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4 stars Running Deep is a second chance romance novel surrounding two professional athlete swimmers. The story is told through a dual timeline. I wasn't too sure about it at first, but it worked really well. Usually, when I read novels like this, I'm always more invested in one timeline, and I want to skim a few chapters, but in this case, I enjoyed both equally. It was great to see how they met each other and how close they became as teenagers and how - even after everything they went through - they sorta just picked up where they left off. The story flows well and though we see more of Hannah's point of view, we get enough information to really understand Angie's side of the story.Hannah and Angie are very different but both are highly likeable. I love how tight-knit Hannah's family is and how welcoming they were to Angie. That poor girl.I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read Bette Hawkins' other books.TW for homophobic parents.***An ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
4 stars Elle Spencer's books keep getting better and better. While I found Casting Lacey to be just okay, I enjoyed Spencer's rom-com 30 Dates in 30 Days a lot. There was none of that ~cheap angst I hate in her two latest releases, and I enjoyed Waiting For You even more.I'm not too sure how to categorize this novel. Is it a paranormal romance? Magical realism? Anyway, when I first read the synopsis, I was a little hesitant, but the cover is gorgeous and it convinced me to give it a shot. Waiting For You has a little bit of everything: humour, drama, a good romance and a bunch of strong women.The characters in this one are fantastic. The MCs have this intense chemistry between them. The supporting cast is the best I've read about in a long while. Most side characters are well-fleshed out, and I loved Mrs. Stockely's backstory and her forbidden love. It had me teared up quite a few times, especially on Millie's birthday.My only real complaint is that I found the end to be a little rushed. Everything was wrapped up quickly, and I didn't find the ending quite satisfying.*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
3.5 stars The Pleasure Den is an erotic F/F short story about a woman who spends some of her time in sex chat rooms, and who finds empowerment through exhibitionism.Jacky and Miss Bojangles have been talking in The Box for quite some time now and have developed a friendship that goes a little beyond them just being friends. Enjoying putting on a little show, Jacky turns on her webcam and strips for Miss Bo.What I enjoyed about this short story is that it isn't just trashy sex. The author takes her time setting up the scene, and for such a short piece, the characters are surprisingly well-developed.The writing is also pretty sophisticated for an erotic short story, and I truly appreciated it. What I mean is, sometimes I feel like some writers use the fact that their work is in the erotic/smutty genre as an excuse for bad writing. If you publish any kind of literary work and expect people to pay for it, you should make some editing efforts. Patricia Ray respects her craft and her prose is excellent.Personally, I would've liked a little more steam, but overall, it was a really nice piece. I'll definitely be checking out the other short stories in this series.This short story is about 30 pages long, and the ~action starts well past the 50% mark, so if you're looking for pure smut, this isn't it.There's a mention of M/F sex and cocks so if that's not your thing, you've been warned!I've received a free copy of this book via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review
