Review: Crown of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody

Crown of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and BookSirens.  This is my honest review. 

Gah, I love this world so, and these characters even more.  I can't even tell you the anticipation and the intensity I was feeling when Elora and Brannick were able to touch for the first time.  I was exploding inside!  This is not your typical romance full of sexy scenes, but rather a love that will last a fae lifetime because the angst and agony of waiting is slowly torturing everyone!

This book showed a different side to  Elora that I am not used to - a fearful one.  She is still strong and brave and amazing, but now she has experience that haunts her, and I think she is growing into an amazing woman because of these experiences. 

That ending was intense and I am so glad I can dive into the next and final book.  I'm very intrigued to see how everything is going to get fixed and wrapped up!

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Review: Dragon of Fairfrost by Kay L. Moody

Dragon of Fairfrost by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved getting another look at Fairfrost during this very, very short novella.  Since a lot of things are about to go down with Queen Alessandra, getting another look into this court was a great prelude. 

I have a feeling Tindra is going to have a really big role in the next two books of this series, and so will her love. 

I definitely recommend reading this between book 2 and 3 because I think it will help readers understand what will happen when we see these characters again. 

Also, love the dragons!

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Review: Castle of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody

Castle of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and BookSirens.  This is my honest review. 

THAT ENDING!!!  I CAN'T EVEN WITH THAT ENDING!!!  I am so so so glad I have the next book in the series and can dive right into it because that was one major cliffhanger to stop on!

Elora is fantastic.  She is more than a "mortal" in the world of Faerie, because she is learning how to survive in this world.  I honestly think she is smarter than some of the fae in that world because she knows how powerful her words are, along with her sword skill and her musical skills too.  She keeps the punches coming and many of the residents in Faerie just can't comprehend how awesome she is.  And her heart is so pure and selfless.  She is always helping everyone to the best of her ability, and she just has so much to give.  I see great things happening to her by the end of this series. 

Brannick is still hard to read, but I can't help but fall for him.  I'm hoping soon he will confess all of his love and his true feelings and thoughts to Elora because that girl needs some unconditional love in her life after the hardships she's been through recently.  I do feel for him being stuck with Alessandra, but if I've learned anything, Elora is out to make everything right in the world of Faerie, so I'm sure she will figure that out by the end of this series. 

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this storyline and I cannot wait to read the next books in the series!

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Review: Court of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody

Court of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and BookSirens.  This is my honest review. 

It's been so long since I've read a story about Faerie's so I was a bit scared I wouldn't get into the storyline, but I shouldn't have worried because Kay L. Moody did a fantastic job explaining the world and creating great characters who I grew attached to instantly.  

Elora is pretty badass, I'm not going to lie.  I love that she is really talented in sword skills and she is not afraid of much, it seems anyway.  When she is backed up into a corner, she doesn't shy away but instead finds a different way to save herself and get out of her situation.  And for the female lead character to be more dominate in a skill than the male lead character is, and for him to "ask" her to help him, was really different and wonderful for me!

I love seeing Elora's reaction to the Faerie world and all of the wonders it contains.  

Brannick is a hard character to be compassionate toward, but you do start to warm up with him the more we read about him.  It would be wonderful to get inside of his head and see what exactly he is thinking about, because he is really good at hiding his thoughts and reactions most of the time. 

And Blaz.  I really love Blaz.  He might be my favorite, surprisingly haha.

I'm really excited to see what other adventures these two are about to dive into, and how they can change Brannick's fate.  Because if I've figured out one thing, Elora is really good and dodging and weaving her way through sticky situations!

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Review: Heir of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody

Heir of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can already tell you I'm glad I read this book before book 1 because I loved seeing Elora in action saving the Prince.  She is brave and skillful and she doesn't back down from a challenge.  I'm very intrigued to see how things will progress in book 1 and what more adventures Elora will find herself in!

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Review: Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan

Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review. 

I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel! I've never heard of The Lady Or The Tiger before, so I didn't have any expectations going into this book. But I loved the fight that Kateri had throughout this entire story, and I loved that she didn't give up, nor really made any complaints. I know a lot of that has to do with her training since she was a child, but that just shows how determined she is to get the results she needs. 

I cannot imagine being in a desert with heat and sand and no water for miles. I like warm weather, but that would be too much for me. To see people potentially surviving in that kind of environment is mind boggling and crazy to me. 

Cion is a wonderful character. He is an amazing leader and is really brave for doing what he is doing. Seeing him take care of so many people at such a young age really shows the true meaning of being a leader.

