her days prior to his book tour and she found on national TV he'd been doing his publicist AND the book was based A LOT on Amber, something she never agreed to. The only one she can count on was her childhood friend Scott. But Scott is allergic to woman on the rebound... and they've been friends for too long. Amber needed to woo Scott, but then she found family secrets that are turning her world upside down. Suddenly, she has half-siblings, and her father may be someone she knew all her life... And Amber is determined to figure out herself... and then maybe she can woo Scott properly...

Perhaps not as funny as it should be, as it's more about embarrassment, but it's not that angst-y overall. And the family secrets are cute. 6/8

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:49 pm

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:45 pm

Skylar is a fiery redhead and on her third year at Harvard Law. She's too busy to think about anything else.

Ok, already this is off base. Third year law students are not super busy! Generally they have their post-school employment figured out by winter at the latest (especially if you're at Harvard Law), and grades aren't super critical after that point. The author should have had her dealing with a crippling case of senior-itis.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:52 pm

Then she met the hunky Brandon and Skylar really got busy.

(key the 70s porn music)

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:53 pm

Man, I wish I had my job situation figured out by third year . . . .

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:30 pm

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:53 pm Man, I wish I had my job situation figured out by third year . . . .

I'm mostly joking, but my impression of Harvard Law is that big firms really scrape through there.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:31 pm

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:53 pm Man, I wish I had my job situation figured out by third year . . . .

and that you were getting busy.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:34 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:30 pm
ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:53 pm Man, I wish I had my job situation figured out by third year . . . .
I'm mostly joking, but my impression of Harvard Law is that big firms really scrape through there.

There were certainly quite a few folks at my lowly public school that were set for jobs by third year, but I wasn't one of them. I fully agree on the point that the class load during third year is minimal, though. There's a reason Scott Turow wrote One L instead of Three L.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:31 pm
ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:53 pm Man, I wish I had my job situation figured out by third year . . . .
and that you were getting busy.

Sadly true.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:43 pm

The key thing I'm saying is that the author of Kasey's law school smut should have had the heroine be a 1L or a 2L.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:47 pm

But then her mob connected father might have stopped her from being with Brandon! Do you expect Skylar to date a boring looking high school chemistry teacher?

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:35 am

Moliere wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:47 pm But then her mob connected father might have stopped her from being with Brandon! Do you expect Skylar to date a boring looking high school chemistry teacher?

Actually, the father got his hand smashed with a hammer for not honoring some debt. And this wasn't the first time Skylar had to bail him out.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:43 am

Finished Hotter than Ever by Linda Cousine FREE

Lexi Taylor is 50, and as a former model, she had it all. She has fame, fortune, beauty, a doting husband, and two beautiful daughters. But in the past year, she lost all of it. Her husband is shacked up with a stripper. Her figure had gone to ****. Her friends are all staying away, and she may just be losing her mind due to menopausal madness. When her hot flashes and mood swings landed her in jail for the second time (first time, for "solicitation" even though she's doing it for a bikini joint, and second time for trespassing on an active fire scene demanding to be doused with water), her family mounted an intervention and she committed herself to the Sunnyvale Sanitarium, Home for the Mostly Menopausal, for a 90-day regimen. And with help of an army of doctors and a very therapeutic nun, Lexi may yet reclaim her sanity, her self-respect, and perhaps, most important of all... her sex drive...

You couldn't quite tell if this is a parody, a sarcasm piece, or intended to be treated seriously, because it's real "enough" to make you pause and consider, could this happen to you (if you're female, of course), even though the situations are outright... farcical. Not quite my style, but I had to admire this wit lit (her term, not mine) is a bit like hen lit with a lot more sarcasm. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 5:23 am

Finished Teaching Tori by Annie Rehmann

Tori Munro is a teacher that enjoyed her job... except her interaction with her principal. She had survived a bad marriage mainly by running away to teach in a small town, and she knew how to cope with a bully... by kowtowing. Tom was a visiting advisor to the school and loved her passion, but he only comes every few months. Tom was not happy with Tori's decision to stay quiet about principal's bullying behavior, but he will accept her decision. When teacher's union rep reported that a grievance was filed against the principal, Tori thought Tom had betrayed her and cut off all contact. Tom had no idea he's getting the cold shoulder and decided he had enough of Tori's craziness. When Tori realized it was a misunderstanding, she went back to Tom, but Tom did not want her back. Hoping to clear her head, Tori went hiking, and was caught in a freak snowstorm. Will she survive? Will Tom come to realize he can't live without her?

