Tag: Romance

The Boss Prince (It’s Raining Royals #1) by Alix Nichols

4 Stars

A fun read!

This is the first book in the series It’s Raining Royals, but I read it third, after The Bastard Prince and The Beast Prince which are books 2 and 3.  I enjoyed this book so much.  This one especially can be read as a stand-alone, but it sets up the story for books 2 and 3.  The Boss Prince is Max Delaroche, who at the start of the story is given a quest, to look for a missing key that will be necessary to save his family’s kingdom.  To assist him in finding this key, he is partnered with a woman whom he’s never met- Lucie Laborde.  The circumstances of their meeting are funny, setting the tone for the rest of the book.  The author, Alix Nichols, has written a smart, interesting mystery-romance.  Her characters are human, flawed, and very likeable.  Of the three books in this series that she’s written so far, this one is my favorite, but I did enjoy all of them.  Well written, with no obvious grammatical errors, the story is worth reading.  Hopefully book 4 will be out soon, as the overall story, the mystery, gets into your brain, and the reader wants to know what happens next.  I was given an ARC of the book through BookSirens and this is my honest opinion.

Mansplainer (Last Man Standing #3) by Avery Flynn

4 Stars

Great finish to the series!

I really enjoyed this final book of the series, which features the last Beckett cousin, Nash, and his “date” Michelle (Chelle) Finch.  This is a fun book, with Nash really starting out as a “mansplainer” to everyone he meets.  And Chelle is the unexpected woman whom he finds before his turn at winning a bet between him and his two cousins.  For me the book was a bit slow in the middle, but I laughed out loud at some of the situations the main characters found themselves in.  Avery Flynn is one of my favorite authors, and this is a worthy effort for her in finishing this series-but she left enough of the story open that there could be additional books about the other cousins.  Mansplainer can be read as a stand-alone, but for the best experience, read the prior two books.  I was given this book by the author through Prolific Works, and this is my honest opinion. 

The Notorious Dr. MacT: A Hot Scots Prequel by Anna Durand

3.5 Stars

A prequel to Notorious in a Kilt

This is the first book that I’ve read in this larger world series by Anna Durand.  Notorious in a Kilt is Book 5, so this short book gives the back story for Dr. Iain MacTaggart and Rae Evehart.  The story was well-written, with no grammatical errors that I could see, but took a long time to get to the point of the story.  But it did not explain why Iain has the label of Notorious.  If you haven’t started the series, this would be a good place to start, which is why I wanted to read this before the others.  I am looking forward to reading the rest of Iain and Rae’s story.  I was given an ARC of this book from the author through Booksprout and this is my honest opinion.

The Beast Prince: a royal romance with humor and suspense (It’s Raining Royals Book 3) by Alix Nichols

4 Stars

Beasts can have a life too…

This is book three in the It’s Raining Royals series, and the tag for the title says romance with humor and suspense.  This book may have the romance and suspense, but very little humor.  The main male character, Theo-a crown prince, has had a very rough early childhood, and even now isn’t a happy person.  The underlying premise for the series is that each person in the family must find a part of a puzzle to solve a secret.  So, it’s Theo the third brother’s time to search.  He seeks out Elise, a beautiful woman to assist him.  Theo’s character is very controlled, and he stays out of the public eye.  Elise’s brother has ties to the Russian mob.  The two of them will have to learn how to work together for Theo to find his secret.  This book was well written with good character development.  I was invested in finding out how these two characters would become the couple I would expect after reading the first two books.  Alix Nichols did a good job of telling their stories and gives the readers another part of a much larger puzzle.  I am looking forward to book 4 in the series.  I was given a copy of the book by BookSirens to read, and this is my honest opinion. 

One Night in Edinburgh by Nina Kaye

4 Stars

An interesting story

Obviously, set in contemporary Edinburgh, I enjoyed the descriptions of Edinburg on Hogmanay (New Year’s for us in the US) which proved very interesting.  The author describes what you’d be seeing if you were there through the thoughts of the main character Steph.  She’s going through a very difficult time and is single for the first time since high school.  With her friend, they travel through the sights and sounds of Edinburgh, and Steph meets another single who’s alone.  Steph and Jamie spend the entire night together, but Jamie has to leave quickly in the morning before they exchange their last names or contact information.  A large part of the book is dealing with Steph trying to find him.  I received this book through NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.

The Bastard Prince (It’s Raining Royals Book 2) by Alix Nichols

4 Stars

Book 2 in the series

Starting with book 2 in this series made me feel like I missed some important details.  So, I would first say read book 1 The Boss Prince (It’s Raining Royals Book #1).  But I didn’t realize I needed to read it before I started The Bastard Prince …  Arnaud Launay and Sasha de Croy are our two main characters.  Arnaud is a plastic surgeon in Cannes, France and Sasha is primarily a journalist who is also researching a supposedly hidden kingdom located in central Europe for a book she plans on writing.   Sasha also has a medical condition that plays a prominent part in the story.  The story reads a little like The DaVinci Code in that it has a lot of research done by the main characters and a little action provided by the villain working against them.  A romance develops between the two of them and has challenges for them.  I believe I would have enjoyed this book more had I read the first one, but the story is interesting, and I wanted to know what happened to Arnaud and Sasha.  Read book 1, then enjoy reading this book.  There will be additional books in this series.  I received this book from BookSirens and this is my honest opinion. 