This was a very quick read for me, which also surprised me, really. I think many readers will empty this story and really root for the characters.  

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Review: Cry Havoc by Ashley Gee

Cry Havoc by Ashley Gee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and BookSirens. This is my honest review. 

This was a good ending to this series. Gigi has been stuck in the middle of some pretty messed up crap and this book dives into that history. I still adore Drake. Olivia is just odd and I don't really like her to be honest. A lot of secrets and despicable things in this series. 

Overall I enjoyed this series and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. 

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Review: Unrivaled by Jerica MacMillan

Unrivaled by Jerica MacMillan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and Grey's Promotions. This is my honest review. 

This is my first book by Jerica MacMillan, and even though 70% of the reason I signed up for it was because the authors name was crazy similar to mine, I honestly really liked this story! Tiffany is really brave and very protective of Ben and Gray is so sweet and amazing. These two stole my heart through this novel and I loved how mature and amazing they are. 

Gray really surprised me when he found out about Ben and I loved seeing his interactions with him. I also loved how he respected Tiffany's importance in Ben's life and never tried to overstep. 

I also liked the connection Gray and Tiffany have and how they explored that while still being honest with each other through the whole process. 

I'm really glad I decided to read this book and I have a feeling I'll be reading more by this author! 

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Review: Brave Love by A.M. Kusi

Brave Love by A.M. Kusi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author.  This is my honest review. 

I am ever so glad I was introduced to A.M. Kusi's novels, because each one touches my heart one way or another.  Each one has their own memorable message they send to readers all over the world, and I'm so glad these messages are being expressed in their books. 

I love Pippa.  She is amazing and sweet and UNDERSTANDING.  She doesn't judge, she is always helpful, and she goes out of her way to make other people happy.  If only we had more people like Pippa in the world, we would be in a better environment of acceptance and happiness.  I can't imagine the life that Pippa has gone through.  I want to hug her and keep her destressed forever so she won't go through that turmoil.  I'm glad she has Lady to help her, though. 

Mason.  I've loved seeing this burly, grumpy guy throughout most of the novels in this series, so seeing him fall hard was so sweet.  But he's a bit of a challenge, and he definitely showed that throughout this novel.  I get his issues, but I also think that he didn't treat Pippa the way she deserved.  He doesn't listen, especially when Pippa was trying to explain what happened.  I love that he adores his daughter and would do anything for her - that's the way it needs to be.  I just think he could have done things a lot differently so he wouldn't have hurt Pippa. 

This book introduces so many characters that are lovable and I want to hug them all for their bravery and their independence and their will to live their life to the fullest.  I'm so glad we are going to dive more into that viewpoint, a bit, in the next book, though I'm extremely sad that it will be the last in this series!

I think everyone should read this book, this series, because I'm pretty sure everyone would fall in love with the characters and their stories.  I'm so glad I got the chance to read this novel and I can't wait to see the next amazing story!

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Review: Always Be My Forever by Alexis Winter

Always Be My Forever by Alexis Winter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review. 

Best-friends-to-lovers... It's always so dramatic and tense throughout the whole storyline. I really liked Remi and August, but I seriously wanted to strangle them about 80% of the time. I need them to talk to each other. You would think that's a thing with them being best friends and all, but it was really hard for them. 

There were some sweet moments and some steamy moments, so I enjoyed the whole aspect of the book, but the lack of communication really got to me this time. 

I think many readers will enjoy this novel and I'm very excited for more by this author! 

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Review: Mad World by Hannah McBride

Mad World by Hannah McBride
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author.  This is my honest review. 

Wowzas!  I am insanely in love with this book!!  From the very beginning, I loved Maddie and I loved this story.  It's not your normal storyline with twins split at birth, and I feel that Maddie did a fantastic job rolling with the punches and surviving in a crazy, messed up world she willingly walked into.  Honestly, even though her life was pretty crappy, she was ALMOST free, and I don't think I would have deviated my plans for a chance to be in a rich lifestyle.  Because I know the rich lifestyle is never how it looks, and that kind of pressure would have intimidated the heck out of me. 

I am glad she was able to find some people to be friends with, but boy, Maddie is one trusting girl.  With her history and her past, you think her guard would be up at all times.  But I think the glam and glory of the new possibilities got to her and let her defenses down a bit.  I'll give my girl the benefit of the doubt.  

