Worth the read! 3.5 stars
353673
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I liked parts of this story and disliked other parts. The main characters are TJ Stinson and Anna Granger. TJ must marry and have a child within a year according to the terms of the will that his grandfather set up. I liked Anna's character initially, but as the story went on, little things began to annoy me. She flip flopped her decision about TJ several times. At some point you need to make a decision and stick with it. I especially didn't like the situation between her and her father in her office. I don't want to give too much away, but I did not agree with the way that scene unfolded. Having known several victims of domestic violence, I don't believe they would have deliberately put themselves in harms way when help and safety was standing there with them. As for TJ, he was a very shallow person. Eventually, he did redeem himself somewhat, but many of Anna's problems were because of TJ - including forcing her hand to seek out her father. I did enjoy the plot and parts of the story, especially the beginning and the end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
2672089
Have to say I enjoyed the story and characters.  There are a number of really rough transitions that make it hard to follow what is or was going on. Overall, worth the read and am headed for book 2 now!
4341832
This was a good read it's probably more like a 3.5 star. I enjoyed the story but I wish there had been a bit more of a climax before the ending... It was an easy enjoyable read. Definitely good if you need something light with a good story and a bit of angst. I loved the character development here that was excellent. The romance was good but not typical which I liked. There was a good amount of steam and when there was it was hot! I think the POV could have been better in first person but it was ok in third and I liked that we got both Cole & Grace's POV. I will definitely continue with the series and read book 2.
85423
Overall, a good read. :-) I would give it a 3.5. I liked the overall story. As frustrating as it was not knowing what exactly was going on with Meridith, Blake, and Abby, it made me more intuned to how Meridith must have felt not know what was going on either. Usually in paranormal books, you have a good idea what the big paranormal aspect is, but it wasn't until halfway through this book, that you finally find out what they "are" (I don't want to give it away :-).  I thought that the story flowed very well, but it was a bit slow. I know, just like most first books in a series, there has to be a lot of time spent on character development and the background of the story, and I think that is what slowed down the pace of this book. Most of the questions that I had during the story were answered except for two, 1) Why was Abby crying at the graves at the beginning of the book? and 2) What happened to Charelotte/why was Meridith the only survivor in the car accident? One minor problem I had with this book, was the time frame. It wasn't completely clear how much time had passed from the beginning of the book to the end. It felt like only 2 or 3 weeks. I have a problem believing that Meridith could fall completely in love with Blake, and be so attached to the Harpers in such a short time period. Also, I wish that there was more of a cliffhanger at the end of the story. Everything was all wrapped up too nice and neatly for this to be a series. Again, overall a good book, and I can't wait to read the next books in this series to see what comes of Meridith, Blake, and Abby. :-)
2397046
3.5 stars. It took me awhile to really get into this story, and it took until about the last 3 chapters for me to actually care about any of the characters. The concept of this book was extremely interesting though! Even though it did take me awhile to get into the story it ended up being quite enjoyable in the end.
1355409
Rating 3.5 out of 5
I wish I could say that this book blew me away, but it didnt. It was an entertaining read and I enjoyed reading it, but it doesnt make my list of happy place books. Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. This book is someones happy place book. Its well written and the characters are likable. Its got some super hot sexy times and is definitely an erotic novel. There just wasn't enough of an original hook to grab me. And the editing was a little rough in some areas, but that may have been the ARC copy that we received in exchange for our raw review.
Seven is an interesting character. Her childhood was not the best and she experienced some pretty crappy treatment by those who should have protected and cared for her. Then her heart was crushed and she sets out to get her revenge while pursuing the life she has wanted and deserved since childhood. I thought she took her heartbreak a little too far, but the exs actions later in the book changed my mind. I really enjoyed Sevens inner monologues and funny quips at herself.
Her encounters and eventual relationship with Levi were sexy and they had good chemistry together. Their relationship moved at a decent pace until it went supersonic into their happily ever after with a clichd event. (Sorry, no spoilers.) The ending sort of felt rushed and a little out of nowhere. Im not sure where I thought this book was going, but I was caught off guard by the quick ending and wrap up. Seven went from being a hardened serious businesswoman to a love sick girl with her defenses crumbled a little too easily for me.
The next book will center on Sevens best friend, Star, and I was not a fan of her character, but Dawn Robertson is a good writer. I may need to read Finding Willow just so I can see how the author will redeem this character. The raw bottom line- Good writing, good characters, good book. Definitely, worth a read.
1018895
3.5 Stars

