Melanie

I think I'm in love. This hit all the right spots in all the most perfect way. What seems like another stereotypical romance story was actually layered with characters that aren't perfect, that have flaws and depth. The overall pacing is incredible. I cannot wait to read the rest and to fingers crossed discover if I have a new fav author. 

This made me think of a few other things I read this year that I loved (Lucinda Dark, MJ Lawrie). This is just overall not as good as those two mentioned above : there are some issues with the pacing for once but it has the same elements that I enjoyed in those two previous stories : strong competent female lead, enigmatic dark male heroes, sort of almost medieval-like setting.

It's cute in a way only Olivia Hayle can do but it's also not her best work (even short). I expected a little more? More steam, more UST before resolving the UST. 

I am honestly disappointed by how many people have recommanded Sierra Cartwright to me and how much it's not sticking. 

Oh well, when you have nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all....

See book review.

This didn't really vibe with me, which is a real shame considering I absolutely loved the entire series. I like how gender pushing Roni Loren can be and that she writes a little about everyone. However, I had trouble connecting with any of these characters. The whole online universe was really interesting and a nice basis, but I find it didn't mesh so well with the “real world”.

Really enjoyed reading about Gideon and Samantha, really enjoyed reading their struggles to get to where they got. I don't often read about male submissives because it isn't really my preference but this was beautiful as it usually is with Roni Lauren. 

Not gonna lie but Pike's ‘Mama' did serious things to me. I know that's not a basis to rate something four stars but when I tell you that this is all that's stuck in my mind right now, then it means that everything else is good and I have no qualms with any part of this story. 

This was just a bundle of perfection wrapped up in a short story. I loved Hunter and Devon. Their story was so touching. Roni Loren, as always, has a writing that's impeccable. 

Loved reading about Tessa and Kade story. I was as invested by their past as I was by their future. It just gave some sort of “fate” twist to their relationship and I was just happy to finally have them happy. It warmed my cold heart.

 Copy/paste from my book 1 review : I was so pleasantly surprised by this find. I often think that most sci fi erotica novels have to be somewhat lame but this universe was interesting, detailed, the characters were endearing. This has some serious macho vibes but you know what, it kinda worked. So yes, be warned, the way this universe treats its female characters is appaling, the way the heroes often treat the heroine is somewhat appaling, this has dubious consent all over and the dirty mouth is almost too much at time BUT it still works.  

This didn't vibe with me the way the Beautifully Cruel series did. I'll still give the rest a chance, but it was too slow and the characters were too different for me to have it work. I couldn't get what they saw in each other. The banter was better in her other series.

Calliope Stewart is always a medium for me, not a hit or miss, just a medium, as in I know I'll enjoy it but I cannot go all the way to loving it. There's something very refreshing that I appreciate about her stories, some sort of candor or even innocence while being downright dirty at times that is amazing. However, I'm always missing something. I can't fault how she handles the relationships between her characters, it's almost soft spoken, quiet and it is a nice change from non stop drama. But then again, maybe a little drama drama is what her stories need...

This was my last Heatverse from this author. There are interesting ideas in her stories but her characters lack depth and their interactions feel very stilted. The monologues are weak. All in all, I'm just disappointed to invest any more time in these. 

This was grueling to get through. I only did because I enjoyed the first one despite its flaws and because I wanted to read the third one badly. All in all, I thought that everything that didn't work in the first didn't work in that one but adding to that, the characters weren't as endearing as in Heat Clinic so that was a big loss overall. 

I really wished I had liked this more but the universe felt strangely contradictory. Lots of consent on one hand, on the other hand the omega doesn't get much choice during her heat so I'm just very ambivalent towards the details given to the universe created. Apart from that, the characters were endearing but sadly underdevelopped which isn't a testament to great writing considering that this is +400 pages. All in all, an okay read, lots of wasted potential. 

Tessa Bailey has never disappointed, and this hasn't either. She's really great at making seemingly noble even if grumpy heroes have a serious dirty mouth. Autumn was an amazingly adorable female character and the whole height difference really made my day. I could actually picture these two in my head. 

All in all, you're in for a treat. Not much is happening, but honestly I don't mind at all!

I enjoyed this much more than I should. I don't know what it is with me and reading books out of order lately but this made me want to read the first and the next book so at least that's a win. 

I found both characters to be very endearing, there was one scene that had me choking in particular the tattoo revelation and while there were parts that should have been icky, I found that the characters made it all okay.

A very pleasant surprise.

Honestly? I just can't wait to get my hands on the other Hardy books. I'll probably pause because these are just too good and I really want to spread out the love. Shain Rose, you're going straight on my favorite list. 

The grumpy/sunshine trope's never been better portrayed than in here. Shain Rose delivers great UST, great banter, great characters. 

Not gonna lie, this was really hot and I dug it. I'm reading Shain Rose way out of order but I honestly don't care because I think I'm going to read them all.

This is like great smut with really great tension. I looooove that the characters are still fleshed out and have actual flaws and pasts. It's just a really great package in one book.

I probably shouldn't have jumped in this without reading the rest but the summary intrigued me so I went for it. It said dirty and it was. Flipping dirty. Almost too dirty. Though I guess, dirty is fine when there's something to back it up and truth be told, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I liked that it wasn't “proper” like other romance novels, that the MMC is technically married, that the FMC is a curvy woman who has a healthy sex drive but despite their strong sexual connection, the rest never really followed so it was hard to buy their falling in love. 

Overall, it was an okay book that does not deliver much. 

This somewhat was even cuter than the first length book. 

This was actually decent. I don't usually enjoy mafia romances that much but I actually cared about these two characters even though the book lacked overall depth and grit.

I'm actually pleased by how high I'm rating this. When I read the synopsis, I was intrigued. When I read the first few pages, I was crushed. 

Word of advice : take the time to read through the glossary at the start. To be fair, it's a bit annoying that a romance novel has such a specific vcabulary. I do think a lot of people will be turned off by the world building and how hard it is to keep track of things. The author really needs to be better at the world building so she doesn't lose readers. But if you take the time to read through the glossary then spends the first few pages thinking about the world described, things start to make better sense.

Then, there's the question of the power dynamics and the heroine. I did not mind, for one second, the meek nature of the heroine. I thought it was up to par with the world built and it still allowed for feelings to take place. I understood the complexity of the relationship between the MMC and the FMC and actually enjoyed it. 

I know others won't because she doesn't talk back (much), because the big bad leader is a total marshmallow for his girl but it's one of my favourite trope so... shrugs