Uh, somehow the pacing was just really really weird. The darkest hour and the sudden change of heart near the end was interesting, and even that end wasn't qutie the end, and there's actually an explanation for the principal's bullying behavior... except it doesn't quite make sense. All in all, it's slow. Call it 5/8

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Finished Mail Order Bride: Susannah's Story by Ella Camsen FREE

Susannah was a maid for the Davenports, except the Davenports treat her like a slave, with no time off despite promised vacation days, and having all sorts of chores added to her list. She had to cook, clean, launder, dust, and more. When she saw a mail order bride wanted ad in Montana, she jumped at the chance. When she learned the ad was posted in error, but the poster did want a writer for his newspaper, she decided she will go anyway. ANYTHING is better than being a virtual slave. Jared was not planning to get married, and apparently it was his mother that posted the ad. He will need a lady's touch at the newspaper. However, he did not count on an old enemy of his may have followed her to Montana... And now Jared will do anything to protect her... and perhaps... fall in love with her as well.

The threat really makes no sense. WHY would the bad guy chase him to Montana? To kill him? Torment him? Nobody will recognize a stranger in town? is this a suicide mission? WTF? It sorta make sense... Until you stop and think about it! 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Jan 21, 2018 5:46 am

Finished Falling for her Brother's Best friend by Noelle Adams FREE

Emma had enough bad romances and is going on a "man-fast" for six months. No dating, no sex, no opposite sex. She needed to concentrate on her new business, a tea room with two of her best friends. Not even Noah, her first crush, and her brother's bestie. Noah is a business shark, and definitely not nice, and domestic. In fact, Noah had not even recognized Emma when he first saw her and tried to seduce her... UNTIL she realized it's him... and he didn't recognize her... i.e. just as a floozie he can pick up at a bar. Sure, it's been seven years, but really? Now Noah feel like an ass and wanted to apologize, but Emma 's on a man-fast... or will she make an exception?

at 200 pages, it's okay, I guess? A bit *too* angst-y IMHO. 5.5/8

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Finished Seduce Me Sweetly by Iris Moreland

Joy left Chicago behind and just wanted to be a journalist in the small town of Heron's Landing, Missouri. Joy met local vineyard owner Adam and found herself attracted to him very much, and it'd be a great local piece on the vineyard, which seems it can use the publicity. Adam lost his wife in a tragic accident, and when paparazzi stormed the place (because his wife had been a rich celebrity) Adam saw all reporters as the enemy. Adam knew Joy brought forth feelings he thought he would never feel again, but when Joy refused to stop writing about the vineyard, he can't have her. When trouble arrived in town, Adam will have to confront his own demons... or lose Joy forever.

A bit too angst-y, IMHO, both being a bit unreasonably stubborn. 5.5/8

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Finished Mail Order Bride 4 Book Starter Set by Karla Gracey FREE

4 short mail order bride stories (total of 270 or so pages), some of which I've reviewed before.

Faith Creek Brides 1: Bryony's Destiny

Sun River Brides 1: A Bride for Carlton -- reviewed earlier

Silver River Brides 1: Amelia -- reviewed earlier

Ruby Spring Brides 1: Catherine Finds love

Clean and pretty average MOB stories. This author just keeps churning them out. Some of these series have like 19-20 books in them. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:54 pm

Finished Good Cop by Liz Kelly FREE

Brooks Bennet and Vance Evans were sports heroes of the town, but they have opposite styles when it comes to romance... One's the good cop, and the other is the bad cop. (They're cops in real life too) They need an impartial referee, and who better than their best female friend, Lolly (Lorelei) DuVal, the little girl that always followed them around? Except Lolly ain't so small any more... Lolly wanted a fling that sets her heart on fire (not the painful kind) and teaching two delectable cops about romance sounds like a great idea... at first. But as Lolly falls for one, and the other two started to back off for each other, it'd be up to Lolly to pick a winner... for her heart.

