Love Hard - Nalini Singh

Love Hard by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that when I started the first chapter of Love Hard, I wasn't sure if it was going to be for me. I really shouldn't have worried. The next thing I knew, the time had just flown past and I was engrossed. This was a gripping read, made extra enjoyable for me as it was set here in New Zealand, which is sadly something that I don't come across that often.
This book had some of my favourite elements: A strong female lead, a very sweet male lead, enemies to lovers and baggage that is dealt with realistically, not just brushed over. It also features rugby, which isn't essential in a romance, but being one of my favourite sports certainly wasn't something that I didn't enjoy.
The romance between Jake and Jules was lovely. They are clearly into each other long before it's obvious to either of them. I like the way that they complimented one another and were written so that it was clear that they would make a good team in the future as their romance progressed. I also really liked daughter, Esme. Having two girls of my own of similar ages I can certainly relate to the Elsa obsession and in the case of my youngest, love of rugby.
This is the third in the Hard Play series and while the characters from the previous books are mentioned and appear, it didn't matter that I hadn't read those books. If anything, it just made me want to go back and check them out, which I certainly shall at some point in the near future. This was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the younger brother's book in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Burn Zone - Annabeth Albert

Burn Zone by Annabeth Albert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A couple of years ago, I'd never heard of smokejumpers. This is the second or possibly third series to feature them that I've come across. What isn't to like? Firefighters, fit well-trained firefighters, fit well-trained firefighters who not only put themselves at risk to deal with fire but parachute into danger to do it.
This story deals with Jacob and Lincoln. They have had a thing for one another since Jacob was just nineteen years old and first came out to his family. Nothing can ever come of it, because Lincoln promised Jacobs older brother that he would steer clear. Now that said older brother is dead, there's no way that he can go back on that promise. Especially when hardly anyone even knows that he is gay himself.
This was quite a cute story and although it had much of the things that you expect; life-threatening situations, which make them question what they want. It was well written and gripping. I couldn't help but like Lincoln and Jacob and love them together as a couple.
This is the first in the series and I'm sure that we're going to see more of these hotshots before long.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Never Date a Doctor - Melanie A.Smith

Never Date a Doctor
Melanie A. Smith
Publication date: February 25th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From best-selling author Melanie A. Smith comes the first book in a new series of steamy contemporary medical romance standalone novels about life lessons that break all the rules.
What’s the first rule of nurse’s club? That’s right: Never date a doctor. Which Sasha Suvorin has no intention of doing anyway, since she’s a nurse at Rutherford Hospital by day and working on her master’s degree by night. Who has time for dating, much less dating someone you work with? Bad idea much?
That is, until the sexy British Dr. Caleb Thompson starts at her hospital. It also doesn’t help that he’s exactly her type with his dark hair, blue eyes, and rockin’ bod. Or that he’s not your typical arrogant and bossy surgeon. But Sasha isn’t so easily convinced, and she soon discovers Dr. Hottie has a past that puts a stop to whatever she might have been feeling before anything ever starts between them.
Unfortunately, working together means facing temptation. Every. Single. Day. Is Sasha strong enough to resist what might just be the perfect man? And if she gives in, will Cal’s past stay in the past? Sasha may be used to playing it safe, but life has a way of teaching its lessons … one way or another.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:
Melanie A. Smith is the best-selling author of The Safeguarded Heart Series and other contemporary romance fiction. Originally from upstate New York, she spent most of her childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Los Angeles for college. After that, she spent almost fifteen years in the Seattle Area, and now lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas with her family.
​A voracious reader and lifelong writer, Melanie’s writing began at a young age with short stories and poetry. Having completed a bachelor of science in electrical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master’s in business administration at the University of Washington, her writing abilities were mainly utilized for technical documents as a lead engineer for the Boeing Company, where she worked for ten years.
After shifting careers to domestic engineering and property management in 2015, she eventually found a balance where she was able to return to writing fiction.
Melanie is also a Mensan and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and driving with the windows down and the stereo cranked up loud.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

My Review

The first rule of nurse club is to never date a doctor, but what fun are rules if you don't break them? When sexy new doctor Caleb Thompson arrives, he's just the kind of man that Sasha goes for. Unfortunately, she's not the only one that's interested in him and things start to get complicated.

