Jeff Jarvis
I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Carsen Taite is outstanding as a writer and working in real-life law situations. Practice Makes Perfect is another winner in this category. Instead of giving a rundown of the story, which you can read in the description of the book, I prefer to focus on the aspects of the book that I enjoyed and what made the book special.
Taite does an excellent job in character development between the 2 main characters, Wynne and Campbell. I could easily picture both women in my head and how they would react to certain situations. Campbell has all of the confidence in the world, being out on her own and forming a new law firm with two of her friends. Wynne is miserable in her position with her firm, but feels like that is the only way she can get ahead.
The sparks fly between Wynne and Campbell as they have to work together on a case while at the same time competing for future business. Campbell shows that she is on top of her game and that her new company should get the future business of their joint client until Wynne's boss finds out about the 2 lawyers getting close with each other. He pulls an underhanded trick to steal the business away and at the same time driving a wedge between the two lovers.
The ending is somewhat predictable, but sweet as well. It is a happily ever after. This is definitely an enjoyable read and well worth picking up and enjoying.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. This is the first book by Anna Stone that I have read, but it will not be the last. I was interested in the book originally due to the writeup and the cover image. I love interracial stories, so this immediately caught my interest.
The characters in the novel are well developed which the story going back and forth between present day and 10 years earlier when the couple first were student/teacher in a ballet academy. This back and forth allowed for the story to unfold in a unique way instead of a linear fashion. I enjoyed getting the bits and pieces of their characters and history over time. The love story was well done, building lots of passion and desire before the two were finally able to come together.
I wish there had been more with the interracial aspect. It was only mentioned a few times that Zoe was black. I would have loved to have seen more description of her and those aspects of her, but this does not take away from the story in the least. This is an enjoyable story from start to finish and one I would highly recommend.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cupid's Bow is an adorable short story of two women who meet in a bar, who appear to dislike each other in their first few moments together, and then find themselves falling for one another. This is a great quick read that teases at sexual tension without ever getting there. It allows the reader's mind to wander after the story ends to what happens between the two. It is a nice read, especially leading up to Valentine's Day. Worth checking out.
The Road to Madison is a wonderful story of never-ending love, despite a homophobic father who is determined in life and in death to keep his daughter and only heir from being with another woman, someone she has loved almost her entire life. I loved the continual flashbacks to Madison's and Ana's childhoods where they first became friends and slowly fell in love before being pulled apart by Madison's father, George Prescott.
George is a true bastard for how he treats those who are not of his same class or beliefs. Even after his death, he knows his daughter will try to reconcile things with Ana and he still tries to keep them apart. What a scumbag! He is one of the most hated characters I have read in all of the lesfic stories I have read.
In the end, this story is an amazing story of love that has never ended, despite all of the hatred that has kept them apart. It is a story that I didn't want to put down and kept me wanting the two women to get together all the way to the end. It is a definite must-read for any lesfic fan.
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for this unbiased review.
Kris Bryant knocks it out of the park with her latest work, Falling. Shaylie Beck is one of only 11 people who survive a plane crash. During one of the information sessions after the crash, Shaylie meets Piper Cole, a yoga instructor whose fiancee and best friend both died in the crash. The story covers how these two women become friends and much more.
I loved the character development in the book and the difficult feelings that were involved. I can't imagine what something like surviving a plane crash would be like or how I would react to others who lost loved ones while I was still alive. This story kicks things up a notch by introducing attraction and love into that mix of emotions. The sex scenes are HOT and are definitely worth reading for.
It is a very enjoyable read that I am sure I will come back to. I look forward to an audiobook version, hopefully in the near future.
Gotta Catch Her is a sweet read about two women, Rachael and Ann, who meet each other while playing a multi-player phone game. It is all taken from Ann's perspective, which gives good insights into what she is thinking as their relationship builds. Rachael is a bisexual single mom who is overstressed with work and all of the responsibilities that go with raising a first grader. Ann has little experience with parenting and it is interesting to see her perspective as dates are cut short and schedules have to be rearranged to accommodate the single mom. Many times, she feels left out and not a part of Rachael's life, despite wanting to be and trying her best.
The book also weaves in Ann's work and the pressures that are going on there and how she develops confidence that is needed by the end of the book for the relationship to grow.
I found the characters to be well written and situations to be very realistic. While it was a fairly short read, the characters are developed well over the course of the story. There is a very hot scene in the book that was very well written and left me smiling afterward.
If you are looking for a sweet story of two people trying to overcome the obstacles of life to get together, this will be an enjoyable read for you.
