Bad Breakup, Billionaire’s Club Book 2, Elise Faber

Bad Breakup, Billionaire’s Club Book 2, Elise Faber

Genre: romance

I liked the sound of this, wasn’t expecting intense, but sometimes though I love drama, angst, intensity I want something a little softer and this sounded great for that.

Sadly it wasn’t a good fit for me, nothing wrong with the writing, the characters or the story in itself, it was the characters actions that spoiled the story for me.
I don’t like the way two “so in love” characters wouldn’t even speak to each other after a major event like that, especially after they’ve already had one bad break-up. Having got past that would they really not talk about what happened? Most of us would want to know why at least, its human nature to want to know why we weren’t good enough.
That let the story down from both characters, I really liked them but didn’t feel that behaviour was reflective of the people they were – or seemed to be.

The past/present format is one I quite like, it lets me see the past as it plays out, not via a POV of someone who may have slanted opinions.
The Present in this novel covers so little time though that I just didn’t really get a sense of reality, of the seriousness of what was happening. It felt like events were very lust driven when both characters were the strong type that I felt would have wanted to know they whys of the past first.
I couldn’t see that Cecelia would have caved so quickly given what she thought would happen, and likewise Colin. Would he really have pursued her believing what he did? I know it was a pretty convincing lie that was set up, but to so easily be duped when you supposedly love someone enough to share the rest of your life with them?

Its a shame I couldn’t empathise with the couples’ actions as the story plot and set up was excellent. I could see that others actions may well lead to That Event, in just the way its described. Its the shock factor, the sense of betrayal that governs immediate reactions, not the side of our brain that says “this person loves you, would they really do that?” so a short breakup is understandable. I don’t feel either lead behaved in the way I’d have expected them to, by letting it go on not just months but years. Its hard to believe either would just let all that time pass without trying to find out what, why and how, for a couple so in Love to just let it drop, fade away without challenge.
Maybe a much shorter separation, a few weeks say, and more reality in the present actions, and this would have been a perfect read for me. Still, as always what I want isn’t what everyone wants, and this will be perfect for other readers as it is.

Stars: Two and a half. I didn’t dislike all the book, loved the characters, and the cause of breakup number two was so cleverly done. Sadly the actions, or rather the inactions, of the couple let to it being a story that didn’t work for me.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

Love under fire collection. Review of Chasing Secrets, Alyssa Richards

I’m reviewing one book from this series, Alyssa Richard’s Chasing Secrets. Anthologies are a terrific way to try out new-to- you authors for a small price, 21 stories here for under four quid.

Chasing Secrets, Alyssa Richards

Genre: fantasy and paranormal, romance

I’ve loved Alyssa’s other stories but this one didn’t seem to work well for me. Its well written as usual, its one of those “just not the right fit” times, not that there’s anything wrong with the story. It could be personal circumstances, I’m a bit stressed, having sold my house and the one I’m buying has been delayed, so I’m staying with daughter, living in her conservatory, and its not best place for getting lost in a story.

Anyway, Barbara has an unusual gift – she’s able to “read” people from their name, doesn’t need to meet them, just needs their first name. She can tell one Steven from another, doesn’t need any extra info but is able to tap into the right person.
She’s married to David, who adores her, and they’re expecting their first child. David’s been a little stressed though, and suddenly he’s gone, murdered in front of her. In the resulting chaos she miscarries, and its taken her time to try to move forward.
She’s beginning to make a new life, albeit very staid, when the past rushes up to her with David’s killers attacking her, demanding she return stolen diamonds. She knows nothing about them, but they aren’t convinced and it becomes dangerous for her and her family.
Hiding out from them she meets Griffin, an archaeologist, and there’s a spark between them they can’t ignore. As always though romance comes with problems and Griffin is due to start an new search through history far away from Barbara.