After absolutely loving Left Drowning, I decided to pick up Clear and give it a try.  It was definitely different!  This book has paranormal themes as well as romance, and addiction.  I loved reading about the love story and deep connection that the two characters shared and there were some steamy scenes in it (Hello Costa!).  The "death-tripping" part of the story was pretty cool to read about, but i found myself wishing they would've found out more about "how" and "why" this happens in order to understand it better.  It was cool to see how they beginning and end of the book all ties together.  Overall the story flows pretty well, but i do think the behavior of her mom could've been explained better also.

Recommend!!
1449359
Let me preface by saying that I was very torn on whether to rate this book at 3 or 4 stars. I chose 3 stars because I felt that in some parts of the book there was an over abundance of detail in the surroundings but lacked details with the characters. Also at one ponit the story seemed to take forever to move forward. I enjoyed this story and could not wait to read it from all the hype on Facebook. I think for a first time author this is a very interesting story line that could have used a few minor tweaks. I am excited to see what direction the series heads into!
1788889
**Originally Posted on Kiki's Kinky Picks**

A Fighting Chance by Miya Lee was a cute read about second chances. Its technically a standalone, but is part of her Wild Heart universe.

Im a fan of second chance romances. Theres something extremely gratifying about reading about couples who made mistakes or walked away in the past but get another opportunity to fall in love. Gives hope to the rest of us schmucks, ya know?

Greg and Jasper have been friends (well, theyve known each other) for something like twenty years. When Greg helped Jasper through a really tough time, they reconnected. I think. You see, things are a bit murky on how much time they spent together before the book began. Friends don't generally need to get each others numbers out of sympathy cards.

Which brings me to my biggest complaint with this book: it was disjointed in places. The pacing and the timeline were confusing to follow at times and this made it difficult for me to become invested in the characters or their relationship.

I liked both characters, especially Jasper with his need to fix things. But, there needed to be more building of them and their relationship.

For a debut book, though, Ill give her some leeway. In the future, I hope her critique partners or beta readers help her work on making her story flow a bit better.

While a bit clunky in parts, A Fighting Chance offers glimpses of Miya Lees talent. There are interesting secondary characters and some decent conflict. Ill be checking out more of her work in the future.

Copy provided in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4048634
Solid 3.5 read for me. This was a story of so much heartache, second changes and finding the right path, however, it does not end here. There is so much more to the story!

Happy reading!
1815361
I am going to go against the grain and state that this book should be read after reading the previous book(s). I didn't feel that it could properly be called a standalone. Well, for the most part, it is. Liz and Bryan's relationship does not need the previous books in order to make this book work. But there were a number of items that were talked about or referred to in the first chapter alone that left me a bit confused -- had I read the recommended, but "not necessary", prequel TROUBLED, I likely would have been fine.

It appears that this series is primarily told in Liz and Bryan's viewpoints (I'm taking a stab in the dark on Bryan); this particular book is told in Liz and Dani's -- Dani having the say in the prequel. It's not often that I read a book told in the first person by two female characters, let alone two characters that aren't vying for the affections of the other person telling the story.

That aside...

