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Book Review: Lies & Lullabies (Hush Note #1) by Sarina Bowen

Sep 25, 2020

Lies & Lullabies (Hush Note #1) by Sarina Bowen

Pages: 300
Publish date: September 22, 2020
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
ISBN: 9781950155071
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.

I didn’t know he was a rock star.

I didn’t know his real name.

Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.

And I sure never expected to see him again.

Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.

Lies & Lullabies:

I received a free copy of Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen for review in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Lies & Lullabies is the first book in a new trilogy from Sarina Bowen, Devney Perry and Rebecca Yarros. Each author takes on a member of one band and tells their story. I was super excited when this series was announced. Not only was it a rock star romance, but it included two of my favourite romance authors. So, I jumped at the chance to review Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen.

Lies & Lullabies follows Kira and Jonas who after an unforgettable summer together when their separate ways. Now years later Jonas is back in Nest Lake and Kira has a surprise for him. A massive one. Both Kira and Jonas need to navigate their new lives. Their summer together was full of sweet passion and first love. They both never forgot about each other, but they never imagined seeing one another again. And Kira’s secret isn’t something that can stay hidden. But being back in each other lives isn’t going to be easy especially when old feelings come right back.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

I had a lot of ups and downs with Kira. For the most part, I enjoyed her. I loved seeing her growth throughout the whole book. And hell, she has been through a lot and is still an incredible mother. One of the things that I loved about Lies & Lullabies is that we can see the growth of Kira throughout the whole book. Through both flashbacks and current day events, the reader can see Kira’s characterisation – which I think was really well done. However, I hated that she kept their daughter, Vivi from Jonas for as long as she did. I understood some of the logic, but it also doesn’t sit well with me.

Jonas was an interesting protagonist. I didn’t fall in love with him like other Sarina Bowen male protagonist. But I still enjoyed him a lot. Jonas was entertaining and mysterious, but he was also sweet and caring. I loved that we can see different sides of him throughout the book. We get to see the younger Jonas who wants to care for Kira, and then we get to see adult Jonas who wants to love Kira. It was a great combo. I adored that he was able to take on the dad role right away. It was like he was made for it. There were ups and downs, but he loved Vivi so much and that was so nice to see.

Photo by Yvette de Wit on Unsplash

This romance was a combo of being sweet and sexy. And the reader not only gets to see Jonas and Kira fall in love once but twice. And both times were fantastic. Through flashbacks, the reader can see both Jonas and Kira when they were young and vulnerable. They had this amazing summer together, and when it was up, they went their separate ways. But they still both cared deeply for one another. And Kira had a piece of him to remember him by. In current times the romance is much sexy and went from sweet to loving. I liked seeing the contrast between the two.

I love a surprise baby trope; however, I didn’t love that Kira kept it a secret from Jonas for so long. While her reasoning was understandable, I didn’t love it. That was soon forgotten though, because Jonas, Kira and Vivi were adorable together. I loved seeing their interactions and they all melted my heart. This is a very sweet book with sexy moments intertwined. I feel that the rest of the books in the series are going to be more emotional and hard-hitting. but this was a great way to start the series.

I adored Adam, Kira’s brother a lot. The reader can see throughout Lies & Lullabies how much he cares for his sister and niece and I just wanted to hug him all the time. I wish we did get to know the rest of the Hush Note bandmates a little more, just to set up the rest of the series. But it wasn’t a massive deal for me.

Photo by Artur Aldyrkhanov on Unsplash

Overall, Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen explores second chances, family and finding your place. Kira, Jonas and Vivi are an awesome little family. The romance turns from sweet to sexy and beautiful. With interesting protagonists and storyline, Lies & Lullabies is a fantastic read and a great introduction into the world of Hush Note. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series in the next few weeks.

Have you read Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading the rest of the series? Let’s Chat!

Also, have you checked out the first post in my Romance Thursdays series? This week I interview Giana Darling, author of The Fallen Men Series, The Enslaved duet and more.

Book Review: A King so Cold by Ella Fields

Sep 21, 2020

A King so Cold by Ella Fields

Pages: 431
Publish date: May 6th 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B084LG4PH9
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

When marrying your enemy is only the beginning…

Once upon a time, there lived a princess so cruel that even her husband tried to destroy her.

The results left her without a father, her husband without a memory, and herself as queen to a kingdom on the cusp of war.

Even so, after learning of her treasonous husband’s upcoming nuptials, she set out to find him and locked him in her dungeon. There, and only there, would she unveil a time when she once allowed herself to be vulnerable. A past detailing how her heart was coaxed to beat outside her chest, only to have it crushed by the cold hands of betrayal.

But true vengeance will need to wait. War is coming, and with it, decisions and danger masked in treacherous beauty.

All too soon, the young queen will learn that time could be the most dangerous foe of all.
For it is time that would reveal all the ways a dead heart can beat anew.

