Archives for September 30, 2023

* Review * UNREGRETTABLE by Monique Moreau

September 30, 2023 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * UNREGRETTABLE by Monique Moreau

UNREGRETTABLE by Monique Moreau
Series: Empire Academy Series #2
on October 12, 2023
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Marriage can't fix what’s broken. If only he would see that.

Crina

If he thinks I’ll come to the altar like some meek, blushing bride, he must not know me.

Oh, wait, he doesn’t know me anymore.

Four years of a cold war will do that to a friendship.

We were friends once.

But I won’t tolerate being humiliated. And if he thinks forcing me to marry him will change anything between us, he’s lost his damn mind.

No one messes with me.

Least of all him.

Marku

Crina is my woman, bonded to me since birth. The fact that we’re from different mafia clans is irrelevant. The fact that she’s in danger just sped up a marriage that was always meant to be.

I hurt her, I know that.

I never apologized. Never explained. Never reached out. Stuck in my own pain, I let a war simmer between us.

But that ends today.

Today she will become my wife. Tonight, she will come to my bed. I’ll finally fix things between us.

But when my desire for revenge—revenge I’ve pursued for five long years—collides with doing right by Crina, everything goes to hell in a handbasket.

Content warning: UNREGRETTABLE is the second installment of The Empire Academy Series. Marku is an OTT morally gray, possessive hero who will do anything to win back his woman. Brace yourself for a domineering and dirty-talking alpha. But don’t worry, Crina is more than up to the task of dealing with him. If such material offends, please do not read.

Delectably forbidden steals the show! She’s from one clan, he’s from another … but danger and parental interference have them meeting at the alter in no time. I like the premise of this book because there are familiar faces from the Lupu Chronicles series floating in and out regularly, but this series isn’t the best work of this author by far. There seems to be a timeline issue where this is supposedly book two, yet the things that happened in book one don’t appear to have happened in many instances. Mass confusion and a seeming pull between young adult, bully and mafia not aligning into a strong storyline in any of the above are disappointing. I really enjoyed her MC series and even her mafia series, but this younger generation just isn’t cutting it for me personally. Not a bad story, just not cohesive enough to carry itself. The cast is interesting and there is interest in the context, just weakness in development that shows through.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * ROCKED by Gillian Archer

September 30, 2023 Leave a Comment
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Rocked by Gillian Archer
Series: Tin Gods Rock Stars #1
on October 12, 2023
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What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. Not when you marry a rock star.

Shay
Las Vegas was a terrible idea. Why can't I say no to my family? After a night out with my awful cousin for her bachelorette party, I wake up naked in a strange bed surrounded by scrawled notebook pages. Turns out I’d married a rock star last night. How am I ever going to explain this to my religious parents?

Chase
I went to Vegas to get married, only she married someone else, so why shouldn’t I do the same? It’s the best way to stop public speculation about the marriage-that-wasn’t. But even better, something about Shay has flipped a switch inside me—suddenly I can write music again. Only my new little wifey isn’t thrilled about our marriage.

She says drunken mistake. I say best night ever. Of course I'm right. And I'll use everything I've got to convince her.

Attention grabbing and highly addictive! Gillian Archer delivers on the rocker lifestyle with the kickoff to her brand new Tin Gods Rock Stars series and the introduction of an almost unredeemable lead singer with the world at his fingertips. Chase is complex because in one aspect he’s kind and sincere and in another he’s selfish and unseeing. I was invested in the story quickly and am looking forward to more to come from these guys for sure!

Shay was my favorite! Yes, she’s naive and almost too kind for her own good, but she’s such a sweetheart and just has a goodness to her that makes you want to be her best friend and give her a hug. I really enjoyed seeing her find something she loved in life and be treasured as she deserved.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a sullied rockstar falling hard for that forever love just when he least expects it.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * PROVING COLTON’S INNOCENCE by Lara Lacombe

September 30, 2023 Leave a Comment
Proving Colton's Innocence by Lara Lacombe
Series: The Coltons of Grave Gulch #12
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on December 28, 2021
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A battle for justice

pits brother against brother

Bounty hunter Baldwin Bowe works in the shadows, finding fugitives no one else can. But now he’s hired to bring in his own sibling and help prove the innocence of CSI Jillian Colton. Baldwin sticks by her side, aiming to lure in his criminal brother and exonerate Jillian. Yet as danger escalates, Baldwin never expected to fall for the woman by his side…

Highly addictive and fast paced! The final book in the Colton’s of Grove Gulch series ties up some lose ends and takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of tracking down the final bad guy as he strikes out against the beloved Colton family once again. The intrigue starts from the very first page and quickly had me hooked on what was to come. Jillian and Baldwin shared an emotional connection that carried the romance aspect into a gentle comfort as danger circles before rearing it’s ugly head right when they least expect it.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone that enjoys fast paced danger with a touch of romance and heartfelt connections throughout.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * SECOND ACT by Danielle Steel

September 30, 2023 Leave a Comment
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Second Act by Danielle Steel
Published by Delacorte Press on October 3, 2023
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As the head of a prestigious movie studio for nearly two decades, Andy Westfield has had every conceivable professional luxury: a stunning office on the forty-fourth floor, a loyal assistant who can all but read his mind, access to a private jet and company cars. The son of Hollywood royalty, Andy always put his career before his marriage, and now, besides his daughter and young grandchildren, it’s the only thing he truly loves.

But then Andy’s world is upended. The studio is sold, and the buyer’s son demands the top seat. Out of a job and humiliated, Andy spirals. When his head clears, he decides to get as far away from Los Angeles as possible until the dust settles and he can find a new way forward.

Andy signs a six-month rental agreement for a luxurious home in a tiny, forgotten coastal town two hours from London. When he arrives, he hires a local woman to help get his affairs in order. A former journalist, Violet Smith is at a crossroads as well, and this temporary job is exactly what she needs to tide her over. But when Violet leaves the manuscript of her unfinished novel behind after work one day, Andy lets his curiosity get the best of him and is captivated by a story that begs to be adapted for the big screen. Could this be the miracle they’ve both been looking for?

Steel delights with a fresh concept! It’s not unusual to pick up a Danielle Steel novel and be quickly swept up into the life of the lead character who is overcoming heartache and hardship to move forward after some sort of turmoil, but it is a little more unusual for it to be a male lead taking center stage and I have to say I loved every minute of watching Andy’s resurrection! Very relatable characters will have you hooked quickly and a fulfilling plot filled with unexpected twists will leave you satisfied. Really enjoyed his Second Act!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys an intensely character driven plot of losing oneself and having to reinvent what marks your measure of success after upheaval.

Filed Under: Book Reviews