This was an enjoyable read. I didn't much care for Liz's distaste for Dani, though. While I very much understood her disgruntlement where Dani and her lack of 'get up and go' were concerned, I definitely felt that she disliked Bryan's cousin more than necessary, and that she was just putting up with her, giving her opportunities, because she was 'family' (that said, Dani and her pissy self in the beginning made me want to read her prequel, simply because I like reading about troubled teens and watching them bloom).

My dislike of Liz vs. Dani was at the beginning only, though. It was great to watch their relationship grow, from barely tolerating to a deep sort-of friendship/family-ship. It takes a some bumps and bruises, some fires and mystery, to do it, but Dani proves that she is more than just Bryan's annoying teen cousin who they were forced to take in for the winter holiday. Speaking of Bryan, Bryan and Liz were super cute together. I will have to find the time to read their story completely.

We also meet Miah, who I believe was a great person for Dani to connect with. I think he was pivotal in her changing.

Besides my little problems stated above, Adele Huxley has proven to me that she can write. I found her characters to be well-developed and her writing style was easy to follow, with just enough flair to keep everything exciting.
3509833
This was totally not what I was expecting.  Honestly, for quite a while I really disliked some of the main characters.  Thankfully, those issues resolved themselves.  It was a decent read and a solid 3 1/2 stars for me.  I would read more by this author.
4414029
3.5 Stars.  Minor spoilers************************************

This was a dark and unusual, but fairly well-written romance.  Because of the way it's written, I do hesitate to call it a romance, but there is a boy and a girl, attraction, conflict and a romance of sorts between them.

Molly is adopted and the only child of a well-respected college professor who died unexpectedly, but she's feeling relief rather than grief.  The funeral is over, but she's feeling overwhelmed by everything, including the houseful of people paying their condolences, who think her father was a wonderful man.  Her father's lawyer asks Molly to meet with him the next day to discuss the will.  There is a young man at the lawyer's office who she discovers was her father's biological son.  She also finds that her father has left her virtually penniless and left everything to the son, Ian, who he abandoned as a baby and Molly knew nothing about.  To keep Ian at a distance, Molly lets him believe (for way too long, IMO) that they are half-siblings, which disturbs him of course, because he's very attracted to Molly.

I enjoyed this story overall (I really liked Ian), however, the author left quite a few things unexplained and Molly wasn't a likable character.  She had mental issues, with frequent thoughts of suicide and was mean and rude to Ian throughout the book.  Although she was attracted to Ian, she missed no opportunity to vent her misplaced animosity towards him, which he did nothing to deserve.  I could understand Molly's angst based on her childhood, but even with that, she was way too prickly and didn't try hard enough to overcome her problems.  The book also ended rather abruptly (with a possible HFN).  Based on what I read, there is no way I could buy into a HEA for Molly and Ian.  Ian deserved a better heroine than Molly.

This is the third book I've read by Theresa Weir and her romances don't appear to follow any standard formula.  I absolutely loved Geek with the Cat Tattoo, but didn't care for Cool Shade and if I didn't know better I wouldn't think that any of these three were written by the same person.  I do enjoy Theresa Weir's writing overall, and will continue to read her work.
4782212
3.5 STARS

So, Lila pretty much got the shock of her life when her fianc called off their wedding the day of her final dress fitting. She ignored all the signs that they had been drifting and it came as a shock to her when he gave his honesty. So, she decided to finally follow her dreams and move to Chicago.

When we first meet Lila she is a bit of a broken mess, but I did admire her drive to start over in a new city to far away from home. She gained my respect when she went out and found herself a waitressing job on her first day in town in a crappy place because she needed a job. I liked that she made friends with the people around her and that she even allowed herself the opportunity to move on with her life after Derek. I like that she made the effort to better herself personally and professionally.

But...By the end of this book I think that I lost a bit of respect for her.

