Tag: Romance

Contemporary · Mystery/Crime · Romance

Beating Ruby – Camilla Monk

Book Chick1 Comment

30212829| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Life hasn’t been quite the same for computer engineer Island Chaptal since March, an OCD-ridden professional killer, burst into her life to clean her bedroom and take her on a global chase for a legendary diamond. Sadly, the (hit) man doesn’t just break bones; he breaks hearts, too.

Since then, Island has found solace in Alex—the perfect boyfriend—and Ruby, a software project about to revolutionize online banking security…for the worse. When Island’s boss is found dead after allegedly using Ruby to steal a vast fortune, it’s up to her to clear his name and recover the money. Someone else wants answers, though, and this time, Island might be in over her head.

From New York to Zürich, it’s going to take the return of a cleaning expert, a mini-octopus, and Island’s wits to beat Ruby. All while deciding whether to trust a man who already jilted her, or one who may have his own deadly secrets…

Untitled

My thoughts: This is the second book in the Spotless series. It is not a standalone and you will have to read the first book before this one to really understand some of the references. I would recommend that you do not read this review either if you haven’t read the first one, since it will be a little “spoilerish”. There are things I can’t discuss without referring to the first book. You do not have to worry if you already have read the first book.

You have been warned!

In this book we gets to follow Island, 6 months after the Tokyo fiasco and finally in a good place again. Then her boss goes and kill himself, her big project gets stolen and there is something that doesn’t feel right to her. As a new, stronger, woman she sets out to try and find the truth about what really happened, but she finds more truth than she had barged for. Then in walk March and you could say that the whole situation gets a 100 times worse. Or better. Depends on your point of view.

I can’t say that this book is as good as the first one, but it is still good. Not as fast paced and explosive but still entertaining. It was nice to meet all the characters again. The whole March and Alex situation is certainly entertaining but still a little hard to wrap my mind around. It was not until the end that I really understood what have been going on the whole book. By then I felt some things could have been changed on, written in another way to give the story a little more depth about those three characters. There is no cliffhanger per say, but still an indication that there will be a third book. Now I know that it already exists a third, but at one point there wasn’t. You can see that in the book. I do however not like Islands passivity in this book. She stands in situations with blind eyes and takes no action until the end.

I think the third book will be really entertaining and I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to have some explosive action, quirky characters, secrets, funny humor and heartwarming love.

Contemporary · Romance

Crash – Susan Fanetti

Book Chick1 Comment

32613951.jpg| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1995

Conrad “Radical” Jessup, Sergeant at Arms of the Brazen Bulls Motorcycle Club, has life just about where he wants it: he’s free of a bad marriage, and his club is cruising along healthy and strong, their business relationships as solid as their brotherhood. He’s a contented man, riding his road at his speed.

Until a massive highway wreck brings a blonde on a little sportster crashing into his life.

Willa Randall is making a new life in Tulsa, working hard to put a demolished past in her rearview mirror. Trying to keep herself safe, she’s built a life insulated by locks and walls. Inside those walls, she’s alone, but she feels secure, and that’s enough.

Until a big, tattooed biker holds out his hand and helps her up from the pavement.

A love seeded in chaos grows fast and deep. But when chaos is a constant, can any love endure?

Untitled

My thoughts: I have read one book by Fanetti, earlier back in 2016, and I can’t remember on top of my head, why I did not finish the Signal Bend series, but I must have had my reasons. Crash is the first book in the series about another MC Club that do exist in the same universe but still are a standalone series from the signal bend series.

It is a good plot and it certainly had potential, but for me, I had problem with connecting to the characters. And I don’t really know why. They are characters I usually love and connect with. Willa is this strong, kick ass woman, who have been in a shitty situation for like the last 10 years. But she has a fighting spirit and with her protecting dog Ollie she feels strong and ready for whatever will happen and she do not need a man to “save” her. Then we have Rad. Hard skinned, stubborn, overprotecting, sexy and hot alpha male who is happy to finally have peace in his life after a bad childhood and an even worse marriage. But he is open to his feelings and when Willa comes crashing into his life he takes the chance to explore and find even more.

How can I NOT love this? It is like I wrote the plot myself. It is like all that I want from this type of books. But still it didn’t do it for me. When I think about the highlights of the book, it still feels kind of grey and bland for me. I read the story but there was not really anything that captivated me. It is a good read. It’s just not a great read. One thing I really liked is that even though it is predictable, I could point out early in the story, stuff that would happen, it did not happen as I first had expected it. So even if it is predictable, it was not as predictable as I had predicted. Haha.