This was a fun romance although there was plenty that went wrong for Sasha and Caleb on their path to love. The obstacles that they faced, particularly those put there by other people were complex but didn't seem to be there for the sake of it. I did think that it was a bit strange how quickly she was sacked, rather than having some kind of full investigation, but maybe that's how they do things in the US?

This is the start of a series and I'd be more than happy to read more when they come out.

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Love Around the Corner - Amanda Weaver

Love Around the Corner by Amanda Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do enjoy a second chance romance when it is done right. Fortunately, with love around the corner, this one was done right.
Brendan and Gemma were boyfriend and girlfriend in high school, but he suddenly left, destroying all of their hopes and plans. Now, 14 years later he's back and trying to rebuild their relationship.
For me, one of the key things when it comes to a second chance romance is the reason that they broke up in the first place. Not only has Brendan got a good reason for having left, but in many ways, it's better that they did have time apart, being so young when they first fell in love.
This is a story of two people giving each other another chance, but also having a second chance themselves. Finding out what it really is they want from life and that change doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I really enjoyed this book and the story of Gemma and Brendan finding their way back to one another.
I haven't read the other books in the Romano Sisters series, but I think that they would be worth checking out. Both sisters make small appearances in this book. Overall, a good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Trouble - Colet Abedi

Trouble by Colet Abedi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was pretty much hooked on this book from the moment I started it. I've had a bit of a bad run of books lately, so it was good to get one that I couldn't put down.
I was a bit worried that this was going to be one of those books where the hero is completely overbearing and controlling. He does have his moments, but in many ways, the hero and heroine were fairly well matched. Ian and Kerri have that obsessive instant attraction that in real life wouldn't probably bode well for a long term relationship, but works so well in romance novels. They also have that oh so important reason to not be together. A past that Kerri knows nothing about, but that has been Ian's whole life for many years.
I've discovered since finishing the book and having a nose around on Goodreads that although this is a standalone novel, it is linked to at least one other book from Colet Abedi. The characters and relationship in her Wild Duet Boxset feature at least in passing. I'm not sure if any of the other characters that we come across also appear in other stories (or perhaps in the case of brother Colt, will do). It doesn't matter if, like me, you haven't read any previous books, as this works fine in its own right.
I liked Ian and Kerri and enjoyed reading about their relationship. It is fairly clear where it's going to go. There's no way with their situation that there can't be an explosion at some point and this is a romance, so of course, it has to all work out in the end. I really enjoyed the story and would be keen to read more from Abedi.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Something Old, Something New Release Day Blitz

Something Old, Something New
- A DRA Production

Seven bestselling authors. Seven incredible second chance romances. One epic anthology. 

What would you do for another chance with the one you love? 

Something Old, Something New - a unique novella anthology - tries to answer this question with fantastic, different, desi dramas. 

Whether it is shapeshifters or shifting interracial relationships, single moms in small towns or rich alpha heroes, friends-to-lovers or passionate ex-husbands; this anthology has something for everyone. 

Something Old, Something New explores the many different facets of love, forgiveness, fated mates and more in seven, distinctly Indian tales!

Blood Red Love by Neil D'Silva

When beauty becomes the beast...is love enough to save her?

Vimal, the most eligible bachelor in town, falls in love with the elusive Yamini, the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. 

It sounds like a match made in heaven, but wait—the darkest of secrets besmirches their love. Yamini is not all human, and the non-human part of her, which she transforms into once a week, is the most terrifying anyone has ever seen. 

Throwing all caution to the wind, Vimal plunges headlong in her love and vows to do whatever it takes to be with her, even if it means playing with his own life every single night.

For a while, everything goes according to plan. But strange are the ways of the supernatural! Yamini loses control her transformation, and to much greater horror, she has no control over her actions.

Will Vimal be able to find a cure for Yamini’s rare condition and make her his eternally? Will Yamini be able to find true love in Vimal? Or does destiny have something else in store for both of them, something that they could never have imagined in their wildest of fancies?

To know the answers, read Blood Red Love, the newest offering from Neil D’Silva.

Read an Excerpt from Blood Red Love

Vimal allowed Yamini to enter first and followed. The sedan softly purred and started to move.

