Quickie Reviews For You (5)

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A short post featuring a few quick reviews. Short, sweet and all in one post.

Again, I am running behind on writing up reviews. Work and personal life has been hectic the last few weeks. So I am bringing in another edition of Quickie Reviews For You. This time I am featuring books that fell into the 2 Star rating.

 

devil you knowDevil You Know by Max Henry
2 Star
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $2.99)
A simple case of cover lust had me buying this book. I admit that I was sucked in more for the guy on the cover than the actual story content. *slaps hand* But could you really blame me? Then after I bought it, I actually read the summary and it sounded okay for a darker read. It wasn’t too bad and I actually considered giving it a 3 star. Then we had to keep repeating how bad of a secret Malice was keeping. Complete dud like waiting for an amazing firework and it fizzes out with smoke instead.

unmaskedUnmasked: Volume One by Cassia Leo
2 Star
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)
I actually liked the first few chapters of this book. It was different, dark and mysterious. Then after those first few chapters, the author starts adding more and more to the story that leaves the original plot overwhelmed. I had to reread several chapters at one point to try and figure out what the point of the story is again. Confusing characters and plot lead to a confused reader.

 

to live againTo Live Again by Dori Lavelle
2 Stars
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)
This is one of those books that you start reading and you feel okay going into it, but by the end you are left with an “EH” feeling. The plot and the romance was barely enough to keep me reading, but not enough to make me stop. Just a middle ground kind of read for me.

 

professor cline revealedProfessor Cline Revealed: Professor #1 by J.M. LaRocca
2 Stars
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $2.99)
Rinse. Wash. Repeat. Another book trying to be dark and bedroom dirty without fulfilling that erotic promise. The sex scenes were mundane and lacked passion with characters who were bland and boring. I just couldn’t get into it as much as other people have. It did have some memorable lines that I ended up highlighting on my kindle, but that was about it.

 

dirty secretsDirty Secrets by Jane O’Reilly
2 Stars
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $0.99)
I actually almost rated this one a 3 Star. It was one that I liked but didn’t love. It had the erotic elements I liked, but not enough time to really enjoy the scenes.  This is one of those stories that you wish was just a little bit longer so the character development would be more believable. Theo was a good character. I found him interesting and pretty high on the hotness scale. Jules is actually the thing that brought this down to a 2 star rating. How this supposed smart woman couldn’t figure out what I as a reader figured out right away was unbelievable.

 

dump dinnersDump Dinners Cookbook by Kristina Newman
2 Stars
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $2.99)
For people who struggle for quick and easy dinners, I thought Dump Recipes are genius! I found this one while searching for those kinds of recipes and followed a link to it on Amazon. Since I can barely boil water without burning down the house, I thought I would amaze my kids with a great dinner with little effort or expertise. While some of the dinners in here were good and fairly simple, some of the recipes were repeats and ones that sounded just plain horrible. I jotted maybe one or two of the recipes down, but didn’t measure up with the others.

 

uncagedloveUncaged Love #1 by JJ Knight
2 Stars
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) books are slowly becoming the rage. I have never really watched one, but after reading about them recently, I am starting to familiarize myself with the sport.  I really liked Colt in this book. I liked some of the other side characters in this book. I wasn’t much of a fan though of Jo.  I know if I was thrown into the job she was thrown into, it would have taken me a bit to get use to it all.  This book started quickly and finished way to soon. While I know it is part of a series, I didn’t like the ending. I might give the next book a try, but I am not making any promises.

 

 

Quickie Reviews For You (4)

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A short post featuring a few quick reviews. Short, sweet and all in one post.

This time, I am posting quick reviews on books that I have read this last week or so that have fallen into the 1 Star rating.

falling for emmaFalling For Emma by Alix Nichols
1 Star
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently free)
I love reading about characters with disabilities. When I came across this book I was so excited to find it. The hero is blind.  I couldn’t really find myself caring about the other characters or the plot though. It dragged and I barely made it to the end of this story.  The characters were flat, dull and not working for me.

 

summer skySummer Sky (Blue Phoenix #1) by Lisa Swallow
1 Star
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently free)
This is a book where you start out at the top of a hill and then, with each chapter, it goes downhill.  It started out good. Then as we got to read more about the characters and move along in the story, it just started falling short of interesting.  I lost interest quickly and felt relieved when I made it to the ending that fell short as well.

 

Stepbrother UntouchableStepbrother Untouchable — Outlaw Burn by Hailey Morgan
1 Star
GOODREADS / AMAZON  (currently $2.99)
I admit that I jumped on the bandwagon with this read.  Everywhere I looked online, readers were talking about stepbrother reads being a new obsession.  Either I didn’t read the right one, or the Stepbrother angle is not for me.  This book was corny and laugh out loud ridiculous.  Now it could of been just me since I was new to this trope, but it was over the top angst and dialogue.

 

chance her stepbrotherChance Her Stepbrother by Saffron Daughter
1 Star
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently free)
Again, the result of jumping on the bandwagon.  Another stepbrother read that just didn’t do it for me. I might have even rolled my eyes several times while reading this novella. I pushed myself to make it to the finish line and found myself even more disappointed in the ending.