Everyday things

Top 10 Romantic book <3

Book ChickLeave a comment

14 February, the day of love. Cupid, hearts, roses and chocolate. A little too much for my personally taste. A little to shallow and forced. Love should not be forced like that. It should come in the small, everyday life. I have been in a steady relationship for 10 years and we have never really “celebrated” valentine’s day so this is no “I’m single and hate Valentine’s day” rant. And since I’m not going to celebrate it this year either I thought, maybe I should. But instead of celebrating cheesy love, why not celebrate books? Romantic books. Because even if I don’t celebrate the day for love, I’m a total romantic buff. And of course, I read romantic books.

I have compiled a list with 10 of my favorite romantic books from different genres. We have some dark, some happy, some suspense and some contemporary. A little bit of everything and it is all romantic. Look and see what you think and please leave a comment if you wish before you go.

Happy Valentine’s day.
❤ XOXO ❤

1018739485.jpg
King by T.M Frazier. This is not a book for the faint hearted or easily offended people. Here you get some heavy and hot sex, lies and destructive behavior but still a great story. I do however have to warn you that this is not a standalone series and it will end on a cliffhanger. But it is totally worth it.

 

9
18399198Kidnapped by Suzanne Ferrell. Here you have a strong, opinionated, headstrong and lovable nurse who gets to experience her worst night of all nights. We have a strong, alpha male who work in law enforcement but risks it all to save this young, sweet little boy. Get yourself ready for the ride of your life and a love story who sparks from the darkest ground and lights up the sky. This is the first book in the stand-alone series about the Edgar’s family.

 

8
33724Can you keep a secret? by Sophie Kinsella. Imagine yourself in a position where you reveal your darkest secrets to a stranger and later finds out that this stranger can both save your ass or ruin your life for all eternity. What would you do? Well I would probably do as Emma does in this book. And it is hilarious.

 

7
10964Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. If you haven’t read it, at least you should give it a try. You may not like it, but then you don’t have to hear “what, you haven’t read it?! You must read it! It is just that good!” Yeah the book Is THAT good and I totally love it and I wish everyone would just read it so the mankind can move on to other books to rave about.

 

6
25676540Preacher by Dahlia West. The book for you with an open mind. This one took me by total surprise and became one of my favorite books of all times. Yeah that is how good this is. And the female main character is everything I want to be and the story so catching that it is hard to put it down. And there is some heavy, sexy romance in it to. 😉

 

5
11381643Playing for keeps by R.L Mathewson. I rave about this stand-alone series to everyone who would listen. I feel that this book does not get the recognition that it deserves and it is one of my favorites. Too bad the cover is so ugly. But do not judge the book by its cover and I’m so glad that I didn’t do just that because I love this and the whole series is just so heartwarming and wonderful.

 

44
33288638Wait for it by Mariana Zapata. Did not know what to expect but I certainly did not see myself read this book, with its 670 pages, in one go with only bathroom and some small food breaks. I love when a book gets me that wrapped up, but it is total killer on my body and head. Still worth it and you still need to read this if you not already done it.

 

33
30197979Spotless by Camilla Monk. Friend of mine recommended this series. Right now, I only have read this but it is so good and funny that the whole world need to know about it. This is also one of those few books I feel would be great as a comedy movie with the right actors.

 
22406849Matilda’s last waltz by Tamara McKinley. An old-time, romantic book with family secrets, lies and love in the Australian farmland. The book that started my love for Australia and fire for historical suspense. Great read I need to read again soon someday.

 

11
27852385The seventh hour by Tracey Ward. I’m not a big fan of the Young Adult genre so when I read one of these full score, hit me on the head and let me die, romantic books, AND no one is talking about it, it just makes me sad. This book is so good, so great and worth every penny. And it is not one of those mushy and meek type of YA romantic books either. It is just perfect.

 

heart

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense

Take the key and lock her up – Lena Diaz

Book Chick1 Comment

22608022.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Lena Diaz returns with another sexy, thrilling Deadly Games novel and the darkest question of all: What do you do when your freedom could cost you your life?