A King So Cold:

I didn’t know too much about this book before I picked it up, but it sounded interesting and that cover is just stunning. It’s been a little since I finished reading A King So Cold by Ella Fields and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

Content Warning: Dark Themes, Sexual Assult, Age Gap, Torture, Death.

A King So Cold by Ella Fields follows Princess turned Queen Audra as she tries to lead her kingdom to victory. But her past is not far behind her. And when she finds out that her husband King Raiden is about to marry another – it’s something that she cannot have. When Raiden betrayed Audra, she let her cold nature drive her to want more. And now she wants revenge. But doesn’t need love from him anymore. She has herself. And Lord Zad. But war is on the horizon and now it’s more than her heart that she has to think about.

I haven’t read much in the high fantasy romance genre. I’ve read a fair few supernatural and paranormal, but haven’t delved into the fantasy world yet. So I didn’t know what to expect when I jumped into this one. And while I still have thoughts about the book, overall I was splendidly surprised with A King So Cold and can’t wait to read more fantasy romance.

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

Audra is cold and calculated. She isn’t a character that you warm up to right away or even like. Audra is manipulative, complicated and broken. Audra hasn’t had the best life growing up. Her mother died when she was young and her father was a pretty horrible leader and father. She always knew that she would become Queen, but not the way she did. And then when Audra did let her walls down she was berayed. And that messed with her a lot. Audra is a compelling character but isn’t someone that I would want to meet.

Throughout A King So Cold, the reader can see Audra grow, change and make some hard decisions. Because in the end, she is a leader of her country in the middle of a war. And when she finds out the person that betrayed her is about to marry another – well she cannot have that. It was interesting to read a female protagonist who isn’t clean cut and nice. That can make a bad decision. That can make horrible decisions. And I found that fascinating.

Lord Zadicus was such an interesting character. I think Zad has to be one of my favourite characters in the book. And like Audra, he isn’t perfect. He makes mistakes. Some big mistakes. But he is also sweet in a way. And I felt for him.

Raiden is another complicated characters. You can’t like him or even feel for him. But I liked getting to know his story. Through flashbacks, the reader gets to see the soft side of Raiden. But he is just as callous as Audra. Raiden is wicked, smart, but also a dickhead.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

A lot is going on throughout A King So Cold. And a lot of my problems or issues with this book come from the plot. I felt that this was too long. When I thought that things were going to be over, something else happened. And everything began again. There was just so much going on that at times it took me a while to understand what was happening. But this also didn’t stop me from reading. There is major tension throughout this book and this drives the plot even more. And even though a lot is going on, plot-wise. I felt that A King So Cold is very character-driven. Which I love.

The romance in A King So Cold is sexy and forbidden. Audra and Lord Zad know that starting something more than what they have is going to cause trouble. But they can’t keep their hands off one another. The romance is angsty, complicated and sometimes very frustrating. But I also enjoyed it a lot. I’m not usually a fan of messy romance. I just get angry. But I think that it did work out fantastic here. There is a ton of chemistry between the two and it gets steamy at times. In saying this, there were times when things did get a little too complicated.

A King So Cold has such a good array of characters. From our leading protagonist and love interest to Ardra’s close court members. I loved the contrast of characters. From those that lead to those that follow or fight. I liked that the reader can get to know them all, even if it’s just a little bit.

Photo by photo-nic.co.uk nic on Unsplash

Overall, A King So Cold by Ella Fields is a dark, haunting and sexy adult romance. This isn’t an easy read. At times I needed to put the book down for a little bit. But it kept pulling me in. It’s magical and whimsy but also filled with vengeance and blood. There are unreliable characters and a protagonist that isn’t one for everybody. A King So Cold explores the notion of betrayal, revenge, but also love and lost. This book is not for everyone, but if you are looking for something that is dark, dangerous and a little different than this for you.

Have you read any adult fantasy romances? What did you think of them? Have you picked up A King So Cold by Ella Fields? Let’s Chat!

Series Review: WAGS by Naima Simone

Sep 16, 2020

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a sports romacne series that I just devoured. But as soon as I started the WAGS series by Naima Simone I knew I was going to love it. And I did. So today I thought I would share my thoughts on the 3 books currently published.

I normally don’t read many football romances, but the WAGS series was fantastic. It’s entertaining, the romances are steamy and sweet, and the characters are fantastic. And I will be reading more from Naima Simone now. It’s that good combo that sports romances have where you get the sports, you have the romance, but you also have characters arcs as well. So let’s get into it!

Scoring With the Wrong Twin: The first book in the WAGS series was such a blast to read. I think it was the most entertaining of the three. This was just a fun read. This one follows the shy and awkward Sophia Cruz who has a hard time telling her twin sister ‘no.’ And when she asks Sophia to pretend to be her in an upcoming photoshoot, she says yes. She wasn’t expecting to meet Zephirin Black. Sparks fly from the start, and there’s a connection right away. The only problem is, he thinks that she is her sister.

