★★★★
“I think you stole a piece of my heart the first night we met.”
Can we take a minute to admire this fine ass specimen with the dreamy bedroom eyes on the cover? That sultry stare is the main reason why I picked up this book. Actually who am I kidding—the cover was the ONLY reason why I picked up this book. I didn't even read the blurb before I dived into this one so I had no idea what to expect. Now that I've revealed my cover whorish ways, let's see if the rest of the book was just as sexy as its cover.
Sex, Not Love is a standalone romance all about taking a chance on love. Natalia and Hunter are two people who have been hurt in the past and they're not willing to put their hearts on the line again...or so they think. This book started off on a funny note with Natalia and Hunter running into each other every few months and I enjoyed seeing them go back and forth and watching Hunter charm his way into Natalia's life. Hunter eventually wears Natalia down and the two agree on a friends-with-benefits relationship. Hunter not only manages to charm Natalia, but also Natalia's family and her stepdaughter. Family plays an important role in this story and it's one of the reason why I enjoyed it so much. I especially loved Natalia's relationship with her stepdaughter, Isabella, and seeing their relationship that started off rocky become more stable with time. Also, Natalia's mama is hilarious. She is the reason why you don't mess with Italian mamas!
I honestly thought I wouldn't like Hunter when I first met him because he does come off as being cocky, but that's really all for show. He's actually a sweetheart and despite his words, he does care a lot for Natalia. Natalia on the other hand is so easy to love. I admire her strength and the fact that she put Isabella's well-being before anything. The romance does take some time to build which is understandable given Natalia's current situation with her ex-husband. Hunter also has issues of his own and the two must work through those issues before they can take the next step in their relationship. The wait for a happy ending does pay off and I'm glad that these two were able to put their fears aside and allow themselves the chance to let love in again. This may be my first book by Vi Keeland, but it most certainly won't be my last. I can't believe I waited so long to read one of Keeland's books but I sure as hell won't be putting off reading her other books any longer.
Sex, Not Love is a standalone romance all about taking a chance on love. Natalia and Hunter are two people who have been hurt in the past and they're not willing to put their hearts on the line again...or so they think. This book started off on a funny note with Natalia and Hunter running into each other every few months and I enjoyed seeing them go back and forth and watching Hunter charm his way into Natalia's life. Hunter eventually wears Natalia down and the two agree on a friends-with-benefits relationship. Hunter not only manages to charm Natalia, but also Natalia's family and her stepdaughter. Family plays an important role in this story and it's one of the reason why I enjoyed it so much. I especially loved Natalia's relationship with her stepdaughter, Isabella, and seeing their relationship that started off rocky become more stable with time. Also, Natalia's mama is hilarious. She is the reason why you don't mess with Italian mamas!
I honestly thought I wouldn't like Hunter when I first met him because he does come off as being cocky, but that's really all for show. He's actually a sweetheart and despite his words, he does care a lot for Natalia. Natalia on the other hand is so easy to love. I admire her strength and the fact that she put Isabella's well-being before anything. The romance does take some time to build which is understandable given Natalia's current situation with her ex-husband. Hunter also has issues of his own and the two must work through those issues before they can take the next step in their relationship. The wait for a happy ending does pay off and I'm glad that these two were able to put their fears aside and allow themselves the chance to let love in again. This may be my first book by Vi Keeland, but it most certainly won't be my last. I can't believe I waited so long to read one of Keeland's books but I sure as hell won't be putting off reading her other books any longer.
BURIED IN LIES by T.L. SMITH
★★★
“...to fall for the madman you must first taste the devil.”
T.L. Smith is a new-to-me-author who I discovered when the cover for Buried in Lies was revealed. This cover literally gave me chills and I was crossing my fingers that this dark romance would end up being a winner since I haven't had much luck when it comes to dark romances this year.
Buried in Lies is a suspenseful tale about twisted siblings and the girl who came between them. Jaya usually keeps to herself, that is until she meets Toska and her brother Syler and her world is turned upside down. This book started off good and I was completely sucked in with trying to figure out what exactly these siblings were up to and then shit hit the fan and the plot was just all over the place. I think my main issue was that there was just too much craziness going on at once and I wish instead that Smith took the time to develop the plot more. There was also no shock value. Like where was my shookethness??