Detective Emily O’Malley just stumbled upon a killer’s lair—and the remains of a woman he kept locked away for years. But this killer isn’t done yet. More women are missing, and all clues point to Devlin Buchanan—the man who seems to know just a little too much. Emily’s instincts are rarely wrong, and now they’re telling her this sexy, mysterious man is hiding something big …

As a trained assassin for EXIT Inc—a top-secret mercenary group posing as an international tour company—Devlin “Devil” Buchanan isn’t afraid to take justice into his own hands. But when the hot new detective on his trail gets too close to the organization and a contract is placed on her life, Devlin does the only thing he can: he turns rogue agent and kidnaps her to save her life.

With EXIT Inc closing in and passions running hot between them, Emily and Devlin must work together to find the missing women and clear both their names before time runs out … and the key to freedom is thrown away.

Untitled

My thoughts: I have not read that much by Diaz. Only this series and this book is the last one (as I understand it) in the series Deadly Games. I loved the first three books and they all got top score by me. These books are old fashion, romantic suspense that makes you want to stay home from work, sit in your reading nook and do nothing but read all day and night. That is how good these books have been. I must, however, say that I was a little disappointed on Diaz with this one. The story is awesome as always but I do not like the ending.

Well, it ended the only way it could have ended and that is fine. I’m satisfied by that. But since this is the last book, it should not have been as many questions (tough small) left for me as a reader. It should not imply that you will get all the answers if you start the series EXIT and then you read the synopsis about the first book in the EXIT series and there is nothing that implies that you will get your answers.

However, if you can ignore that those small questions won’t get any good answers, the book is awesome and I love all the characters. I love the story and I love how strong and fierce (in the right way) the female character is. It is just so good and I can’t say anything other than these books are so worth reading if you are a romantic suspense junky as I am.

Fantasy/Paranormal · Romance · Young, New adult/College

Fear University – Meg Collett

Book Chick1 Comment

26038790| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: I’ve always known I was a monster, and I don’t mean some teenage vampire shit either.

My mother abandoned me when I was ten years old because I have a freakish mutant disease that makes me incapable of feeling pain. I bounced from one foster family to another because too many people like to test my medical condition in a game of “Try To Make Ollie Scream.” At sixteen, I killed a man for taking that game too far.

Two years later, I’m still on the run in Kodiak, Alaska. Here, I’m the most dangerous person around, until I come face to face with a creature that should only exist in folklore. The monster is an aswang, and I, with my medical anomaly, am uniquely qualified to hunt the beast that haunts the night. At least, that’s what the two scarred, mostly crazy ‘swang hunters tell me when they kidnap me and take me to Fear University, a school where young students learn to hunt and kill aswangs.

I arrive at the university a prisoner, but I stay because I finally find my freedom.

For once in my life, I belong. I’m needed. I make a home for myself inside the university masquerading as an old Alaskan prison. Something close to happiness warms my icy heart when I’m with my scarred, still mostly crazy tutor, Luke Aultstriver. For a murdering runaway like me, Fear University is a haven where I can put my skills to good use hunting monsters in the night.

But when certain truths come to light and even more lies are exposed, I fear that I, Ollie Andrews, am the worst kind of monster of all. And, maybe, they should be hunting me.

Untitled

My thoughts: First off, before I start to talk about the book itself. I don’t know if it is the authors fault or someone else but either way. Do not, I repeat, PLEASE DO NOT end the e-book under 90%. It makes you as an reader feel cheated, and that is not a good feeling to have your reader sit with at the end. Even more important so if the book ends on a cliffhanger. It happened with this book. Ended on a cliffhanger when I thought I had at least 10% left of the book to read. Not a good feeling at all. An quite frankly, it makes me a little pissed off and not wanting to read the second book. I will of course someday read it, because I need to know how it will end, but it will probably take awhile.

So what about the book itself? It is really good. Fresh and quite imaginative. Asuwangs is from an old Filipino folklore and I have seen and heard a lot about it from the movie world. But really not read anything. So I did not know exactly what to expect. But the story is exciting and filled with lies, mystery’s, really good characters and suspense. I like the dynamic and I like what the book is starting to build up. It’s twisted and you think you know how it all is put together but in the end that is just wrong. I do not, however, like Ollie that much. Well I like her fine, but for a girl who has been through everything she has been through, she is quite naive and really childish sometimes. And it does not get any better. I do hope she grow up some in the next book because if not, I don’t know if I want to continue reading.

I do not know the history with Asuwangs but have read a little about it now after the book and if I get it right, Collett (Which is not of Filipino descent) has done a great job with mixing the history with her line of the story and make it believable.

So as soon I have forgotten the “betrayal” I will read the second book and I really hope it is as good as the first one.