Funny, AND poignant, with the quiet chuckles and amusements, not the slapstick LOL kind. If you like the style, it's 6/8

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Finished Love at First Date by Susan Hatler FREE

Ellen needed someone to be compatible with her, and she took a whole month to narrow her online dating prospects down to two. She does not want to emulate her mother who's always on a different man that's not compatible. When dog-sitting for a friend went very wrong, she met Henry at a local vet who saved not-her dog. Ellen knew she must know more about Henry, so she signed up for dog obedience school using not-her dog. Now Ellen is conflicted... should she date the ones she deemed compatible like her head dictates... or should she go for Henry, like her heart dictates?

Shorter novella (about 150 pages) makes for fast page where the angst are resolved with smiles and awkward laughs. Fun fast read. 6/8

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Finished Single for the Sheikh by Annabelle Winters

Divorced mom Diane Delacort is raising twin girls alone after a divorce. When her girls' school were invited to attend a soccer match sponsored by a rich royal prince (supposedly of Middle East) she forgot the permission slips (she's overworked) and had to rush to the stadium. When she insulted the sheikh Nasser by slapping him (he may have touched her somewhat inappropriately), Nasser decided to demonstrate that she needs some lessons in discipline.. in private! As Diane fell for the enigmatic billionaire, Nasser found he had to get married to become the full sheikh. He had always lived a Western life, but responsibility called to him. Can he take this wild American with him? Can he marry her and make her queen?

I honestly don't like dark romances, and this one basically have the woman say "please treat me badly (I know it's just play)", without ANY BDSM negotiations. She knew him for two days, but they're playing as if they'd negotiated BDSM scenes for years, including letting him f*** her in public in a soccer stadium private booth against the glass (from behind), handcuff her to the bed and whip her across the bottom, then rim her ****, then pulled her to the stable, chained her to the center, and forced a blowjob on her, and she's fully in the scene muttering "make me (submit)". The author is also very... wordy. I'm not sure I like the style of writing. The scenario, when you think about it, is really a Cinderella story. The palace intrigue was introduced late and really made no sense. All in all, i can only give this book a 5/8 for "nice try". It's too scattered-brain and the scenario really makes no sense.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Jan 28, 2018 3:42 am

Finished Montana Darling by Debra Salonen FREE

Mia Zabrinski is starting over. She had lost her marriage, her job, and her body when she has a breast cancer scare. She hoped that the property she bought in her hometown of Marietta Montana would let her build a cabin there before winter sets in. When she spots a squatter on her land, she's quite angry! Ryker Bensen was not getting over loss of his girlfriend and unborn child. He was an award winning photojournalist with a trust fund hiding on on his land. When a woman accused him of squatting on "her" land, he was intrigued about the woman, and worried... He was in Africa when the alleged sale took place. When Ryker found his trust fund had been zero'ed, his worst fears seems to have been confirmed... His step-father stole all he owned from him. Ryker knew he'd have to fight, but Ryker also felt a connection to Mia that needs to be explored, even as Mia face her own doubts in pursuing a relationship. But a fling soon lead to more... but is either ready to commit?

The deus ex machina ending came out of nowhere. 4/8 only.

Spoiler:

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Jan 29, 2018 1:15 am

Speed reading won't help you read more.

Reading speed is obviously going to depend on factors such as readers’ skills and goals and whether they are reading Richard Feynman’s lectures on physics or TMZ.com. But let’s just do some cold, hard calculations based on facts about the properties of eyes and texts.

About 7 to 8 letters are read clearly on each fixation.

Fixation durations average around 200 to 250 milliseconds (4 to 5 per second).

Words in most texts are about five letters long on average. 4 fixations per second = 240 fixations per minute

240 fixations × 7 letters per fixation = 1,680 letters per minute

1,680 letters/6 (five letters per word plus a space) = 280 words per minute

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:56 am

Finished No More Secrets by Lucy Score

Carter made it back from Afghanistan mostly intact. He just want to farm in his hometown to Blue Moon Bend, but he's forced to deal with a reporter Summer Lentz who's interviewing the town and specifically Carter about the farm and stuff. Carter don't want to be interviewed, but the farm can always use the publicity, and Summer is quite cute, not that Carter feels he can handle a romance. Summer is a city girl, but she'll try her darnest to fit in, and she asks a lot of questions, trying to draw out Carter, who's not really ready but responded nonetheless. But Summer has her own secrets...