I was provided with an ARC of Gotta Catch Her for free from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of Pretending in Paradise from NetGalley in exchange for this unbiased review. This is my first time reading a novel from M. Ullrich, but it definitely will not be the last. Her writing style is fantastic and in this book, she kept me engaged the entire time I was reading.
Pretending in Paradise is a fake romance to a real romance novel. Emma is a writer for a travel website who likes to have a little extracurricular activity on her trips. This gets her in trouble as one of her “activity participants” sues the company after Emma writes a bad review of the property. In comes Caroline, a PR rep that has been recently hired to take care of the issue. Emma looks to be suspended for 2 weeks without pay when she gets a tip about a new couples only resort that is opening in Miami that she can get an instant scoop on. Her boss agrees to her taking the trip, but Caroline must go with her to supervise and make sure that she doesn't get into trouble. Since the resort is couples only, Emma and Caroline must pretend to be a dating couple for the next 10 days.
Without giving anything else away, the pacing of this novel is perfect. It is a very slow build as the two go from enemies to civil friends to more in the span of just over a week. I loved the way Ullrich allowed little pieces of each character's pasts to be brought out through their different activities. The sexual tension increases over time and the end result of the build is amazing! The emotions that are built for these characters had me in tears a couple of times, including the last chapter.
This is such a well-rounded romance novel and I am sure I will be reading it again in the near future. I hope an audiobook version will be coming as well. The story is one that I could easily see made into an excellent romcom movie. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good romance. It is a very special read.
What Happens When is an enjoyable coming of age book about a high school senior, Molly, who kisses a girl over the summer and finds that she is a lesbian. As she returns to school, she deals with the struggle of being gay and how she handles it with others in the school. One of her friends turns on her and bullies her, telling her that her lifestyle is against God. The girl that Molly kissed, Lily, begins going to the same school as Molly because of the problems she had being gay at her past school. While it seems like an easy match for the two girls to be a couple, Molly isn't ready to be seen with a girlfriend at school. Instead, Molly finds another girl that is out of school, Zita, who she feels a connection to. The problem is, Zita is straight and has a boyfriend.
I liked that the author told the story in the first person perspective of Molly, allowing the reader to get a full idea of the thoughts of the character. I enjoyed the build-up to the Molly/Zita relationship, but I also found it a bit shallow. Molly seems to never be willing to talk to Zita about anything more than wanting her to dump her boyfriend and get together with her. It left me wanting more. Toward the end of the book, things drag a bit and it seems the story could have been sped up to get to the ultimate conclusion.
Overall it was an enjoyable story and for younger readers it will be a good read.
I received this ARC for free fro NetGalley in exchange for an unbias review.
I absolutely love Girl Talk. It is a sexual fantasy story for me, one that I wish could happen. The characters are well developed and the sex talk and scenes are just off the charts hot. I loved the questioning that the supposedly straight character got from this mysterious caller. Was she gay? Why was she getting so attracted to this mysterious woman caller? I would highly recommend this to any lover of FF/bisexual romance stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I've read or listened to nearly everything that Georgia Beers has written. There are plenty of good stories out there from her, but by this story by far touched me in a way that her others haven't. I love stories that are nostalgic and have roots in our years as high schoolers. This story teases bits and pieces as the characters flashback now and again allowing you to see them when they were in high school, how one of the main character, Izzy (Bella) is treated as she is questioning her sexuality growing up and how she was teased and bullied by a group that included the girl that she fantasized about, Easton.
The two women meet as adults, only Easton does not recognize Bella, but Bella sure recognizes Easton. Her roughest days as a kid were spent trying to get away from her and her bullying friends. She decides not to tell Easton who she is and the two gradually draw closer to each other.
The story setup is so great. By the end, I was literally tearing up as I read the last few pages. Beers has artfully woven a beautiful story of redemption and love that I will certainly come back to many times.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a beautiful love story that shows the power of forgiveness.
I was provided an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbias review.
This is the first book from Julie Cannon I have read and I found that I really like her style. Her character development in this book between Lowe and Faith is wonderful, with the story bouncing back and forth from each character's point of view. The overall story was well done and I enjoyed the couple dealing with their feelings and the tension building until they were finally together.
One minor gripe is the constant complaining about Lowe's parents, how they are so snooty and above everyone else. It seemed that the beginning few chapters hammered this home again and again and again until it became tiresome. I also wanted more out of the ending of the story. It was an abrupt ending. I don't know if there will be a follow-up novel, but it would be good to know where there go with the couple, how they were able to work things out and spend forever together. It left me wanting more at the end.