Barbara’s gift was interesting and Griffin’s project and reasons for moving to Greece very real. Its the kind of thing that happens in real life, couples meet but one is about to move, and its a question of move and abandon possible relationship or try long distance one, or stay and possibly regret lost opportunities. Hard choice either way.
There were some excellent characters in the book, and a very real plot but….overall its wasn’t a story I was gripped by. I’d guessed early on one big “secret”, and the way the killers tracked her seemed like something I’d have expected police to check. There were clues that seemed so unfathomable, and yet Barbara and Griffin found the meanings behind them so easily. Then there’s the way they were able to just walk up to someone’s home, and chip a brick out of the front in their search! They were spotted and had to run, but who does that, damages a strangers home in broad daylight? I’d have expected them to come prepared at night, when unlikely to be seen.
I just felt the problems were tough, but the way they found solutions just too slick, too easy.

Stars: Three, a well written story but one that didn’t work for me right now.

Arc via author

Staged, Olivia Cunning.

Staged, Olivia Cunning.

Genre: Romance

Way back when I got my first kindle I found a free book I liked the sound of. It was Brian and Myra’s story, the first Sinners book. I loved it and went on to buy the rest. I wasn’t so taken with the Sole Regret novels, liked them but as one off reads. I was so keen to read Exodus End books, having met Dare several times in Sinners novels. I’m still keen to read his story, he’s a solid, quiet, unassuming guy, and I think his novel will be special.

Still, we’re book three into Exodus End, and I’d expected to devour this story. I’ll be honest, Steve wasn’t one of my favourite characters, but we see some suprising depth to him here. At first though I really disliked him, sulky and sullen, whining because his best friend’s band has been replaced as opener, and the way he treats ladies….yep, he was misogynistic. Speaking of his best friend, Zach is a great character, and though he’s not involved in any of the bands so far, I think he has a great story in him.

I really wanted to like this story, but it took a while before events of last two books came to me, its been a while and several hundred novels since I read them. As well as the characters we already know, there are quite a few new ones. I did find this and some of the plot-lines a bit confusing, and at times the story was hard to believe, mainly the Tamara/Bianca/Susan aspect.
I felt too, that in this book the sex became the story – its fine for many readers but not me. In other novels the sex has always been to the fore, these are very erotic novels after all, but balanced with solid plots. Here the main plot seemed pretty thin, much of it only developing in last part of the book, and at a pace that felt rushed. I felt there were pages and pages and pages of sex, interspersed with a little bit of story and then yet more sex. To be honest after a while its gets boring, there’s only so many times I want to read about sex, only so many ways to write it without it becoming repetitive. Here it became just mechanics rather then sensual. There were several times when I felt the sex and the conversations about sex became OTT, frankly reading about Roux not being hungry any more because she’d had too much come, ( no I just can’t use the US expression…) and whether it was vegetarian or not was more than I wanted to read. Likewise his request for her to text him everything – even when she was “having a dump”. Really, that’s a good line – or lines, it came up more than once- for the story??

Then there’s That event, which I felt was incredibly serious, sadly happens too often, but between brushing it off or demanding it be reported I felt it wasn’t really given enough time, not the treatment it deserved. When copious pages have been devoted to sex surely a few more could have been spared for this. Its a horrific thing to happen, would it have been treated this way if it happened to a female? I felt it really let down its importance that it was just added almost as a quick filler plot.

Stars: Two. Overall this book wasn’t a success for me. I still love the others and want to read Dare’s story, but this one just didn’t cut it.

ARC via Netgalley and publishers

The Girl in the Corner, Amanda Prowse

The Girl in the Corner, Amanda Prowse

Genre: , Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (Adult)

Usual grump – Women’s fiction as a genre, just why? Men read all sorts of stories too….why alienate them?

Anyway, I enjoy Amanda’s books, she writes tales that make me think “what would I do in that situation”, has characters and settings that feel very real.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as some of her other stories though, the settings and characters were terrific as usual, but the story – I felt that for so much of the book I was waiting, waiting for something to happen, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it wasn’t until very near the end that it did. I’d have liked a bit more of what happens then, instead of the brief opening into Rae’s future we see.

Its a tale that happens way to often, wife ( or husband) thinks everything is wonderful, and then finds out that their adored and loyal partner has been playing away…what next? Carry on regardless for the sake of the family? Try to forgive and move forward? Or divorce/separation? I always think, how could I trust that person again? That kind of betrayal is so hard to get past, I’m not sure I could forgive and move on. I think that would be a hard barrier for me, the one I can’t forget.
Can Rae move forward though? And in what direction? She really needed to talk it through but Dolly is Howard’s sister, and though they’ve been best friends for so many years, Dolly has divided loyalties. It meant Rae looking at her life introspectively, looking at not just her and Howard’s relationship, but all the family ties, at what happened to the Rae who wanted to be someone but instead became the person supporting everyone else. Its got a huge potential for looking at what could happen if she decided differently, and I so felt for her in her having to decide without the soundboard of Dolly to help her.

