Rant, Review

Review: Would You Rather by Allison Ashley (2022)

Heat Factor: They get hot and heavy (and naked) and then it fades to black

Character Chemistry: I recommend therapy. Probably separately and together. 

Plot: Mia and Noah have been best friends secretly pining forever, but when she has to choose between leaving her job to pursue her dream or staying to keep her insurance, Noah solves the problem by proposing a marriage of convenience

Overall: I cannot describe the level of rage I felt every time the “we’re committing insurance fraud” plotline came up

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Review

Review: Blue Skies by Catherine Anderson (2004)

Coulter Family, Book #4

Heat Factor: He basically rapes her in Chapter 1, and then they very gently make love once or twice toward the end.

Character Chemistry: Some Old Skool Dynamics, for sure.

Plot: When Carly gets pregnant, she and Hank get Insurance Married.

Overall: I read this book fully expecting it to be cringe and ended up getting swept away. But now that I’m actually thinking about it, there was indeed a lot of cringe.

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Recommended Read, Review

Review: Ravished by Amanda Quick (2005)

Heat Factor: It’s definitely not unusual for an old school trad published historical romance, but also they have sex in a cave before the 50% mark…so maybe it also is?

Character Chemistry: If you like that “I’ve been wronged and misunderstood, so I’m going to live down to everyone’s expectations” plus “I see through your mask and am the only one to call you on your b.s.” dynamic, this is that

Plot: Bluestocking spinster with no time for social niceties calls beastly and scandalous landowner to town because criminals are getting in the way of her archaeology; compromise and marriage ensues

Overall: Um, this book is awesomesauce.

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Review

Review: Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker (2022)

Heat Factor: The door closes early! And I don’t often feel this way, but it’s actually disappointing because there’s a lot of possibility there for building the relationship during those scenes.

Character Chemistry: I honestly didn’t care what else was happening when Finn kept saying “my wife” (swoon!)

Plot: Woke up married (Irish tourist edition) plus Hollywood politics drama

Overall: The epilogue is from the dog’s perspective. 😐

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Dueling Review

Dueling Review: Wish Out of Water by Holley Trent (2022)

Hooked, Book #1

Holly’s Take

Heat Factor: The two sex scenes are pretty detailed, but there are only two of them

Character Chemistry: Her magic doesn’t suck his happiness away. It’s fate!

Plot: Cooper doesn’t want to be king, so he asks Brook to do a marriage of convenience with him. Apparently marrying an American means he automatically abdicates. (???) Plot twist: Brook is a mermaid and discovers she’s the real heir to the throne.

Overall: The pacing was off…it was like: solid start, slow, slow, slow, INTRIGUE!, denouement.

Ingrid’s Take

Heat Factor: It had moments of heat but was largely pretty mild.

Character Chemistry: They’re fated mates and I guess fated rulers.

Plot: He’s supposed to be king. She’s supposed to be a human nobody. But actually she’s a mermaid with royal lineage and it’s enough to throw everything into chaos.

Overall: It feels like a very long start to something and that didn’t actually develop into its cohesive, finished result.

Erin’s Take

Heat Factor: There’s a bit of dissonance between the perfection of their coming together and, like, everything else about their relationship. 

Character Chemistry: They’re basically fated mates.

Plot: She’s a nobody, except she just has no idea that she’s not a nobody, and he’s a bastard prince who grew up outside the kingdom but is somehow inheriting the throne because of Reasons, which she is supposed to fix but doesn’t.

Overall: I was extremely confused. Also this relationship contains most of the “I’m leaving now” drama that I actively dislike.

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