3.5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbias review.
Emily's Art and Soul is an enjoyable story about a 35-year-old woman who is just coming out of a divorce where she wondered why she was in the relationship in the first place. Her mother has recently died and she is now in charge of taking care of her sister who has Down's Syndrome. Her life has been turned upside down. This is when she meets Andi, a fellow teacher, and becomes friends with her. Over time, Emily begins to realize that she has been hiding who she really is, that she is gay. After playing the field and experiencing some lesbian encounters, she can no longer hide her feelings for Andi and their relationship takes off.
I found for the most part that the story was enjoyable. There were times in the book where I felt the story was too formulaic. The pacing of the story was varied throughout, with some parts being covered almost moment by moment and others were covered at breakneck speed. The last few chapters seemed much too fast, almost like the author was trying to come up with a way to end the book as fast as possible. The interaction with Emily telling her father she was gay, him blowing up at her, the whole fiasco that creates with Andi and then 2 days later her father is ok with her being gay seemed very unrealistic and is part of the pacing issues the book has.
Overall the story is good and I enjoyed the character development between Emily and Andi. It just didn't flow as well as I would have liked and the ending chapters just seemed to fly by way too quickly. It is a good quick read, but not ones of my favorites.
Four letters...O-M-F-G! I know this type of book is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but for me...give me another cup, please! All of the main “story” in Thirteen Hours occurs in the first half of the book as the two main characters, Laurel and Dana, get stuck in an elevator and have to spend hours together until they are rescued the next morning. In those 13 hours, the two go from disliking each other, to becoming friends, to becoming lovers. After they make it out the elevator, the remainder of the book is erotica, pure and simple (not that there is anything wrong with that at all!). The relationship the two have after that point is filled with hot fantasy after hot fantasy that I found very enjoyable to read. I am glad that not every lesfic novel is like this, but it is certainly a nice change of pace. It is not the soft romance type of novel, so if that is what you are looking for, either just read the first half of the book or don't read it at all. If you want some steamy F-F sex, this is a must-read.
I loved this story! It is a story of the power of love between two people that can survive over many years and different social classes. Madison Lansford is from an upper-class family where image, name, and status are what life is all about. Shannon Fletcher is the maid/cook's daughter and is seen by the Lansford's as lower class and should be avoided. But Madison and Shannon meet at the age of 10 and become friends. Over time, their feelings develop and they fall in love with each other. Shannon knows she is gay, but for Madison, it isn't that simple. Landsford's aren't gay and Madison's mother has her life planned, which includes dating and getting married to another upper class man and having a family. Years go by, but the love Madison and Shannon have is still there.
The storytelling is fabulous and Gerri Hill develops the characters so well. She made me feel for these two who should be together. It is a roller coaster ride of emotions, but well worth the trip. If you are looking for a touching story, this is definitely one to read.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am not usually a fan of police novels, but this one may make me change my opinion. The characters were very realistic and were developed well. The attraction and love story were delicious to read and the ending was very satisfying. I am hoping this will be made into an audiobook because the story would be great to listen to and hear it come to life.
I received this book for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I very much enjoyed the overall story in “All of Me”. I loved the main characters, Rowan and Galan, and the development of their relationship.
One thing I was a bit disappointed in was the pacing. The first half of the book seemed like the story was building up to the couple being together, but possibly having to deal with Galan's father and repercussions of having a boss/employee relationship. After Galan tells her dad that she is in love with Rowan and that was just how it was going to be, her dad never appears again in the book and that part of the story never comes up again. It made me wonder why so much time was spent building that up with no satisfying conclusion.
The story at that point takes a 90 degree turn into dealing with Rowan's boyfriend that she had taken a break from until she dealt with her attraction to Galan. It seemed disjointed like there were 2 stories being told, but neither completely coming through. The engagement between Rowan and Brian seemed very forced, way too fast, and wasn't very believable.
Overall I enjoyed the story. Maybe a follow-up covering the relationship after getting back together, the tension between Galan and her father, and what happened to Brian after getting dumped would help round things out.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The cover of the book was what drew me to it initially. I am a fan of BWWM stories and the description of the storyline was intriguing. While the story as a whole was predictable and everything was wrapped up in a nice neat package, the main point I wondered about what how the impending conflict was going to be handled. How was Alex going to react when he found out that Gemma had killed his wife? It left me wondering what I would do if I was in this situation. Would I be able to fight the hurt and anger and be able to forgive?