Of course nothing happens in isolation and looking back we can see where the routes for different paths were going, where what one person perceives isn’t necessarily the truth – a great example of that was Rae’s view of her childhood and family relationships, where what she thought of events and decisions was how it seemed to her, but not what her parents intended her to feel. That sounds tangled, you’ll need to read the story to understand I think…What Rae sees as her parents not supporting her ambition to be a chef turns out to be her parents fearing that way led to hard work and no reward for Rae, whereas they wanted what they saw as the best for her, that she was clever enough to work in an office, the pinnacle of achievement in their eyes. She thinks they’re unsupportive, that her sister is the one they support, but what they intend is to make Rae be the best she can, and office work in their eyes is something their clever daughter can aspire to. As adults looking back we can see that what we though wasn’t necessarily what was intended.

Like I said, I enjoyed this story, but didn’t love it, its not one I’d reread. I just felt for so much of the story I was waiting for the next section, that so much of the book covered the same ground while Rae mulled over what had happened and what she should do – I’m sure that’s very real, what people in her situation do but for me it wasn’t very entertaining reading.

Stars: Three, another very real story from Amanda but not one of my favourites. Still, that’s just my opinion and I can see that its a perfect story for other readers.

ARC via Netgalley and publishers

Christmas Secrets by the Sea, Jane Lovering

Christmas Secrets by the Sea, Jane Lovering

Genre: Humour, romance

I’ve read several of Jane’s stories now, and she has a style of writing I really like. I’m cautious when a book is styled as “humour” as so many are just that forced, OTT that I simply just don’t like them. Jane’s humour though is typical British subtle humour.
The romance is muted, a side part of the overall story but was very satisfying and the perfect ending.
I loved the characters, Tansy, clearly escaping from something – but what? It takes the full length of the book for everything to come out, little bits are released along the story but you always know she’s holding back something more. Likewise Davin, he’s so obnoxious to begin then as we get to know the real man, the secrets of his past I really liked him. He’s got a real sensitivity about him, something that isn’t apparent until we get to know him.
The rest of the cast are great too, Karen from the cafe, Rory, a typical teen, written so well. Everything’s a drama at that age, its all highs or all down dramas….I loved his openness and how close he was to his mum, how protective of her he was. Even Larch had me warming to her by the end. People really aren’t as they first seem all the while, some just need you to get to know them, in real life and in books.
Then there’s the real stars of the story Brian and Seelie, they were so perfect. They brought a lightness into more serious moments, brought people together, brought in some gentle humour ( Brian and the ever present sardines and seaweed) and provided real emotional support to Davin and Tansy, something they both really needed.
Its a wonderful story, fully of whimsy and gentle humour, a terrific story and wonderful characters, all wrapped up in a very satisfying ending.

Stars: Five, a fantastic read, one that kept me gripped, sniggering one moment and emotional the next.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

A Recipe for Disaster, Belinda Missen

A Recipe for Disaster,  Belinda Missen

Genre: Romance, women’s fiction

Well, usual pet hate- Women’s fiction – why? Why not general fiction – men read romance too!

I liked the sound of this, light and easy, perfect for a lazy summer day reading. Its a second chance romance too and I’m a sucker for those.
It started well, and I was soon hooked into Lucy’s world, enjoying her anger about school meals, irritation with her boyfriend and loved meeting her family and friends. Lucy is like one of us, ordinary person with ordinary troubles. I felt I knew her, there are Lucys on every street.

