Dueling Review, Recommended Read

Dueling Review: Big Bad Cowboy by Carly Bloom (2018)

Once Upon a Time in Texas, Book #1

Holly’s Take

Heat Factor: I found the sexting shockingly effective

Character Chemistry: Maggie is in lust with the Big Bad Wolf, and moving from animosity to friendship to love with Travis. Except they’re the same man—and she doesn’t know it.

Plot: Maggie and Travis have mindblowing, slightly kinky sex as anonymous strangers at a costume party. And then Travis discovers that they’re neighbors slash she thinks he’s destroying her business. Too bad the sexting is so fun.

Overall: There were a few rough patches at the beginning, but I ended up really enjoying it.

Ingrid’s Take

Heat Factor: I’d definitely say it borders on a slow burn IF you don’t take the sexting into consideration.

Character Chemistry: There are a lot of relationships going on and they all had pretty good chemistry. Maggie and Travis seemed to sync really well.

Plot: Maggie and Travis hook up in disguise at a costume party—Travis knows Maggie’s identity, but Maggie is in the dark. When they end up at odds as neighbors and work competitors, they end up finding a deeper connection.

Overall: It was a cute cowboy-to-be book that felt realistically small-town.

Erin’s Take

Heat Factor: It starts early and doesn’t really slow down if you count all the sexting, but I wanted the story to get on with it because all the character interactions were more fun

Character Chemistry: I was more invested in the all the dynamics of the small town characters than in the romantic relationship between Maggie and Travis

Plot: business competitors, antagonistic anonymous neighbors, anonymous hookup, forced to work the same contract, sexting deception, custody battles, and liens

Overall: If we hadn’t agreed to buddy read it, I probably would have DNFed by 25% simply for all the gender essentialism, BUT I think it was maybe Trying To Do Something, and, as Holly said, it turned out pretty cute in the end.

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Recommended Read, Series Review

Series Review: The Team by Tal Bauer (2021)

Heat Factor: They have a lot of sex. (A lot.) And it’s explicit but not every time.

Character Chemistry: He was meant to love the white swan!

Plot: Gay football player thinks he can spend his college career with his head down and without romantic entanglements…until he meets the love of his life during a summer study abroad in Paris

Overall: Holy angst, Batman!

Heat Factor: It’s actually not that slow a burn, but getting to that first kiss is oof

Character Chemistry: They just like each other so gosh darn much

Plot: (Best friend) and (father) of The Jock’s protagonists are third wheels so much that they find themselves pairing off, particularly after the quarterback is left behind while everyone else has summer break

Overall: It’s a sweet one. Floating hearts just coming right off it.

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Review

Review: All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan (2016)

Devil’s Rock, Book #1

Heat Factor: Their attraction is very physical, and the sex is animalistic (rawr!)

Character Chemistry: They give each other spidey senses, but, like, in a hot-for-you way

Plot: Convict meets nurse volunteering at the prison, rescues her, is released, and much should-they-shouldn’t-they angst ensues

Overall: It fills a specific desire and is written (pretty well) accordingly

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Rant, Review

 Review: Can’t Resist Her by Kianna Alexander (2020)

Heat Factor: We’ve got some dildo action!

Character Chemistry: It’s pretty insta.

Plot: Summer is trying to stop gentrification; Aiko works for a developer. Even though they’re on opposite sides of a proposed building project, they can’t help wanting to date.

Overall: This book made me irrationally angry.

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Recommended Read, Review

Review: D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins (2022)

Heat Factor: The making out is hot and heavy (plus there’s some sex, too)

Character Chemistry: Their families believe it instantly, but there’s no way this can be anything but fake. Right?

Plot: Kris and D’Vaughn are on a reality show where they have to convince their families that they’re in love—and then plan a wedding together

Overall: Utterly charming

Continue reading “Review: D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins (2022)”