Heat Factor: This marriage is full of amazing sex.
Character Chemistry: They totally work. Like.
Plot: Merry keeps getting engaged to men and realizing she doesn’t love them! Luckily Trent isn’t worried about nonsense like that because these two are MFEO.
Overall: Eloisa James is at her best fixing marriages.
Bromance Book Club, Book 1
Heat Factor: moderately warm
Character Chemistry: Pretty good, for a marriage in meltdown. But I liked the Bromances best.
Plot: Marriage in Trouble! Romance novels to the rescue!
Overall: It’s fun, but it’s especially great as an intro-to-romance book.
Men of Valor, Book 1
Heat Factor: moderate
Character Chemistry: They’re already married, so there’s not a ton of development in this arena
Plot: Withholding sex out of spite results in all the unrequited love misunderstandings
Overall: This woman needs to take ownership of her own life
Catalina Cove, Book 2
Heat Factor: She literally orgasms just from kissing. On the mouth.
Character Chemistry: He’s the love of her life!
Plot: Ashley’s husband died in a car accident three years ago. But then she finds him again when she’s randomly on vacation. EXCEPT! He has amnesia.
Overall: I could not suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy this book.
Hot and Hammered, Book #2
Heat Factor: Sex is the one thing that’s not a problem in their marriage.
Character Chemistry: At times felt a bit one-sided
Plot: Toxic masculinity + lack of communication = marriage in trouble
Overall: Bailey closed it really well, but I had some hangups.
Justice Seekers, Book 1
Heat Factor: Extremely chaste
Character Chemistry: In a “we’re already married” forced proximity kind of way?
Plot: Former soldier has to figure out who’s trying to kill him and his family
Overall: Not many highs but also not many lows
Desperate Duchesses, Book 2
Heat Factor: Sex is more poetic than explicit
Character Chemistry: Honestly, Poppy has more chemistry with Jemma, but, then again, she spends a lot more time with Jemma than with her husband
Plot: Fletch publicly insults Poppy, so she moves out, tries to convince herself she never loved him, and finds herself
Overall: My heart is glowing and I cannot explain why