Basically, it's the standard reporter vs recluse plot, albeit a bit cuter. But don't feel too much there. 5/8

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Finished The Substitute Bride by Kathleen O'Brien

Marly Akers' mom did EVERYTHING to make sure that Marly don't end up like her: unwed, pregnant, and living with her mother. But Marly is back in town, resigning after her editor forced her to put out a hatchet piece on his enemy... just as she found out that her one "safe" BF turned out to be a bastard... and she's pregnant. Now, she's back in her hometown of Marietta MT working a part-time gig in the local tiny paper, and back to living with her mother, at least until she figures out what else to do. Meeting Drake Everett, who stood her up at prom, after inviting her out, was NOT a good reminder. But Drake has changed, and Marly realized this Drake... may be worth falling for. But when she needed to cover the Great Wedding Giveaway for the local paper, she found that Drake may have been one of the intended grooms. Does that mean Drake is a cheating bastard? Signs seem to be clear that Marly should stay clear of Drake, but her heart is demanding the opposite. And she's not going to stay in town... is she?

The angst is plenti-ful here, and the mom came across as a bit manipulative, but supposedly for the daughter's benefit. And WHY should she stay clear of Drake again? I never got a good reason. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Jan 31, 2018 6:55 am

Finished Once Upon a Valentine's by Holly Jacobs

Carly Lewis is busy making things meet as a single mom. She did not intend to commit arson, even by accident, but her attempt to burn away her past by burning the couch she caught her cheating husband on (with his secretary) got away from her, and burned down her shed and her neighbor's shed before firefighters could douse it all. Then the judge threw the book at her by making her do 30 hours community service... This on top of her regular work, her busy taking care of the kids, AND her being wrangled to plan Valentine's dance for the school as part of PTA committee. She's too busy... to run into Lt Charles Jefferson, PR officer of local police, first person on the scene. "Chuck" is the friendly face department puts forth for PR, and he's a charmer, and he's utterly fascinated by this "accidental arsonist". When his mom is on him to bring a date, he decided to invite Carly, which gives her a chance to poke fun at the judge... who's his brother-in-law. That plan went quite well, until they fell for each other...

Actually quite charming. 6/8

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Finished One Night With Her Bachelor by Kat lathan FREE

Former pararescue (AirForce) Gabe Morales lost his best friend on a mission and got invalidated out of service with injuries. He lived alone in the mountains, long hike from town, with almost nothing, preferring the solitude. Meeting his dead best friend's little sister was not part of the plan, nor was rescuing her son lost in the woods. But he was glad to put his old skills to use... and help Molly out when he could. Molly was overwhelmed with life, when her work isn't quite enough to get all the bills paid and raising a child. Meeting Gabe in town was a surprise, but a distraction. When her son was severely injured in the wild (and Gabe saved him), the town arranged a charity bachelor auction to help pay her massive medical bills... then a very special person gave her a gift she never expected... a date with Gabe... the only man she may lose her heart to...

Awwww... that's sweet. 6/8

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Finished Blinded by Lyz Kelly

Mara lost her sight and her family in a horrendous crash. She adapted, and took over her mom's floral business, but there was little to no margin, even with help. She was not expecting Joey, her first love, back in town. Joey is back in his hometown after 10 years away. Someone gunned down his brother Sam, the sheriff. The local deputies seem incompetent... or clueless. He was needed back in Seattle PD, but something smells wrong in the area. As the two met, and got reacquainted, someone is stalking her... Is it related to his brother's murder? When the town offered the sheriff's positoin to Joey, will he accept or refuse? What will Mara say about that?

The chemistry between Mara and Joey is a bit confusing, and the mystery stalker was NOT solved yet, but at least this pair got together. This one is just 5/8, as one of the threats, Mara's "fiancee", just came out of nowhere. 5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Jan 31, 2018 7:57 pm

Finished The Accidental Mail order Bride by Ruth Ann Nordin FREE (historical western)

Allie Jones arrived at the Colorado town late, after having to testify at a murder trial elsewhere. She expected to be married, only to find that her groom had married someone else came off the train that day by accident! Now Allie has NO groom, and the only other job available... is at the saloon. Fortunately, her former groom, who's also the sheriff, has a candidate in mind... Travis Martin is an outcast among town. He is heavily scarred in the face from a bad bout of chicken pox when he was young, and that turned him into an extremely shy young man who became legendary in town as the boogeyman to scare children with, with all sorts of crazy rumors. When his friend the sheriff and his wife arrived to marry her off to him, he can't accept, but he can't let her work in the saloon either. He reluctantly accept her as his wife... But living in separate buildings, and even then he felt unworthy. But Allie is intrigued... Is he really a monster, or just a misunderstood young man?