And Ryan.  Boy, do I have mixed feelings about him.  Yes, he's smoldering, he's intense, he's powerful.  But he jumps to conclusions, won't listen worth a darn, and it's his way or the high way.  He can destroy someone with a single look (not really, but pretty close to accurate, I'd say) and having that kind of control can really mess with a person.  I think Maddie is perfect for him, but he let's society determine his actions, and as a person in power, you can't let that happen.  So the ending was really gut wrenching for me to watch, seeing traps set and ensnare characters.  

This book is a pretty hefty book - but you honestly fly through the pages and are done so quickly, you will be left wanting more and more.  I cannot wait for the next book in the series, and I know this is going to be a book, a series, I'm going to want to re-read over and over again to feel all of the emotions that oozed out of these pages!  I love it so much!

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Review: A Prime's Passion by Shiloh Walker

A Prime's Passion by Shiloh Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review. 

What a great story! I was instantly sucked into the story from page one and I really never stopped until I finished the book. I love this new world full of different beings and how they are able (or not able, depending on who you ask) to change things to adapt to everyone. 

My favorite part though? Zinnia. She is ridiculously strong and determined and she is a fighter. She's also crazy powerful when she stops hiding and I love seeing her put multiple people in their place when they overstep their grounds.

I also loved that the second Niko found out the truth about Zennia, he was in route to fix his mistake. And that he, a Prime, was willing to admit he made a mistake and apologize, many times, to make it right. Though it was 10 years too late, but it's the thought that counts, right? 

Many readers are going to fall in love with this story and these characters! I'm glad I got the chance to read this novel. 

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Review: Bentley by Hattie Jude

Bentley by Hattie Jude
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author.  This is my honest review. 

So much angst and want in this book!  I really liked Quinn, even though I think she is a bit naive.  I also think that's to blame a little bit on how much  Bentley treated her throughout the years, and also that she is finally growing into her skin during her senior year of college.  But her reactions to men hitting on her is so innocent because she's never been in that situation before.  I do think she needs to trust her instinct and when she's getting a bad vibe from someone, she needs to nix that right away.  Her parents have been in the politics world too long and she's learned too much on how to be polite, even when she shouldn't be. 

Bentley.  Bentley.  I really think he is bipolar most times because the amount of whiplash he creates is way too much.  He's hot, cold, indifferent, turning on the charm.  I honestly, if I were Quinn, would have run away from all of that.  I don't care how attractive he may be, nothing in my mind is worth that turmoil of dealing with his emotions and actions.  And for him to blame Quinn for something she didn't do?  That she had no knowledge of?  I mean, that's his own fault, but I do feel sorry for Quinn being his target. 

I'm very intrigued for book 2 and what will happen now that some information, some truth, has been revealed.  I really hope that Quinn gives Bentley a run for his money because a lot of groveling is going to be needed for me not to completely lose all hope for that girl.  

I'm glad I got the chance to read this book!

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Review: Faking It with #41 by Piper Rayne

Faking It with #41 by Piper Rayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and Wildfire Marketing Solutions. This is my honest review. 

Oh Ford. We've seen your shenanigans since the beginning, so I was excited it was finally Ford's turn. And I am pleasantly surprised at how mature he became! Being a father looks GOOD on him and it really made him decide on what was important in his life. 

The banter and tension between Ford and Lena had always been on fire and it just escalated times 100 in this novel. I was taken aback at Lena's past and the way she grew up. She is a fighter and it makes sense how she is such a great PR.

I'm really glad I got the chance to read this book and I'm looking forward to more in this series, and by this author!

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Review: The Lies We Steal by Monty Jay

The Lies We Steal by Monty Jay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and Wildfire Marketing Solutions.  This is my honest review.

I adored this book!  Which may say something about me since it was a dark, twisted story, but I was absorbed throughout the entire story and basically read it in one sitting. 

Monty Jay did a fantastic job describing the shadows and the dark intent around the four boys: Alistair, Silas, Thatcher, and Rook.  I felt like I was there, witnessing everything when Briar commented on their aura and how they oozed ominous thoughts and intents.  But tell me why I fell in love with all 4 of them?!

Being able to get inside Alistair's mind was honestly the best part about this novel.  I think if this was just in Briar's point of view, I may not have loved Ali as much as I did because his actions would have been quite crazy.  I mean, he's still a bit crazy, but being able to get the backstory of why he is the way he is really helps the reader be able to understand the logic behind his choices. 

Briar is a fighter.  I appreciate that she was scared at first, because I believe any human would have been afraid, but then to see her start to fight back and really embrace her own dark part to stand up to Alistair was wonderful.  And I love her determination to do and be better than her past - to make her future something worth wild. 