Quickie Reviews For You (3)

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Another short post featuring a few quick reviews. Short, sweet and all in one post.

handymendoitbetterHandy Men Do It Better: Step One by Dan Sexton
1 Star
– This book was a hot mess of juvenile horny men.  I honestly had the hardest time making it to the last page of this book.  By the end of the book, I had no desire to continue the series.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)

 

mountainheroMountain Hero: Book 1 by Cheryl Yeko
3 Stars
– This was the predictable read, but written well enough to pass the time.  I enjoyed the two main characters but I did wish it had been just a tab bit longer.  There were a few weak points in the story. The side characters were bland to me.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $1.99)

 

thepleasureprincipleThe Pleasure Principle by Jane O’Reilly
2 Stars
– I am probably going to be in the minority here but this book wasn’t as well liked for me as it was for others.  I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the characters.  Yes the cover is hot. Yes the sexy time in the book was hot. Unfortunately, that was all I could bring myself to enjoy.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $3.14)

 

marketingbeefMarketing Beef by Rick Bettencourt
2 Stars
– This one had a few moments of laughing out loud dialogue.  One character is a shy introvert with parents who were fixated on tormenting him about a birthmark when he was younger.  In the other corner, we have a suave ad executive.  The sex scenes are minimal and not very steamy. The ending was much weaker than the first half of the book.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)

 

scornedScorned: From the Inside Out Book 1 by S.L. Scott
1 Star
– Another book that I am sure will leave me in the minority with my rating of one star. This relationship between Dylan and Juliette is a mess bordering on abusive and emotionally disturbing. I couldn’t stand either character and the story was eye rolling.  I couldn’t believe half of the things each one of them did in the whopping 85 pages I forced myself to read. One more book to add to my list of series I won’t continue.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)

Quickie Reviews For You (2)

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I am horrible.  I have been reading like crazy but slacking on actually posting reviews about them.  I have this list going with the name of the book, rating, and a few notes to remember about each one.  So at least I have something to give you!  Below are a few books that were on that list.  I have more but I thought I would break it up into a few posts so it wouldn’t overwhelm you like it has me!

 

rulesaccordingtogracieThe Rules According to Gracie by Stefanie London
3 Stars
-This was a cute, but short read. Coming in at a listed 98 pages made for a quick build up for the two characters. While I liked Des, I wasn’t too excited about Gracie.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $0.99)

 

DectheHollsDec the Holls by Jasinda Wilder
3 Stars
-Another book that was good but would have benefited with being a bit longer. This one came in at 51 pages but would have been better if we would have gotten just a smidgen more of Declan and Holly. Yes, it is focused around Christmas, but good to read any time of the year.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)

 

falloutFall Out (SEALs Undone #1) by Zoe York
3 Stars
-Coming in at 155 pages, this book had the length I needed, but the characters were just mediocre for my taste.  The writing was well done, but the plot had too many ups and downs for my liking. The romance just didn’t seem to click for me either.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $2.99)

 

knowinghissecretKnowing His Secret (Year of the Billionaire Part 1) by K.C. Falls
1 Star
-177 pages of characters I couldn’t stand.  That about sums it up.  We have a hero who is a jerk and a woman who is dull.  Not only were the characters not to my taste, but the book is a serial which is not something I read too often.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently FREE)

 

giftsinjarsGifts in Jars: Recipes for Easy, Delicious, Inexpensive DIY Gifts by Margaret Lowe
3 Stars
-I got this one around Christmas time when my kids were looking for ways to make home made gifts for the teacher and aides.  Let me tell you, there was some yummy sounding jar gifts in this book.  If I had actually had the time, we probably could have thrown together a few.  Maybe next year though.
GOODREADS / AMAZON (currently $2.99)

Quickie Reviews For You (1)

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To try an catch up on some reviews, I decided to do a list of books I have finished over the holidays and at work lately. They are ones I haven’t had a chance to write full reviews on, but should still give you an idea of what I rated them and an overall expression for each one.

1. THE IMMORTAL WHO LOVED ME by Lynsay Sands

The Immortal Who Loved Me
(2 Stars)  

I love Lynsay Sands and her vampire romance books, but this one just felt as a filler book with no real chemistry between the two main characters. It felt forced, rushed and bland. It didn’t have the creative spark that she has had in the past books of the series.

BUY FROM AMAZON

2. LONDON FALLING (THE RULEFORDS) by Emma Carr

London Falling

(2 Stars)

Wasn’t a huge fan of the writing in this one. The plot was okay but poorly executed for me with little appeal. It did have some aspects that lured it to the 2 star rating but it never made it past that.

BUY FROM AMAZON

3. HANSEL#1: An Erotic Fairy Tale by Ella James

Hamsel
(1 Star)

Creepy and skeevy in my opinion. I was not as thrilled with this one as other readers have been. I just couldn’t get past some of the things that happened. I honestly had to force myself to finish this book and then have to deal with the ending we were given.

BUY FROM AMAZON

4. KALEIDOSCOPE by Kristen Ashley

Kaleidoscope
(3 Stars)

Love this author but her writing voice grated on my nerves slightly in this book.  I think I am just over the speech –and sometimes lack of speech– that this author is famous for. I might reread this one in the future though to see if it is just my reading preference at the moment.

BUY FROM AMAZON

5. IN KELLY’S CORNER by Roxie Rivera

In Kelly's Corner
(4 STARS)

Absolutely loved this book.  While it did have a little bit of story hiccups along the way, I truly enjoyed the journey and entertainment of this book. Another author I am adding to my auto-buy list.

BUY FROM AMAZON