It's a bit overboard. 5/8

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Finished Making Changes by Lila Rose FREE

Makenzie Mayfair had spent too many years with her loser husband, and is determined to find her own life, her own job, and her own love. The problem is Makenzie has no filter between her mouth and her brain, and she's a BBW, but that's really an asset, right? Her new boss, Grayson, is cold and distant, but boss's brother, who claimed to be gay, is giving her encouragements to stick with Grayson. But Kenzi's determination to remake her life hits a few obstacles when she took cough medicine, which seems to make her lose all inhibitions... And showed a side to Grayson that should have never been shown... and it had nothing to do with shedding cloths... well, maybe a little...

It's a sitcom, and personally, the scenario is a bit overboard, but it is absolutely hilarious. 6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Feb 02, 2018 4:12 pm

Finished Sweet as Shortcake by Ashley Lauren

Katy Cupid of Cupid's Cafe in Berkeley, CA has been putting couples together for a while, abut this latest one may be a bit problematic. Danny Fitzpatrick joined the army to get away from it all, but after ten years, he's back. And Katy knew Sarah and Danny are not over each other, as they've been high school sweethearts. One call, and one shortcake delivery, and they meet again... But Danny is broken, and felt himself unworthy. But Sarah is not taking no for an answer this time...

Sweet novella, just over 100 pages. 6/8

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Finished Finding Mrs Right by Debbie White

Gabe is a generous and rich bachelor in New York, but he can't stand golddiggers. He knew his assistant Sally has a bit of a crush on him, but he can't really indulge her... it wouldn't be right. He could fall for the latest person to solicit donations from him... Rose is a very capable project manager trying to establish a woman's shelter. His friends and brothers... heck, even his doorman and his butler are trying to set him up with other women. Then there's Ronnie (Veronica) whom he met in the park... while she's walking six dogs at once. But which one should he woo, and which one will be his Mrs. Right?

Not sure why, but somehow this story just doesn't quite feel right when I've read "searching for Mr. Right in all the wrong places" novels that are much better. 4.5/8

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Finished Billion Dollar Baby by Imani King and Cherrie Love FREE

Braden and Adele promised when they were kids that they'd marry each other if they're still single by 30. Now both are 29. Braden refused money from his grandpa because it came with too many strings attached, but he's barely making do on his own little ranch. Adele... left for the army, got trained as a medic, and only recently mustered out and is studying to be a veterinarian... and back in town. Braden and Adele came back together, and things are going great. Adele wanted a baby with Braden, and Braden wanted a baby with Adele... but there's this one thing... Braden can inherit 1 BILLION bucks from Grandpa if he can produce an heir. When Braden chose to NOT mention this to Adele... it ended up being the issue that tore them apart...

Sorry, the decision process makes no sense. "I don't want to involve you in my family drama" is a poor excuse to not mention the billion bucks. What's she going to think when she found out? Hmmm? That you just wanted the billion bucks, right? The ending was a simple change of heart, not even much of a grand gesture. Meh. 5/8

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Finished Mail order Sass by Alix West FREE

Will Travis ordered a mail order bride from the east for his ranch life. He wanted someone older, wiser, experienced. What he got was young, pretty, delicate looking, and way too sassy. Charlotte is an orphan looking for a way out, and she'll take her chances to marry a man she'd never seen. Will and Charlotte agreed that they will wait 30 days to consummate their marriage, and Charlotte intends to make full use of those 30 days to win Will's heart, even though Will insisted this marriage was not for love... And it's clear that these 30 days will feel like months for both...

How did a virgin get a spanking fantasy? Swear, it's... anachronistic! 4.5/8

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Finished Manic Monday by Annalise Wells FREE

Shona is one of the girls who works at Tina's Place, where every desire can be catered to... all kind of girls dedicate themselves to your pleasure... if you can afford the price. Almost 100K a night... Beau can afford it, and he has different tastes, but one woman keeps him coming back, because his marriage was so wrong, he can't stay at home... Shona knew her job, and she makes her clients happy even if she had to fake it all, but one guy was so good, she is contemplating whether to buy out her own contract to be with him... If he wants her permanently...