How do you feel about books ending before you think it will and cliffhangers?

Contemporary · Romance

Dark Horse – Jessica Gadziala

Book Chick4 Comments

35228953| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: He needed it.
The new job.
The new city.
The new life.
The second chance.
And nothing could stand in his way.
Except, maybe, the sexy as hell spitfire he found himself suddenly in competition with for a job he thought was his.
Amongst trying to begin again, office politics, and a case that wasn’t quite what it seemed, he needed to try to keep his mind off the spirited Espen, a task that was going to prove extremely difficult…

Untitled

My thoughts: This is the third book in the Dark series by Gadziala and so far, my favorite. It is funny, exciting and the characters, OH wow. Enzo has been a character that just has lurked around in the background in several other books. But you haven’t gotten a god read of him and at first I thought he was a bad guy. Well he was but not that type of bad guy as I first thought. And he is so much better.

And Espen. Ooo I like Espen. (Not the name though. In my country that’s a guy’s name. :P) She is one of those “Take no shit”, kind of girls who stands on her own two legs and can take care of herself. I think she goes a little too far sometimes but then Enzo comes in and bring her back to earth. And it is just wonderful.

However, I did miss some suspense. I feel that Gadzialas books have changed and there is no real suspense anymore. It is a nice story and all, but I also want that feeling when you can’t put the book down and hardly breath and you just want, NEED, to know how it will end. Did not quite get that feeling here.

Contemporary · Humor/Funny · Mystery/Crime · Romance

Spotless – Camilla Monk

Book Chick2 Comments

30197979.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Island Chaptal—nerdy IT engineer by day, romance novel junkie by night—just walked into her messy New York apartment to find Mr. Right waiting for her. No, wait…Mr. Clean.

A gentleman professional killer with a bad case of OCD and zero tolerance for unsorted laundry, March isn’t there to kill her…yet. He wants the diamond her late mother stole for a sinister criminal organization. Island agrees to help him find it, facing the kind of adversaries who dismember first and ask questions later. Good thing she’s got March to show her the ropes. And the guns. And the knives.

The buttoned-up Island is soon having a blast racing from Paris to Tokyo following the clues in her mother’s will, and for the first time, she’s ready to get close to someone. But falling for a hit man may be the very definition of loving dangerously.…

Spotless marks the beginning of Island and March’s ongoing adventures.

Untitled

My thoughts: This is the first book of an series that an friend have recommended me. I finally got to the first book and I do not have words for what I’m feeling right now. I’m in love. In love with March and his bad OCD. He is such an broken soul and my heart cries for him. There is an little story in the book (about how he was caught and thrown in prison as an teenager) and it made me cry. It is so bad. Maybe it effected me so much because I have been there, but no longer are. Not as bad anyway. And I can still understand and relate. I really like Island even though that she is a little stupid. Or no, not stupid, but naive is probably the better word. It was some bits in the book that I was just angry at her and her actions. Come one, use your head. You are suppose to be smart. But yeah, if you are a little naive maybe it isn’t that easy.

The story is exciting, speedy and really cliffhanging. I could not stop reading and read this book in one go. I only stopped to eat and use the bathroom. That is how good this book was. But afterwards my head hurt a lot and that I cried to the ending did not help. I can’t handle this long reading sprees as well anymore. I’m getting old. 😉

There is 3.5 more books in this series so I know I will get to meet them all again, but I have had trouble to decide if I should continue the series right away or wait a bit. I chose to wait. Mostly because if the second book is as good as the first, I do not want to start it right before a new work week. I need some free time if it will be the same again. That is how good this book was. 😀

Fiction/Science Fiction · Romance · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

The Darkest Corner – Liliana Hart

Book Chick1 Comment

32620320| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: The Gravediggers aren’t exactly what they seem. They’re the most elite of the world’s fighting forces—and all they have in common is that they’ve been betrayed by the countries they’ve died for. Because they are dead. To their country, their military, and their families.

Sometimes the dead do rise…

Deacon Tucker is a dead man walking. A former black ops agent, he was disavowed and stripped of all honor before being recruited as a Gravedigger. But his honor and good name no longer matter, because no one knows he’s alive, and he’ll never get the recognition he deserves. His mission is simple: save the world or die trying. And for God’s sake, don’t ever fall in love. That’s a rule punishable by death. The kind of death a man can’t be brought back from.