When she meets Pierce Stanley I was pretty sure that this guys should be the one that she focuses on, but nope. She falls for her friends moody and tortured brother. I hated that she fell for him so easily and so effortlessly. It made her lose a bit of herself and I lost that connection with her. The connection though really wasn't all that strong to begin with. I think her character could have been a bit more developed with out Blake's presence consuming so much of her. I felt like once they became what they did that she changed and not for the better. She allowed him to treat her like crap and it wasn't beneficial enough for my liking. I really like the way the end of this book was going but then it fell off for me.

I guess I am unsure about how I feel with this story and the characters. I guess Lila's story isn't one that I have fully connected with. It feels like she is too naive at times and too wrapped up in Blake, who in my opinion hasn't fully redeemed himself for me.

I am currently reading book two and I am liking the way it has started, but I'm not sure about where it appears to be leading.

To be continued with LOVE UNSPOKEN...
2808806
I have to begin by saying I debated with myself over whether or not to give this book 3 stars or 4 stars. I decided on 3 based on 5 stars being an A, 4 stars a B, and 3 stars a C. This book was good, but it was not great.

The imagery and story telling kept me interested and I finished the book in 2 days, which is typical for me. I knew early on in the story that Deidre and her husband would adopt Kenisha's kids and normally if I can guess the ending of a book I will stop reading. However, with this story although I knew where I'd end up I wanted to take the journey with the author and I am glad that I did. It was an interesting journey to a predictable ending.

(Spoiler alert)I also felt there were some areas in the book that were not explored enough and other areas that were emphasized too much. I felt cheated in not knowing what happened with Deidre's job or the child who's mother had broken his arm. I also never understood why Deidre's boss seemed to dislike her so much for no apparent reason. Those are two areas where I felt the author did not give enough information and it should have been explored more.

However, overall this was an enjoyable and touching story and I would recommend it to other readers.
4528966
((3.5 Stars))

Lady Jayne Disappears is a wonderfully written debut novel by the author, but had some issues.

When I started the both, I was instantly interested. It was a little hard to understand what was going on at first, but I understood about two chapters after beginning the story.

The main character is Aurelie. She was a very likeable character and I suppose I connected with her since I like to write as well. I certainly felt for her during most of the book. Her love interest, Silas, just wasn't my favorite. Im not sure why I feel this way exactly, but he just seemed a bit unrealistic for a male figure.

I loved the mystery throughout the whole book. Im very impressed with the way the author has written it. It kept me on the edge of my seat!

What I really disliked:

The romance. I wasn't bothered by Juliette when she was obsessed with guys in general, always mentioning them specifically Silas and Aurelie. Way too much. It mentioned desire and passion between them. I skipped over kissing parts. Certainly affected my rating.

The twists towards the end of the book. I wish things had been different Certain things revealed certainly disappointed me, affecting my rating as well.

I loved over half of the book, and it might have been a new favorite of mine, but the twists towards the end just ruined it for me.

Overall, 3.5 Stars.

Content warnings: Some deep mentions of romance: desires and passions, kisses, stroking hair, a female character is a bit obsessed with guys; mentions of death, Spoiler that might bug people: Aurelies mother was already married when she and Woolf (Aurelies father) met.. They later had an affair that resulted in Aurelie being born and Lady Jayne abandoning her right after birth.

I received this book from Revell through Interviews and Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

This review was written in my own words and opinions, and was posted on my blog Purely by Faith Reviews.
3817425
3.5 stars.  I really did enjoy this book.  I did feel the first half of the story progressed a little too slowly.  I went in to this book thinking this was going to be heavy on the BDSM but this really isn't what this story is about.  It's more about a guy who has dominate kinks and a girl who rejects all thoughts of that sort of life style.  It was a slow built type of romance.  It took so long to get to the romance stuff that I was starting to lose their chemistry.  Both characters were very likeable.  It was erotic and the dialogue was well written.  There were some part of the story I really enjoyed.  I loved that she was a strong and sassy h and never backed down to him.  It's definitely a book worth reading.  The story is sweet and sassy mixed with some erotic moments.