Sophia was such an interesting character. While she was shy and awkward at times, she had these moments that she was able to stand up for herself. I liked that we got to see Sophia grow throughout Scoring the Wrong Twin. We get to see her grown from the first page. She gets to love herself and in doing so, gets to love others around her. I loved that she is smart and quirky as well.

It took me a little bit to like Zep, but a lot of it was because of the wall that he built. Like it was hard for Sophia to get to know him more, it was hard for the reader. But once those walls started to break. It became easier to like and connect with him. Zep was really interesting. And Scoring the Wrong Twin went on the reader gets to know him more and understand him.

I enjoyed the romance in the firsts WAGS book, and although it isn’t my favourite. I still loved seeing Sophia and Zep start to fall for one another. My main problem was that I wanted to see more. I wanted to see them have more conversations, and do adorable things for one another. At times I felt that feelings were made ‘off the page.’ In saying that I did feel that Sophia and Zep had some great chemistry and it was a fun romance for sure.

Overall I had such a blast reading the first WAGS book. Sophia and Zep had amazing chemistry and I loved seeing them figure each other out and break each other’s walls down. It was a great start to the series and introduction into Naima Simone world.

Photo by Riley McCullough on Unsplash

Scoring off the Field: This is a friends to lovers and is the second book in the WAGS series and follows Tennyson Clark as she wants a new start. She has been secretly in love with Dominic Anderson for far too long now and she wants to move on. But Dominic is an overprotective playboy and it isn’t going to be easy. Dominic doesn’t like change, and when Tennyson tells him she wants to quit her job as his assistant he wants to stop her. But his feelings start to morphe and is that the only reason he can’t let her go?

I loved Tennyson Clark as a protagonist and character. She was quick-witted, smart and I just wanted to hug her. From the start, the reader can see how much she cares for Dominic and she knows that moving away from him is her best option. It’s the only that she can find herself again. I liked how while at times she thought she was weak, she was strong. Tennyson’s character growth was lovely to see and I liked that she grows throughout the book.

Like in the first book it took me a while to warm up to Dominic. I think it’s mainly because he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. But also because he thought he wanted Tennyson in some ways and not others and that did put a mark on their relationship. I loved that he was protective and he felt that he needed to make sure that she was safe. Dominic grows throughout this WAGS book. And the reader gets to see not only his feelings change but the way that he looks at things.

The romance in this one uses one of my favourite tropes of all time childhood friends to lovers. I love the richness and the history that it involves. Tennyson has loved Dominic for a love time and while she tried to hide those feels it hurt it. Dominic didn’t realise the feelings he had for Tennyson were more than friendship. And slowly throughout the book, they come together and both of their feelings are put out in the open. But there is a lot of pain in the process. And that also hurt them.

Overall I loved reading this friends to lovers romance. Tennyson and Dominic were adorable and the reader can see them go from friends to more. But they are more than just lovers, they are best friends. They both need each other in more ways than they think. And that is shown throughout the novel.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Scoring the Player’s Baby: This is the one that I was most looking forward too. I love reading unexpected baby romances. Then throw that it with sports romances and I’m all for it. The third book in the WAGS series follows Kim Matlock and Ronin Palamo as a one-night stand turns into something more when they have a baby on the way. But they both have their problems; Kim has divorced her cheating football player ex and swore to never be with a football player again. And Ronin wants nothing more than a family, but right now he feels like he’s is being torn apart.

Kim has gone through a lot before even the book even starts. Her ex-husband is a cheating bastard, and her dad is not any better. She doesn’t have many good male relationships to fall back on. Because of all this, she does have a lot of trust issues and the effects all her relationships. As the novel goes on the reader can see that her walls start to and the true Kim comes out.

Ronin is my favourite male from the WAGS series so far. He is funny, sweet and protective all wrapped up into one. From the start, the reader can see that Ronin has taken an interest in Kim and as the novel goes on it turns into something more. He cares a lot about family and will do anything for them, even those not related by blood.

The romacne in Scoring the Player’s Baby was sweet and hot at the same time. Both Kim and Roini both have their issues and together they can break down each other’s walls and see beyond that. There are many ups and downs between these two. But the reader can see that do they care and love one another. It just takes a little bit more to break down Kim’s walls.

Overall I think this is my favourite of the WAGS series. The romance was fantastic, the plot was engaging and I wanted to read more and more. I do wish we were able to see a little bit more of Kim and Ronin after the ending, but hopefully, there will be more books and we get to see more of them and the baby.

Photo by Ömürden Cengiz on Unsplash

Overall I had a blast reading the WAGS series by Naima Simone. While each book was different, they still all connected and made sense. I liked all the romances and the couples. Again each one different and unique from each other. Scoring the Player’s Baby is my favourite so far, but I enjoyed everyone that I did read. I can’t wait to read more from Naima Simone for sure. Just need to work out what to pick up next.

Have you read the WAG’s series by Naima Simone? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? What are some of your favourite sports romacnes series. You can check some of mine out. Let’s Chat!