I have ready Monty's other series -  her hockey series - and this novel is so different from that!  I didn't know what I was expecting, but this novel really rose high on my "loved" list of books I've read this year and now I must have all of the boys's stories.  The possibility of Thatcher's story (not sure if it's going to happen, so I'm not saying with who) would be mind boggling considering how their lives are intertwined from the past events.  And now Rook's story will be very intriguing after that ending.  Silas is still an unknown, but I know when his story comes around it will be breathtaking.  

I'm so glad I discovered this author and this series and I definitely recommend you read it!

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Review: The Setup and The Substitute by Jiffy Kate

The Setup and The Substitute by Jiffy Kate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and Wildfire Marketing Solutions. This is my honest review. 

This was a cute novel. I adored the connection between Sophie and Molly and Ryan. You can tell how much Sophie adores those two kids and how protective she is immediately after being with them for a small period of time. 

I also loved how open and honest Sophie is. She is not shy and she will say it how it is, and I appreciate that outlook in life. 

Owen, for the most part, was a good character. I didn't like how he distanced himself when things were getting chaotic and wouldn't just talk, but that was pretty much my only complaint about him. 

I'm glad I got the chance to read this novel! 

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Review: A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author.  This is my honest review. 

I. Love. This. Book!!  

Honestly, I may even say that I loved it more than the From Blood and Ash series.  And only because Sera is such warrior and she is so intense.  Don't get me wrong, I love Poppy, but Sera is just on another level of amazingness. 

Nyktos is on another level as well, and boy, when he gets angry?  Anyone in his line of vision will be demolished, and I honestly loved those scenes so much.  He is so in control and exact in his decisions, but also very out of control and exploding with emotion.  And when he has his sole focus on Sera?  Let's just say that I really, really, really want to be Sera during those moments!!

The most heartbreaking moments in this novel was when Sera reflected on her life.  She is 20 years old, and has never really known love - real love - and that breaks my heart.  When she got a gift for the first time in her life, I was bawling like a baby because I would have given her so many gifts throughout her life.  And when she got her first hug?  I'm serious, I felt so gutted and so much sorrow for her.  It makes me livid toward her mother, who treated her so wrong, and I may have sent many terrible scenarios her way throughout this book.  I still do, actually. 

This entire book makes you run through so many emotions, and it really has everything one will need to be satisfied.  I can't even express how shell-shocked I feel about this masterpiece, but I will say that it is a must read novel!

And the amount of information overload we get is insane!  Usually I gobble up a JLA novel in a day, but with this book, I really took my time and just got immersed into the story and the details we receive about the characters, the world, and the setting.  And already I want to dive back in and start again because I am missing everything so much (and it's only been 20 minutes since I started this review!). 

I have decided that Jennifer L. Armentrout is a goddess who graciously shares her amazing brain and visions to us mere mortals and shares her outstanding stories.  I have read all of her books, 60+, multiple times, and I'm always left stunned and amazed at her effortless stories she creates.  Many readers have gotten hooked, and will continue to get hooked, on her stories and I'm ever so glad I have been reading her novels for the past 9 years!

I'm very intrigued to see what the next novel will bring, and what our favorite characters will do with the new knowledge they received in the last chapter.  I know it's going to be fantastic, no matter what happens, and, as always, I'm now just going to wait patiently for the next masterpiece from this outstanding author :)

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Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review. 

I am pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this novel! I've been having not such good luck with YA fantasy novels lately, so I wasn't too hopefully, but I actually really liked this story! 

I loved the divs, for the most part. Yeah, kinda odd, but they really fascinated me. And I was really hoping Soraya would go crazy evil, to be honest. Seeing her revel in the power and realizing she was powerful for the first time in her life was wonderful. 

She was always shunned and hidden her whole life and because of that, I really despise her mother. She should have told Soraya the truth, not a stupid made up story to keep her happy. Because of her mother's lies, Soraya made decisions that had terrible things happen. I know I would have done EXACTLY the same thing if I were in her shoes. 

I will definitely recommend this novel to readers and I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this novel! 

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Review: Facing Us by Nicci Harris

Facing Us: A Contemporary Dark Romance by Nicci Harris
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review. 

This book was really different. I actually liked it for the most part, but because Blesk was raped and the reader got a descriptive, detailed telling of it, I can't rate it any higher. I can't handle those scenes and usually wouldn't read a book with that in it, but I had no forewarning for this book. So for anyone who can't stomach those scenes, this is your forewarning. 