Tess Sherman is the only mortician in Last Stop, Texas. She has no idea how Deacon Tucker ended up in her funeral home, but she’ll eat her hat if he’s only a funeral home assistant. Deacon is dangerous, deadly, and gorgeous. And she knows her attraction to him can only end in heartache.

Deacon is on a mission to stop the most fatal terror attack the world has ever known—what’s known as The Day of Destiny—a terrorist’s dream. But when he discovers Tess has skills he can use to stop them, he has to decide if he can trust her with secrets worth dying for. And, most important, he has to decide if he can trust her with his heart.

Untitled

My thoughts: Okay book. I liked bits and pieces of it. But it was not an great book and frankly , i’m a bit disappointed. I have read like 13 books by Liliana Hart and for the most part I have really liked them. She writes characters who are fun, quirky and really lovable and you cant not love the male heroes. They are awesome. But there is nothing of that in this one.

Somewhat repeatable. Specially about Tess’s temper, read hair and white skin. About Deacons “undead” life and past. There is no real explanations to WHY Deacon is where he is and they all is a little boring. The only character that actually did anything for me was Eve and I completely loath her. So yeah.

I’m not even sure if I will bother to read the next book in the series. Since I have read so many books by Hart and know what she is capable to do, I feel thorn. Should I risk wasting time on another mediocre book or should I risk missing one great story?

Contemporary · Romance

Wait for it – Mariana Zapata

Book Chick3 Comments

33288638.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis:If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn’t been one long enough.

Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing half the time. How she’s made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn’t supposed to be so hard.
With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for.

Except for a boyfriend.
Or a husband.
But who needs either one of those?

Untitled

My thoughts: I read “The wall of Winnipeg and me” (twowam) earlier this year and back then I did not know Zapatas books or writing style. I have had this book in my Kindle long before I even read “twowam” but there is always been something there who have stopped me from actually starting the book. But now I have read it and i’m so happy I finally did because O MY GOSH this book is good. It is even greater than “twowam” and I freaking loved that book.

This one is also an slow burn and wordy book but I feel I was a lot more prepared for it this time. There is also a lot more characters in the story and even two kids. And I freaking loved the youngest one.

The story is great and really believable. The characters is warm, funny and feels real. The only thing I feel that I need to comment on is that Dallas mood and personality do not quite match his backstory but that is okay. He is freaking great and I totally love Diana to. The relationship develops in a natural pace and I was not bored for one second. I can see how some readers can feel this book boring because it is not that much going on. But Zapata has an great ability to write an day to day story without at least boring me out and that is a valuable thing for me to like an author. Because I get easily bored.

This book gave me major hangover but it is so good and so worth it and you just have to read it. If you want. 😉

Contemporary · Romance

Eli – Jessica Gadziala

Book Chick4 Comments

35905878| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Six years on the inside gave a man a lot of time to think. And a lot of time to plan. When I got out, I was determined for things to go a different way. I never wanted to lose control and rage out again.

The only way to accomplish that, though, was to shut it all down.
Complete disconnect.

That meant no family, no friends, no links to anything attached to the man I was before.

Of course the problem was, I never factored HER into my plans. And try as I might, I couldn’t find a way to shut it down, to disconnect from her.

I had a sneaking suspicion she was going to take all my carefully constructed plans and toss them out the window, was going to force me to face up the demons inside and confront the ghosts from my past.

Those ghosts?
They wore the faces of my family.

And a confrontation with them, yeah, I had a feeling it was going to show me that I had spent six years taking action on beliefs about the demons inside. Demons that had never actually existed in the first place…

Untitled

My thoughts: Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful book. And finally I got Eli’s story. He has been an character through out the series you just see but not really hear anything from. He is an tortured soul with the whole world and family on his shoulders. I was absolutely shocked when the ending in book three came and you got to learn that Eli is going to prison. My heart hurt for him and his family. And it certainly was no easier now reading the full story.

The really funny thing with this book is that it is somewhat different from what Jessica Gadziala usually writes. There is no real suspense. No Heroin who needs saving or Hero to do the saving. No bad blood, wars or fights. It is just clean, emotional, humanly raw stuff that the most of us has at some point in our life experienced. The pressure from family or society. The need for love and connection and finding you place in the world. And here it is really the Heroin who does the saving by just being there.

And the book is just that. Raw with a hint of humor. And I cried my heart out and it was so good. Loved the characters but I have to say that Peyton totally stole the show and it is not even her book. And I really looking forward to be reading hers.

I cant do anything else than recommend it to you. It is so good.