Some Good and Some Bad | Mini ARC Reviews

Today I thought I would share my thoughts on some romance arcs that I have received recently. I’ve been in a massive romance mood all year and it’s pretty much all I’ve been reading. And with that comes many ups and downs. And these three books today were on that trend. So let’s get right into it.

Vows of a Mobster by Eva Winners

Pages: 474
Publish date: September 7th 2021
Publisher: Winners Publishing LLC
ASIN: B094DSCF9W
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

The truth is never what it seems. Neither are the people, regardless of who they are.

I knew the past would come back to haunt me. It was only a matter of time before my world came crashing down.

The only thing I didn’t expect was Mateo. The head of the Italian mafia. We were never meant to cross paths; our worlds were vastly different.

His green gaze captured me, his touch burning through my defences. The words he whispered melted away all the years of loneliness. But the secret I kept could get me killed. If he spared me, his rivals wouldn’t. As my secrets unravel, it could cost me everything and everyone I loved.

Vows of a Mobster:

I received an earc of Vows of a Mobster by Eva Winners via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this one. I had some good things about floating around and it sounded like my type of book. However, I was very disappointed. Vows of a Mobster by Eva Winners follows single mum, Brianna as she tries to do everything she can for a daughter, so when her best friend gets her a job at a family business she feels like she is going somewhere. But then she meets Mateo, and let’s just say things get very intense from there. Not only is he an alpha male, but he is the head of his family and his Italian Mafia.

Vows of a Mobster started strong, I was really into it. Brianna and Mateo were hot. I was feeling pretty okay with how fast the romance was moving, and then we get to about 50% off the book and it just derailed. So many things were added to this book and the plot that I couldn’t get keep up. I seriously didn’t know what was going on at times. Not only that there was also a lot of plot holes that appeared and were never really filled.

I wanted to like this book so much, but it just wasn’t for me. There are a few things that I did enjoy though. I loved Brianna’s relationship not only with her daughter but with her best friends. Marissa and Daphne were just fantastic and they would all do anything – and I mean anything for each other.

Overall, Vows of a Mobster by Eva Winners just wasn’t for me. There were major plot holes, it felt like there were thousands of things going on at once and the romance was just okay. I had heard such great things about this one, that it did let me down. In saying that, this book might be just what you are looking for. It has high stakes, a hot couple and will keep you on your toes.

Sacred Embrace (Lightbringer Trilogy #1) by A.J. Ryder

Pages: 319
Publish date: September 10th 2021
Publisher: by Scarlet Lantern Publishing
ASIN: B09CZCS3CY
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

There is no escaping Hell…at least, not without a little Divine intervention.

Desperate to escape the life into which she had been born, Filia, Lucifer’s daughter and heir, jumps at the chance to redeem and cleanse herself of her sins. To do this, she must perform selfless good deeds, and she does so under the watchful protection of four angels and a fallen angel on his own road to redemption.

Love blossoms unexpectedly even as Filia is hunted like an animal by demons determined to return her to her father’s side. Will the unconventional love Filia shares with her angelic guardians be enough to keep the infernal darkness at bay, or will they be torn asunder?

Sacred Embrace:

I received an arc of Sacred Embrace (Lightbringer Trilogy #1) by A.J. Ryder from Scarlet Lantern Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I wasn’t expecting to like this book Sacred Embrace. I just wasn’t. But it was good. This is a reverse harem paranormal romance that follows Filia, Lucifer’s daughter on a rough journey. While being Lucifer’s daughter, she wants to do good. And to redeem herself she must perform selfless good deeds. With the help of four Angels and one fall Angel, it’s going to be a tough ride as her father is determined to bring her back to hell.

This book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and that is a good thing. I was surprised with how much I started it from the start. Fila was such an interesting protagonist and I enjoyed her right from the start. She was sassy and determined and she just took everything in. There were times where I just wanted to get him a big hug – because gosh did she need it.

Her men, her Angel’s were always there for her. I liked how the romance slowly built up. That was interesting. And I can’t wait to see where it goes. I will say that the names in this are a little hard to wrap my head around at first, but as soon as I figured out who was who, It was much easier.

I also just want to warn everyone else because I wasn’t expecting this to happen. There’s a big – and I mean big time jump so be prepared for that.

Overall, I had a great time reading Sacred Embrace. I was surprised by how good it was and how much I liked reading it. I’m excited for the next book that is for sure. This book won’t be for everyone and that is fine.

A Moment for Us (Willow Creek Valley #3) by Corinne Michaels

Pages: 385
Publish date: October 5th 2021
Publisher: by BAAE Inc.
ISBN: 9781942834557
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

I was totally over Joshua Parkerson.

Sure, I had a teenage crush on him way back when—and everyone knew it—but he never saw me as anything but his little brother’s friend, the girl who got tongue-tied any time he walked into a room.

I had long ago accepted the fact that his strong arms would never hold me, his lush lips would never claim mine, and his blue eyes would never see me as anything more than who I used to be.

But now he’s back in Willow Creek Valley, and there’s a brand-new spark between us—even he can’t fight it. Our chemistry is explosive, and every time we’re together, I swear I can feel the earth shake.

It doesn’t mean anything… how could it? I’m over him.

Until I see that little pink plus sign and the earth stops turning completely.

Now I want it all again, a life with him. But Joshua built walls around his heart for a reason, and his secrets haunt him.

How can I show him that the ghosts of his past don’t have to define our new family’s future?

A Moment for Us:

I received an earc of A Moment for Us by Corinne Michaels via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

As soon as I read the synopsis for this one, I knew that I had to pick it up. I love surprise pregnancies, childhood friends to lovers/long time crush. It just makes for some fantastic angst and this has that for sure. A Moment for Us follows Delia as she tries to get over her long time crush on Joshua, but just when she thought she would get there. He kisses her. A few kisses turn into something more, and then there is the pink plus sign staring back at Delia. They have been thrown into this new life that they both have to navigate.

I wanted to love this book. I had so many elements of everything that I loved, but it did fall short. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. Because I did. It just wasn’t what I wanted or expected from it. The romance was okay. I liked it and yes it was angsty. But I was waiting for something more. I didn’t feel like I saw them connect enough and fall for one another. Everything kind of just jumped around too much for me.

I did feel that I missed a few things – and that is my fault as I haven’t read the rest of the books in the series. So that is all on me. But I also felt that meant I didn’t feel the connection between Delia and Josh right away. I’m not sure if they both appear together in the other books in the series. But it didn’t have a great base here.

There is also a lot going on in A Moment for Us. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good read. But I felt that at times it was just a little too much. From the long time crush, the surprise pregnancy to Josh’s past. And then everything that happens to them both. I just didn’t feel that it was complete.

Overall, A Moment for Us was a good read. The romance was angsty but also very sweet. I loved that we get to see both Delia and Josh break down each other’s walls. And the sense of family is massive here and I loved that. I’m not sure if I am going to go back and read the rest of the series, but maybe one day.

And there we go, those are three arcs that I have read recently. As I said at the start, there have been many ups and down’s in my reading. Some good and some bad. And this is a great example of it.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Are you planning on reading them any time soon? What have you read recently? Let’s Chat!