Blesk and Konnor went through a despicable time as kids, so I am not surprised that they are a bit messed up as adults. I think Blesk needs to go to therapy, like asap. 

Overall, this was an okay novel with a lot of disturbing events that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

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Review: Talisman by Tam Derudder Jackson

Talisman (The Talisman, #1). by Tam Derudder Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review. 

This was a pretty good story. I loved the beginning and the end was good. The middle was a bit long and slow but it has the content dump to get caught up on what was happening. I liked the attraction between Rowan and Alyssa but also thought it went way too fast for virtually strangers just meeting. 

I'm glad I got the chance to read this book! 

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Review: Hold Me Down by Jackie Ashenden

Hold Me Down by Jackie Ashenden
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review. 

From the beginning, I had a disconnect with this story and with the characters. I stuck it out for awhile but I just want feeling it overall. Ally and Blue dived right into a sexual interaction without any warning and even then I felt like they were disconnected. Overall it was okay and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. 

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Review: The Orchard Inn Romance Series Boxset by A.M. Kusi

The Orchard Inn Romance Series Boxset by A.M. Kusi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved having this boxset and diving into the whole series uninterrupted! And I 100% binged this series and was able to absorb everything. If you are looking for feel good, amazing stories, I definitely recommend picking up this box set and then the free novella on the authors website to dive right in! 

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Review: Here to Stay by A.M. Kusi

Here to Stay by A.M. Kusi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great second chance novel of Liam and Natasha's story. I loved Carter and how smart he is, and I loved how determined Liam was to get his family back. This was a great series and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it! 

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Review: Her Perfect Storm by A.M. Kusi

Her Perfect Storm by A.M. Kusi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review. 

Ethan and Isa's story was wonderful! I love both of these characters and I love that for the most part, they were truthful and honest with one another. 

There were a lot of major changes for both Isa and Ethan and I thought they adjusted really well, considering. Isa is amazing and the way she completely changed her lifestyle and her view of her future was fantastic to me! 

I'm really glad I finally got the chance to read this series and enjoy A.M. Kusi's other series. I've not been disappointed yet in the wonderful stories that have been created by this dynamic duo!

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Review: Conflict of Interest by A.M. Kusi

Conflict of Interest by A.M. Kusi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review. 

After meeting Harper and Jax in book 1, I was very excited that this was their story. I loved their first sexual interaction and wished it works have continued on, but of course, this is a best-friends-sibling romance so things didn't go according to plan. This is my hardest troupe to read because there are always so many lies and secrets. And sure enough, that's what happened in this book. 

Jax, to me, was a hard character to like. He let's everything, EVERYTHING, run his life and dictate what he can or cannot do. The way he treated Harper was really terrible. I'm surprised at how many chances she gave him because I wouldn't have been able to stomach it after the first time. 

I'm glad Harper stuck up for herself in the end, but she has a long road of rejection before making that choice. 

So while this wasn't my favorite book in the series, I am glad I got the chance to read it and I'm looking forward to the next one! 

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Review: The Orchard Inn by A.M. Kusi

The Orchard Inn by A.M. Kusi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review. 

I'm finally getting to this last series I need to read by A.M. Kusi and I thought book one was great! I love the small town feeling and the cozy inn that Ella has been perfecting. And I love the instant attraction between Ella and River.

Ella has had a pretty bad past and I love how patient River was with her at the beginning. I did think he had a bad knee jerk reaction when some secrets were revealed that he could have handled better, but overall this book was sweet and I'm very excited to continue the series! 

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Review: Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese

Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley.  This is my honest review. 

I loved the beginning of this novel, with all of the banter and sexual anger that Ryder and Willa had between each other.  I even loved them reluctantly having to spend time together for their class project.  What I didn't like so much was all of the secrets.  And the hypocrisy.  Neither one of them were getting deep enough with each other to really know the other person, yet they were complaining about the other one keeping secrets and not revealing their true lives.  You can't have it all, and yet they wanted the other to expose their deep secrets while keeping their own feelings safe and sound. 

It was enough to make me quite annoyed by the end of the novel, but I will say there were a lot of great moments in this novel to keep me going.  I adore Rooney and I loved seeing Ryder with his family.  Both characters have A LOT of stuff going on, so it was nice to see them overcome their own struggles, but to see them sabotage their relationship was frustrating to no end. 

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I'm glad I got the chance to read this novel.  Maybe I'll revisit the Bergman family and see about how Ryder's siblings find their own true love in the future. 

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