There's nothing here except sex, sex, and more sex. it's basically Pretty Woman with raunchy sex and lame external conflicts. 3.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:29 am

Finished Matched by Jamie Farrell FREE

Will Truitt can sum up his life as a country western song... the sad kind. He reinvented himself as "Billy Brenton", country star, and he was successful, but he just hit a writer's block and his muse was nowhere to be found. Visiting a small town brought him face to face with the only woman that understood him... and broke his heart... Lindsey. Lindsey gave up on love when she became one of the best divorce attorneys in the business. She had seen too many sad stories and vowed to fight for the poor wives... until Will reappeared in her life. He needs her to be his muse. She... still felt something for him. But is that enough for them to be together, ten years older and probably wiser?

Pretty charming overall. 6/8

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Finished Billionaire Daddy by Claire Adams

Maddox Moore made a name for himself as a chef and restaurant chain owner, but he never planned to be daddy. But when a woman dropped off his kid from a one-night stand, and just left, Maddox had to step up. Evelyn is an aspiring chef who wanted her own restaurant one day, and kids are not in her plans. When Maddox saw her at the charity auction, he had to have her, at least for one night, and that wasn't enough. When Evelyn found her job going nowhere, Maddox stepped up and offered her job as his personal chef (even though he's a chef!) by pretending to be inept... and neglect to mention his kid, in order to seduce Evelyn. Will Evelyn bolt when she found out how much he had kept from her?

The attraction was pretty one-sided insta-lust then a bunch of escalating deceptions. Kinda lame, IMHO. 5/8

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Finished Billionaire's Assistant Part 1 of 3 by Sierra Rose FREE / Cliffhanger

She is Abigail Wilder, PR maven. He is Nick Hunter, her worst nightmare client... always getting in trouble of one sort or another, needing her to dig him out. His father is tired of his antics, and his company board wanted her to leash him until the merger goes through without more PR disasters... and one of the ideas floated was finding Nick a girlfriend. And Nick really is a good guy, except his mind doesn't go where you'd expect it to go... But Abigail will do her best to accommodate all client requests... Including finding Nick a person to date...

So basically you have PR spin doc ended up doing matchmaker / cyrano too, and predictably, by the end of this book, after a few dating disasters, Nick demanded that Abby be his next date. It's funny, and some of the antics are quite good. 6/8

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Finished Protect Me, Cowboy by Shelli Stevens FREE

Wyatt Marshall gave up competing and settled back in town of Marietta, Montana, but when Copper Mountain Rodeo roll into town, he had to compete. So why does this country singer look so familiar? Claire MIller fled Las Vegas with just her purse and clothes on her back. She and her band traveled to Marietta, but her car died, stranding her for days, and there is no hotel room in town. A kind offer of guest room on a nearby ranch lead her to the same sexy cowboy she got hot and heavy with in Vegas... and she stood him up and left him high and dry. But she had totally changed her looks, and there is no way she'll admit to her old sins... But Wyatt knew there's something about her... and he won't rest until he learned why she had to hide and flee Vegas...

Nice romantic suspense. Not quite 8/8, more like 6.5/8 as the villain was properly built up, and the ending was quite good, without being too cliche.

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Finished Royal Arrangement 1/6 by Ember Casey and Renna Peak FREE

Prince William of Montovia is to wed Princess Justine of Rosvalia in a political marriage. He was third in line, and he thought he can marry for love, but when his brother fell for a foreigner, he had to step up to do the political marriage. But Justine does not want to be wed, and refused to consummate the marriage... in private. William like the fiery temper of Justine, and is intrigued by her mysterious past. And Rosvalia is keeping more than a few secrets, even to their new son-in-law. But William has a plan to seduce his wife...

Book 1 of 6, and this one barely covers the marriage and not even much of a honeymoon. Too slow, too... boring? It's battle of the sexes, royal style, but way too much smirking and cliffhanging. 4.5/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:29 pm

Finished Let it be me by Barbara Speak FREE

Arianna Dubray was uprooted from her yuppie life of Prada shoes and Michael Kors bags in Baltimore onto a farm in Montana, and she knew exactly why... she "caused" it and her entire family is paying the price. Her step-father is abusing and her mother is simply doing... NOTHING. Her little stepsister is the only person she can rely on, but they're in the same boat/house. Her hunky neighbor Canyon has his own problems, needing to prove to the town that his family name is not mud, and he can make it on his own. Arianna hated this town, where nothing was familiar, and nobody likes strangers. But Canyon proved to be the exception. But when trouble found her in the little town, and her family, including Canyon, had been attacked, Arianna had to gather the courage to do the one thing that may set her free...