I don't really know how I feel about any of these characters. I don't hate them, but I don't very well like them either. I guess they didn't really leave much of an impression on me. I was really rooting for the romance in this book and I liked the whole "mouse and wolf play" that Jaya and Syler had going on. But then everything just went downhill because of the sibling drama and Jaya's indecisiveness. The last 25% of the book is basically Jaya deciding whether or not she should leave town and it was just a waste because the conflict ends up being easily resolved and I was left feeling unsatisfied. Buried in Lies was an okay read that fell short in the end. I'm not sure if I'll pick up Smith's books in the future but if I do, I hope they're better than this book.
Buried in Lies is a suspenseful tale about twisted siblings and the girl who came between them. Jaya usually keeps to herself, that is until she meets Toska and her brother Syler and her world is turned upside down. This book started off good and I was completely sucked in with trying to figure out what exactly these siblings were up to and then shit hit the fan and the plot was just all over the place. I think my main issue was that there was just too much craziness going on at once and I wish instead that Smith took the time to develop the plot more. There was also no shock value. Like where was my shookethness??
I don't really know how I feel about any of these characters. I don't hate them, but I don't very well like them either. I guess they didn't really leave much of an impression on me. I was really rooting for the romance in this book and I liked the whole "mouse and wolf play" that Jaya and Syler had going on. But then everything just went downhill because of the sibling drama and Jaya's indecisiveness. The last 25% of the book is basically Jaya deciding whether or not she should leave town and it was just a waste because the conflict ends up being easily resolved and I was left feeling unsatisfied. Buried in Lies was an okay read that fell short in the end. I'm not sure if I'll pick up Smith's books in the future but if I do, I hope they're better than this book.
FREE FALL by EMILY GOODWIN
★★★½
“Nora is light. I am dark. Am I a fool for thinking she can brighten my life without me darkening hers?.”
I've seen rave reviews about Emily Goodwin's books in the past so I decided to pick up her latest release and give her romances a try. Fun fact, the models on the cover are actually a couple in real life! How adorable is that??!!
Free Fall is an emotional romance about finding the light when you're surrounded by darkness. Nora Fisher and Jack Harrington both have rough pasts and it's what ends up bringing them together. I really enjoyed the writing in this book and even shed a few tears here and there. What kept me from enjoying this story more was that I felt like some parts were just too over the top for my liking, especially when it came to the romance. There were just unnecessary drama and excuses for why these two shouldn't be together. Like don't make things harder than they have to be, lol. I also felt that this story could've been cut down by a few chapters if it weren't for the drama.
I loved Nora from the start! This girl has been through hell and has lost so much, yet she still has this ability to be so selfless and positive. I was just rooting for her to find her forever home so she was no longer on her own. I didn't quite connect with Jack as much as I would've liked. I can't put my finger on it, but there was just something missing for me when it came to his character. I did like how Jack's PTSD was handled. It was accurately portrayed and I appreciated the fact that there wasn't a "quick fix" to his trauma. Instead, Jack and Nora work together to help him deal with his PTSD in a healthy manner and take things day by day. While there were some things about Free Fall that I didn't like, I'll definitely be reading more of Goodwin's books in the future. Hopefully those will end up being more of a hit.
Free Fall is an emotional romance about finding the light when you're surrounded by darkness. Nora Fisher and Jack Harrington both have rough pasts and it's what ends up bringing them together. I really enjoyed the writing in this book and even shed a few tears here and there. What kept me from enjoying this story more was that I felt like some parts were just too over the top for my liking, especially when it came to the romance. There were just unnecessary drama and excuses for why these two shouldn't be together. Like don't make things harder than they have to be, lol. I also felt that this story could've been cut down by a few chapters if it weren't for the drama.
I loved Nora from the start! This girl has been through hell and has lost so much, yet she still has this ability to be so selfless and positive. I was just rooting for her to find her forever home so she was no longer on her own. I didn't quite connect with Jack as much as I would've liked. I can't put my finger on it, but there was just something missing for me when it came to his character. I did like how Jack's PTSD was handled. It was accurately portrayed and I appreciated the fact that there wasn't a "quick fix" to his trauma. Instead, Jack and Nora work together to help him deal with his PTSD in a healthy manner and take things day by day. While there were some things about Free Fall that I didn't like, I'll definitely be reading more of Goodwin's books in the future. Hopefully those will end up being more of a hit.
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