They spoke little in the car, precious romantic things, and they held hands. He had his arm around her and he felt the softness of her body against his and sighed. For a moment, he thought of leaning in and cuddling her, but he checked himself. The car came to a stop outside his house and the chauffeur opened the door.

Neither of them stopped as they stepped out of the car, not even to look at the huge white bungalow that was Kapoor House. 

Vimal looked at his watch once again and breathed hard. He brought her hurriedly into the hall, where he gave her a peck on her cheek. 'Made it!' he said, 'With just about two minutes to go.' 

She looked at him wistfully and said, 'Good night.'

'You have a nice night too,' he said, and then stopped short as if he had said something truly horrid. 'I mean… I’ll see you tomorrow.'

Yamini had tears in her eyes at the words. She ran up the flight of stairs that led to her bedroom. Without pausing, she opened the door and dashed into her room. Only then did she stop and breathe easily.

The room—her lair—was her private corner in this palatial house. Everything else was spotlessly white, but it was only this place, her room, that was not white. 

Not at all. In fact, it was stained all over with grotesque red marks. They were marks of furious scratching and slashing and slicing, stains of animal and perhaps even human blood, and they were everywhere, even on the ceiling. 

But they were the densest around the sill of the lone window of the room, the window that opened into the forest outside. The window from where she jumped out one night every week when her transformation occurred.

And tonight was the night of her transformation.

Weeping, she entered her lair of horrors, slammed the door shut and locked it from within.

About the Author:

Neil D’Silva primarily writes horror and is published with  Penguin Random House, Rupa Publications, and Hachette among others. His books and other stories are in the process of being adapted for screen on various platforms. He is the founder and festival-director of Mumbai’s interschool litfest, Litventure, and mentors aspiring writers. He has conducted workshops on writing at several places, notably at IIT Kanpur, and has also spoken on a TEDx stage on the art of writing a bestseller. He hails from Mumbai and pursues writing as his full-time vocation.

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Unforgotten - Cassie Laelyn

Unforgotten by Cassie Laelyn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first of these books that I've read but the second book in the Fallen Guardians series. The book worked well as a standalone novel and while there was a bit of the background and world to understand, I didn't feel that I missed out at all by not having read the previous book. There is an explanation of all of the angel types and what they do at the end of the book, which was helpful. I think you could work out most of it from the story, it might have been better before the story began?
What I particularly liked about this story was that the hero and heroine were not a new couple, falling in love the moment that they met, but rather a couple that had been together for thousands of years, until they had been separated and living apart for the last three hundred years or so. Like in many romances, much of their difficulties came from a lack of communication. Although they both tried to do what they thought was best for the other, they acted without speaking to the other first and working together.
I found myself drawn into this story and couldn't put it down. It was easy to feel for Willow, who felt abandoned after having been left behind. Aric may have felt that he was doing what was for the best, but Willow has no way of knowing why he has done what he did.
The only thing that I wasn't entirely convinced by was some of the language. For saying that these are beings that have been around for thousands and thousands of years, they all talk with very modern phrases and speech patterns. That's not to say that they wouldn't pick up modern phrases and the like, but I'm not convinced that everything would be like that. It's a minor quibble in an otherwise very enjoyable read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Demigod Complex - Abigail Owen

The Demigod Complex by Abigail Owen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I should start by admitting, that this is the second time that I've read this novella. Not that it really matters, I enjoyed it the first time around and enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
Lyleia is a water nymph, after losing her spring she has had to find her way in the world without the love and protection of her fellow nymphs. She is the perfect person to be an executive assistant to demi go Castor. He needs someone who can resist him and won't fall for him. Which is something she's managed to do, resist him at least, she does seem to have fallen in love with him.
This is a fun quick read. There's mention of the dragon shifter world which features in two of Abigail Owen's other series. Although this is more of a signposting that they inhabit the same world, rather than properly being part of the book.
If you're looking for a quick romantic read, then you won't go far wrong with The Demigod Complex. Lyleia and Castor are great and their romance and the problems they face together make for a good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Cassidy Brothers - Sienna Blake

$25 gift card giveaway because 'The Cassidy Brothers'

A sexy full-length reverse-harem contemporary romance

by USA Today bestseller Sienna Blake 

IS NOW LIVE   &  *ONLY  99¢

(*on sale for a limited  time  only!)