Romantic Suspense, and VERY nicely done. Arianna came across as sympathetic, and neither weak or strong, but careful balance of both. Initially, she came across as passive-aggressive, but when Canyon inspired her, and her decision was made, she turned into someone who knows what she wanted and she'll do anything to protect her family... (just her sister, really), she couldn't care less about step-douche and mom. 7/8

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Finished The Girl With Flower In her hair by Frances DeleCourt Winters

Cobweb Corner, NH is a very quiet town on the coast. Handsome officer Chase Harris patrolled the quiet beat, and one night, found someone breaking into the old bakery... and was stuck in the window with only her white keds visible, and it was so hilarious he had to laugh. And that's how he met Lorelei "Lala" Bradley. Lorelei is the niece of the old baker and heir apparent of the bakery, but she wouldn't say why she came to town and intending to start up the bakery again. But her confections soon had the entire town buzzing, almost as if she had breathed life into them and infused magic into them... and those cupcakes are working miracles. But when her secrets are exposed, Chase had to choose between his duty and his heart...

The book has a lot of "light magic", even though it does not claim to be magical at all. But people who tasted the cupcakes had miracles, which may or may not be attributed to the cupcakes. No spells, just people having visions... and that's... kinda weird. There are certainly romcoms and romances with just a little magic (Buttermilk Falls series is like that) but I couldn't quite get this one. Yet it is so charming... Call it 6/8.

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Finished The Bachelor's Baby by Dani Collins FREE

Meg was only in town to help her brother move in his new stepdaughter by cleaning out her childhood room. She did not count on meeting the sexy bad boy billionaire Linc Brady... After getting stuck in the snow. Linc Brady was just visiting, and he is generous to donate money and time toward a child needing treatment, but getting stuck with a bachelor auction with him as a prize? And the one bidding on him is Meg? He'll bid on himself! But Linc is smitten with Meg, as he wants someone who's not too country, and Meg is perfect. But Linc wants at least one night... And Meg, knowing she'd leave, gave it to him... But then... she found she's pregnant... so she's back in town...

Basically it's "surprise baby" (aka "oops, I'm pregnant") which lead to a bit of "OMG are you sure" or even "that can't be mine" which obviously lead to a bit of bitterness, and eventually someone gave it. The trick here is the author managed to put a very good spin on the trope plot to make it fresh. 6/8

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Finished Her Favorite Cowboy by Ann B Harrison FREE

Denver Attorney Layla Cox met Tyson Watson in Marietta Montana while attending a friend's wedding, and they are VERY compatible... yet totally different. They had a great weekend, then went back to their separate lives. However, soon after, Layla realized she's pregnant... apparently some of Ty's condom were a bit too old. Layla dumped her career and bought a small pracice in Marietta to make sure Ty can be a part of the child's life, but Layla has no expectations on Ty, esp. when she learned he had put out an ad for mail order bride. Ty had a blissful weekend with the beautiful attorney, then she left without a word, and stayed radio silent for weeks... Until she showed up in the middle of his busy rebuilding... and announced she's pregnant, but she doesn't want anything from him. Ty's surprise and shock lead him to reply in anger, which only lead Layla to recoil, but both are too headstrong and control-freak to apologize for their own behavior... It may take a bit of family intervention to make the two see reason...

Ah, the push-pull between the two is exquisite, as both are too proud to say what's on their minds, yet their mindset actually made sense, at least at the time! 7/8

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Finished Paws for a Kiss by Stephanie Rowe FREE

Bev Ryan runs an animal shelter that is in danger of being evicted. If she can't convince the agent to go somewhere else for his acqusition, there may be little time left for her dreams. But Mack Spenser was nothing like she expected... Mack Spenser is a workaholic for a cause... a loss early in life make him what he is... an efficient working machine dedicated to maximize profits... at the expense of not having a heart. Only his dog Janey ground him... and now, with his latest business deal on the line, Mack found himself conflicted between following his client's wishes... or help the dog evangelist angel any way he can... except going back on his deal.

A slight bit deus ex machina near the end, with two twists that seems to came out of nowhere. 6/8 only. If those are fixed or better executed it may have gotten a higher score.