That Cowboy of Mine by Donna Grant

BLURB and LINKS

Another stunning cowboy novel from New York Times bestseller Donna Grant, That Cowboy of Mine!

Is he an enemy?

Dillon Young is proud that she inherited her aunt’s ranch. The problem: someone is trying to run her off and is willing to do whatever it takes. Strange, dangerous things keep happening. Dillion suspects her no-good neighbor and fellow wealthy rancher Hank Stephens. Never a man to get his hands dirty, he sends others to get the job done. So, when the irresistible Cal Bennett is found passed out drunk on her property, Dillion is on high alert. Until someone takes a shot at her and Cal springs to her rescue. When the hard-bodied, no-nonsense-talking cowboy points out that she may need some help, Dillion is inclined to reluctantly agree.

Or a lover?

Waking up on a stranger’s property with a shotgun in his face is not Cal Bennett’s idea of a good time. Never mind that the person on the other end of the barrel is one of the most fiercely beautiful women he has ever seen. Things get more interesting when he finds himself shielding her from flying bullets. It’s clear that this smart, savvy woman could use a hand and Cal is all too happy to lend any part of his body she requires. His proposal: pose as lovers until they find out who is after her ranch. As the danger rises and secrets are revealed, the passion explodes between them and there is no turning back.

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That Cowboy of Mine by Donna Grant

5 Stars

A great story!

This is a stand-alone contemporary romance.  Main characters Cal Bennet and Dillon Young are both well developed, showing us natural human traits and failings.  Set in ranching country, we first meet Cal, who awakens after having passed out while drinking, but he’s in the middle of nowhere.  He’s found by Dillon, who is searching her property for a missing show horse.  This starts the mystery, which is a very large part of the story.  Cal and Dillion are strangers to each other, and this gives the plot lots of conflict.  There is romance also but is mostly secondary to the multiple questions that arise from the search for the missing horse.  Donna Grant has written 2 other series set in Texas with cowboys as the main characters, but this book is set in a new location.  That Cowboy of Mine is marked as a Christmas book, but it starts in the fall and continues on through the New Year.  I enjoyed this book very much, and don’t hesitate to recommend it for anyone who enjoys Contemporary Romance and Western Themes.  I was given this book through NetGalley and also the author and this is my honest opinion.

Least Likely Two: A Second Chance Later in Life Romantic Comedy (Better Than Ever Book 1) by Jill Westwood

4 Stars

High School rivalry into adult confusion.

Hollister Moran and Ben Rose were co-Valedictorians at their High School 25 years ago.  Hollister didn’t like Ben for a number of reasons.  Now, they have a rocky reconnection at their Class Reunion.  Both have become successful adults.   The story moves on from that point.  I didn’t particularly like Hollister, she may show compassion to her small circle of friends, but none to others, especially Ben.  Ben doesn’t realize how much Hollister disliked him in school, but he tries to bridge this divide between them.

I liked the concept of the story, but between Hollister’s continuing to try and keep her better self from coming out, and how the middle part of the book seemed to drag on and on, I couldn’t wait to get to the end.  The writing and editing are good.  I do plan on reading the next book in this series, and hope that if Hollister appears in this next book that her character is much less negative.  I received an ARC of this book through BookSirens and this is my honest opinion.

Ten Rules for Marrying a Duke by Michelle McLean

4 Stars

Fun Story

Ten Rules introduces us to Arabella and Silas, she is a quiet woman who doesn’t care to be amongst the Ton, while Silas is considered a Rake who only wants to have fun.  Set in Regency England, it helps if you know a little of how Society worked.  Arabella’s oldest sister Alice has created a scandal which is now affecting their youngest sister Anne’s chances of marrying successfully.  Arabella decides that to give Anne the best chance of finding her happiness, Arabella will have to find someone who is so high up the social ladder that they will be able to counteract the damage done by Alice.  This man needs to be at least a Duke, and Arabella settles on convincing Silas, the Duke of Whittsley, to be the solution. The rest of the book deals with the interactions between Arabella and Silas, who come up with the Ten Rules near the beginning of the book.  As in most romances, the road to the finish isn’t always easy, and their journey isn’t easy.  My only “complaint” is that the book seemed to take a long time to get to the ending.  It is well written, with interesting characters.  I enjoyed Michelle McLean’s Hitched to a Gunslinger and this book is equal to that one.  If Regency romances are something you enjoy, then this book will make you happy.   I received this ARC from Entangled Publishing through NetGallery, and this is my honest opinion.