The Cassidy Brothers book 4 in Sienna Blake's bestselling Quick & Dirty series! 

Warning: Don't read this novel if you can't handle three Irish hotties fighting for their woman, fierce brotherly competition, and each laying claim to their woman in their own way.

My foster father is a very bad man. I’m carrying a secret of his that could get me killed. So I head to the last place that ever felt like safety…

The childhood home of the Cassidy brothers.

Aogán, Tristan & Donncha were as much of my childhood as choc chip cookies and hopskotch. We used to roam like wildlings around their large country estate. I haven’t seen them since the accident that made me an orphan three years ago.

Boy, have they grown up. Tall, dark haired and eyes like the Galway Sea, with shoulders broad enough to keep me safe. Just like when we were kids, they shelter me. Care for me… Love me.

But how will they feel when they find out I'm in love with all of them? How will they deal with the terrible secret I’m carrying?

AMAZON UNIVERSAL LINK

MEET THE AUTHOR

Sienna Blake is a dirty girl, a wordspinner of smexy love stories and an Amazon Top 20 & USA Today Bestselling Author.

She lives in Dublin, Ireland, where she enjoys reading, keeping fit and adding to her personal harem of Irish hotties

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My Review

Who wouldn't want to have their cake and eat it, especially if said cake was actually three very sexy brothers? Although Orla has had a very rough time in the last three years, all her dreams seem to be coming true when she returns to her home time and finds herself romantically involved with not just one boy next door, but all three of them.

These quick and dirty reads are a lot of fun. I don't think I could really see three brothers agreeing to share one woman, but for the purpose of a bit of escapism, why not. All three of the brothers have different personalities and this is why Orla wants all three and finds it hard to choose, they all offer something different. 

This was a quick fun read, great if you want to escape for a bit. 

House Rules - Ruby Lang

ROOMMATE WANTED to share a gorgeous sun-filled apartment in Central Harlem. Must love cats. No ex-husbands or wives need apply.

Seventeen years ago, different dreams pulled Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kai apart. But when Lana takes a position as a chef back in Manhattan, her apartment search puts her right in her ex-husband’s path. Music teacher Simon is also hunting for a new place to live, and when Lana proposes they be platonic roomies, well…it’s not the worst idea he’s ever heard.

A sunny uptown two-bedroom sounds far more appealing than the cramped, noisy space where he’s currently struggling to work. Still, Simon has seen firsthand that Lana’s a flight risk, so he agrees on a trial basis.

Three months. With strict boundaries.

Living together again feels wonderfully nostalgic, but when the ex-couple’s lingering feelings rise to the surface, the rules go out the window.

Of course, chemistry was never their problem. But while Simon’s career feels back on solid footing, Lana is still sorting out what she wants. With their trial period soon coming to an end, they’ll have to decide if their living arrangement was merely a sexy trip down memory lane or a reunion meant to last.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WN6KWC3
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/house-rules-ruby-lang/1133009437
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/house-rules/id1476929013
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/house-rules-45
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ruby_Lang_House_Rules?id=3tOpDwAAQBAJ

Author Bio

Ruby Lang is the author of the acclaimed Practice Perfect series. She is pint-sized, prim, and
bespectacled. Her alter ego, Mindy Hung, wrote about romance novels (among other things) for The
Toast. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Walrus, Bitch, and other fine venues. She enjoys running (slowly), reading (quickly), and ice cream (at any speed). She lives in New York with a small child and a medium-sized husband.
Social Media Links
Website: http://rubylangwrites.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RubeLang
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RubyLangWrites/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruby.lang/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13495728.Ruby_Lang

My Review

I'm not sure how I would cope if I split up with my husband and then moved back in with him 17 years later, but just as friends. It seems like an odd setup, but in this book, it works, or at least the idea behind it does. As for whether the living arrangement works? Well, that's a different matter.

I liked the rediscovery of Lana and Simon. There's always a danger when a couple gets back together in a book that the reason for them splitting up in the first place prevents me really enjoying the story. In this case, it was more to do with the fact that that they needed to be apart and to learn to become their own people so that they could actually be a good couple together.

This was a nice, feel-good quick read and one that I really did enjoy.