I felt for her when things went wrong at work, and when she started with The Cakes, I was happy for her but…I didn’t really understand why someone so focused on ambition gave up everything. Reading later its as if her and Oliver have plans to conquer the culinary world, and then he’s gone and she just gives up. Maybe it was that boring thing that affects many of our choices, money. She certainly struggled with paying bills and keeping her house going.
I think that struggle is one reason I really didn’t take to Oliver – he left, became rich and famous and yet didn’t think of Lucy, love of his life at one time, struggling financially. Didn’t think – “oh, I really ought to keep up my part of the bills” and drop her some cash. Its not like he hasn’t got it.
I didn’t really warm to him for a long while, didn’t really feel the connection between him and Lucy, and as the story went on I even got irritated at Lucy at times. She let the big things go and nit picked at small ones, and her reactions sometimes got a bit annoying.
I did like Oliver more as I got to know him, did see he loved Lucy, and her him, but somehow I wasn’t convinced that they could work things out. They were still angry at each other, and they’d said some pretty horrible things. At times too it seemed like Lucy was a convenient wife for Oliver, something to give him a stable background and I kept wondering, did he really want her back or was this another step in his ambition? Lucy was so angry and upset still that I felt there needed to be way more trust, way more talking and understanding if they had a chance of working it out.
Sometimes love isn’t enough, and for me I just felt by the end these two were still on a rocky grounding.

Stars: I’m rating this a three star read, it was a decent read but I felt they needed more work for that HEA I want in a romance.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and Publishers

Discovering You, Indigo Book 1, Kate McBrien

Discovering You, Indigo Book 1, Kate McBrien

Genre: erotica, romance

I loved this book, and am looking forward to books two and three. Book two is actually out now and three due soon. It amazed me that this is a debut novel, its very easy to read where debuts can feel disjointed and run out of steam at times. Everyone has to begin somewhere and writing is like any other skill, improves with practice. Reading this though, I would have believed Kate has been writing for years.

I love and hate trilogies, love that they really allow the reader to get to know the characters, that the length allows for plots to be fully explored. Hate because here I am engrossed in a story and it ends….and I’ve ages to wait for more. Some authors take 12-18 months between episodes and I’ve lost that impetus, that enjoyment by the time I pick up the story again. I usually wait til all three parts are out so I can read right through and avoid that, but fortunately book two in this trilogy is out now and book three should be along very soon.

I loved Lucy, hated her mum and thought her dad was weak. I love characters I can feel strongly about, really love/hate and there’s lots in this book. Sleazy Edward, I can see he’s got a big part to come- well, feels that way to me. I think Justin’s manager has something suspicious about him too, and of course there’s Rachel, Justin’s ex-without-dating, kind of fling when it suits them relationship, hot sex and nothing more. On his side anyway, though I think Rachel was looking for more. Not love, but the fame attached to being with him. All those promise some great fireworks to come.

When I saw the past present connection I thought maybe it was going to be along the lines of Susanna Kearsely’s stories. I’ve read loads of those, but so far the past is kept to a few small snippets at the beginning and end, and of course odd feelings and dreams both the leads have. I have the feeling the next book might show us more of the past, so far the connection is quite tenuous, but that doesn’t detract from a great story.
If you#’re not an erotica fan don’t be put off by the genre classification, there is plenty of heat, of steam here but its perfect within the story, nothing off-putting. So many “erotica” reads are just pages and pages of repetitive sex held together by a thin plot. This book is very far from that so I’d class it as a steamy romance rather than erotica.

Stars: five, a cracking debut read and I look forward to next two books.

Arc via netgalley and publishers

Legacy of Danger, Jillian David

Legacy of Danger, Jillian David

Genre: fantasy and paranormal, romance

I’m not convinced by this book, I was eager to know more of Vaughn but I didn’t really get a sense of the man he was and what seemed a huge issue between the brothers in the previous books, keeping him away from the ranch and family, just seemed to be passed over quickly now he’s back.
We’re ;earning more about the family’s strange gifts and the dangerous entity seeking them out but its still very much a real danger but from very vague sources, and the timing isn’t yet fixed. Its pretty clear its all coming to a head soon but I’m not sure I’m invested enough in the story to continue. Its well written and easy to read but I just feel a disconnect between the story and me, a personal issue. Possibly its down to current personal circumstances, and I’d feel differently at a later date, its not a story I in any way disliked, just that for now I found myself putting it aside several times, something I rarely do.

Stars: Three, a well written story but one that didn’t work for me right now.

Arc via ebook discovery.