There were segments of the book that were a touch long and the pace could have been picked up to keep the story flowing. That said, overall, I enjoyed the book. I would love to hear an audiobook version of the story where the story could come to life more.
I was provided an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I had my preconceived notions on what this story might be like before beginning the book, but I was pleasantly surprised I was wrong. In the story, Dora, a young Brazillian woman who had been in school in Toronto, finds herself in danger of being kicked out of the country due to her visa expiring after she graduated. A friend of hers comes up with an idea for her to stay in the country. All she has to do is marry a friend of hers, Abby, live with her for 2 years and she is home free.
I expected that the two would start their fake relationship and would learn that they had feelings for each other that would lead to them getting married for real. But in this story, that doesn't fully happen. The two seem very uneasy with each other once they start going down the path of having a fake relationship. It felt like neither woman was fully into the relationship, which I found a little unrealistic. I would have thought that Dora would put more into the relationship since her status in the country was at stake. Maybe she had more of a moral issue with lying about their relationship, which I have to give her credit for.
For a short novella, I found it to be a charming and sweet story. It left me wanting more from Dora and Abby, maybe either another novella or a full-length story of their actual relationship. I would love to read more about how their fake relationship may have an effect on their real relationship, especially with Abby's family. I am hopeful that a follow-up story will come.
I am a big Georgia Beers fan and always love her stories and character development. Calendar Girl did not disappoint as the characters were well done and the overall story was good. Despite all of the good in the story, there were some irritating points for me. Maybe I will have to listen to it again to get a different feel for aspects of the story. The passion between the two main characters is evident from the very beginning of the story. The sticking point I have is with Addison Fairchild's mother and the “sexual harassment” policy that makes it impossible for two people that are dating in the workplace to continue working there. It causes Addison Fairchild and Katie Cooper to fight their feelings and causes a lot of angst that shouldn't be there. Fairchild's mother is a character that I grew to hate in the story, a mother that groomed her kids to work as hard as they can and then penalizes one of them for doing her best. That one character took a lot away from the story for me.
Overall, you can't go wrong with a story from Beers. Calendar Girl was good, but the way the story ended left me wanting more.
I really enjoyed this book because of all of the dynamics that were going on in it. There is one couple that has the ideal marriage and is hosting their friends for a week at their home after Christmas. There is one couple that has grown apart and is dealing with those issues. There are two individuals that have been through bad breakups, both involving cheating. And there is a niece of one of the ladies in the ideal couple that is young, has had lots of sex, but not a real loving relationship before. The week long visit is filled with lots of bonding, conflicts and resolutions. The character development through the novel was great and Beers made me very interested in the lives of each of them. Fresh Tracks is one I will come back to in the future because of all of the interwoven stories. It was a fun read and one I would recommend.
This is a wonderfully romantic love story that takes place around Christmas. It is atypically for me to start a book and not be able to put it down, but that was the case with this one. I read it in less than a day and felt so good reading it the whole time. It is definitely worth reading if you are looking for a good FF love story.
Another enjoyable Georgia Beer's story. While the storyline was predictable, that did not make it any less enjoyable to read. I enjoyed the character development between the “straight” Jennifer and the lesbian Alex. Their friendship developed in a very natural way. The only thing I was unsure of was how the two would finally get together and what the end result would be. Beers always provides a good happy ending, even if it doesn't tie everything into a pretty bow. That is the case in this story, which provides a happy ending with the lingering issues with family and friends due to decisions that were made. Very true to life, which is always enjoyable in a Beers book. Highly recommended.
Blend is another home run for Georgia Beers. I am absolutely addicted to her writing style, the way she develops characters, and the pace of her stories. The raw passion between the two main characters when they first kiss is electric and their first lovemaking session is so satisfying to read about. It has an HEA ending, which Beers is always very good at providing in her works. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun, steamy read.
This was a little atypical from the FF romances I have been reading and listening to lately. When I first started reading I actually stopped for a bit because it just wasn't what I was looking for at the time. It seemed like it was going to be a darker book than I was interested in. But I am so glad that I went back to it. While it is a dark story with the main characters dealing with the loss of loved ones, it was also about dealing with the sadness and learning to move on with life and learning to live again. The characters were well developed and the story very realistic, which is always a plus for me.
I do encourage readers to make sure to read the end part that Eliza Andrews includes about this being her first book writing and developing strong butch FF characters. I applaud her for this and I found it interesting to think about just how Amazon and Audible have changed things for not only FF stories, but for romance stories in general. We are now in a period of time where every kind of romance can be found online and we can all enjoy stories that touch us and excite us when authors take that chance to write for a waiting audience.