Tag: Angsty

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Review

Review: Fighting for Everything by Laura Kaye (2018)

Erin

Warrior Fight Club, Book #1

Heat Factor: There’s some intense can’t-stop-won’t-stop sex and then oops the feels crawl in after

Character Chemistry: In the end, I got the point of Kristina’s pulling away, but as I went through the chapters I really felt like, as his best friend, she should have been the one to understand that Noah was really not okay and romantically treating him like a normal guy was a weird choice

Plot: Noah is not okay. He can’t accept his new feelings for Kristina, and she can’t accept him holding her at a distance anymore. 

Overall: If you like angsty military heroes who won’t allow themselves to have what they want because the LI deserves better, I have a book (and probably a series) for you.

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Review

Review: Agent Down by Janet Walden-West (2021)

Holly

Region Two, Book #2

Review of Region Two, Book #1

Heat Factor: There’s some sex at the beginning, and then a really long dry spell

Character Chemistry: Their relationship is going through a lot, so their chemistry comes and goes

Plot: Uh. Let’s destroy the HEA from Book 1.

Overall: The first half of this book went some seriously unexpected places, which made for a very unusual romance reading experience.

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Review

Review: Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen (2020)

Erin

Hush Note, Book #1

Heat Factor: They have very gentle loving sex because of Kira’s past

Character Chemistry: I got sucked in by all their drama, so I guess it worked

Plot: “OMG I am SO happy to see you again!” → “WTF I have a CHILD?!” → “Let’s be together forever, I promise that me being a rock star who tours for months every year will not be a problem.”

Overall: I was expecting to get bent out of shape about the secret baby drama, but I got some bonus annoyance as well.

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Dueling Review

Dueling Review: Then, Now, Always by Mona Shroff

smutreportteam

To kick off Secret Baby Week, Holly and Ingrid buddy-read Then, Now, Always by Mona Shroff. And you know what that means: time for a duel! (Moderated by Erin) 

Holly’s Take:

Heat Factor: The door is firmly closed.

Character Chemistry: Um. It’s complicated. But also love at first sight.

Plot: Maya and Sam were in love. But they broke up. Now it’s 16 years later and Maya finally tells Sam that he has a daughter.

Overall: This was kind of a weird book and I’m still processing how I feel about it.

Ingrid’s Take:

Heat Factor: This is not a book with a temperature.

Character Chemistry: It’s both “at first sight” and also a slow, complicated development at the same time.

Plot: Maya and Sam had a good thing going until everything blew up and incredibly bad choices were made. Then, 16 years later, Maya fesses up that she’s kept their child secret from Sam and he’s an emotional wreck, understandably.

Overall: I maintain that this trope is a massive romantic buzzkill and this book is like a case study in why that is.

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Review

Review: The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer (2021)

Holly

Heat Factor: Kisses in the snow

Character Chemistry: Soulmates, in the “you fill in my missing pieces” sense of the word

Plot: Rachel needs to write a Hanukkah romance and is feeling uninspired—so she tries to get a ticket to the Matzah Ball, a huge party being planned by none other than her first love.

Overall: I have very mixed feelings

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