Book Reviews Archives - Page 32 of 114

Book Review : Covering All the Bases by Jody Holford

Jun 23, 2019

Covering All the Bases (For the Love of the Game #1) by Jody Holford

Pages: 200
Publish date: June 10th 2019
Publisher: Entangled: Bliss
ISBN: 9781640638037
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Talk about a wild day… As if being summoned to the deathbed of a grandfather she didn’t know existed wasn’t enough––Isla Bennett meets the man of her dreams. Spends an amazing day playing tourist around Nashville with him. And then finds out she’s inherited the Nashville Slammers major league baseball team. Oh, and her new dream man? He’s the Slammers’ star power hitter. Isla just went from amazing first date to holy heck I’m your boss in the span of a day.

Liam Cruz can’t believe how refreshing it was to spend a day with someone who didn’t know his batting average, the size of his last contract, or heck, even that he’s a baseball player. Now Isla’s thrust into the spotlight, and though she’s more than capable of handling herself professionally, he takes it upon himself to teach her everything he can about the game that is his whole life. But they’ll have to keep it on the DL.

Because doing what’s best for the team means they can never be together––and that might be the toughest play of all.

Book name:

I received an e-arc of Covering All The Bases by Jody Holford from Entangled: Bliss in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. I wasn’t expecting much from this book honestly.

I hadn’t really heard anything about Covering All The Bases before I picked it up. But the synopsis sounded really interesting. I love sports romance, it’s one of my romance weakness so I couldn’t really say no to it. And while I didn’t fall in love with the book, I did really enjoy it and will most likely read more in the series when they come out.

Covering All The Bases follows Isla Bennett as she embarks on a journey she never imagined. When a grandfather that she never knew existed wishes to see her before he dies, Isla rushes to a Nashville. Then she has an amazing day being shown around Nashville, by the man of her dreams Liam Cruz. Then everything changes because Isla inherited the Nashville Slammers major league baseball team. And Liam just so happens to be their star player. It was just another night for Liam Cruz, but then he meets Isla and something changes. It’s been a long time since someone didn’t know who he was – and he likes that. But now Isla is his boss and everything changes.

Lesly Juarez

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. The plot was so intriguing and grabbed me from the get-go. Not only was it about women in power, but about women in power in sport. I also loved the concept that Isla inherited the team from her grandfather, meets the man of her dream and now she is her boss. It’s so ridiculous but also so perfect.

I really enjoyed Isla as a protagonist. She was really easy to get along with from the start and I wanted to keep knowing more about her. Isla didn’t have a great way of growing up and her father really isn’t the best person out there. But I think Isla did pretty well for herself. The reader gets to really know Isla throughout Covering All The Bases. And as Isla finds out more about herself and grows, the reader grows with her. One of the things that really made me like Isla was that she felt honest. It’s a strange thing to say, but she felt real. I also loved that she had no clue about baseball – made everything that little more interesting.

Liam was also a really easy character to get along in Covering All The Bases. He was charming and just a really nice male protagonist. I loved that he was this big baseball start, but also seemed really down to earth. I liked that the reader got to know more about Liam as the novel goes on and as Isla gets to know him.

Moss

The romance in Covering All The Bases was very sweet. It was one of those romance that is easy to read and isn’t filled with angst. While Isla and Liam have a lot holding them back from being together. It wasn’t anything to do with communication or issues that would easily be resolved. The banter between Isla and Liam was really spot on and I loved reading it. It was really cool seeing women in power and Liam understanding why Isla had her worries. I loved that there was a little tension between the two. In saying all that I didn’t like how quick their relationship did move. I am a slow burn romance kind of girl and everything moved far too quickly for my liking. While Liam and Isla did know a good amount about each other, something just didn’t sit right with me, regarding time.

There are some crazy things that go on over the course of Covering All The Bases. Isla relationship with her father for one. Some of the things that happened between the two were really hard to read. He just made me so angry. And it wasn’t just him. I really hate how Isla was treated by some of the male figures throughout the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Covering All The Bases by Jodi Holford. It’s a great easy, quick, romance read that put a smile on my face. I loved that it explored female empowerment and being a powerhouse boss. Isla and Liam were really cute together and I liked getting to know them. While I didn’t love Covering All The Bases, it was a great, simple read and I do want to read more books in this series. If you are looking for a sports romance that is a little different, then this is for you.

Have you read Covering All The Bases by Jodi Holford? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: No Heartbreaker Required by JoAnn Sky

Jun 13, 2019

No Heartbreaker Required by JoAnn Sky
Pages: 200
Publish date: June 10th 2019
Publisher: Entangled: Bliss
ASIN: B07RKLY65D
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

When an avalanche crushes her world, Olympic hopeful Starr Taylor loses her job, her boyfriend, and worst of all, her confidence. She’s working on getting her life back together and moving forward, and it certainly won’t be with Spencer Kensington, the far-too-attractive playboy lawyer she’s forced to play nice with at their friends’ wedding.

Unfortunately, Spencer’s trip to Reno gets extended unexpectedly, and Starr suddenly finds herself way too close for comfort with the man she’s quickly realizing is more than he appears. Spencer is a tough, no-nonsense New York businessman with a no-commitment rule in the bedroom. But a few days of living with Starr, feeding goats and helping her save troubled teens, has him feeling something he can’t identify. In fact, the more Spencer gets to know the surprisingly vulnerable and tempting woman, the duller his superficial life in the city starts to seem. But everything he’s worked for is waiting for him, and as Spencer’s flight back home grows closer, he’s left wondering if the life he has is really the life he wants.

No Heartbreaker Required:

I received an e-arc of No Heartbreaker Required by JoAnn Sky from Entangled: Bliss in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. I wasn’t expecting much from this book honestly.

I just wanted a quick read that I could delve into. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised. It’s one of those books that you can read in one sitting and just enjoy reading. And while I didn’t get too much from it, it was a good read.

No Heartbreaker Required follows Starr who is trying to get her life back on track after a freak accident. To do that she helps plain her brothers wedding. But when that is all over and Starr has to go back to ‘normal’ life, how will she fare? But trouble isn’t far away in the form of Spencer. When Starr and Spencer first meet it didn’t go too well, but they need to play friendly for the bride and groom. But then plans change all around them and Starr and Spencer are about to see a lot more of each other.

Wladislaw Sokolowskij

This was an easy book to get into. It jumped right into and didn’t really play around – which I really enjoyed. I find that sometimes, there is too much explanation given where there doesn’t need to be. But this was a great combination of letting the readers know about the characters and the story moving along. And that really stuck throughout the novel.

I really enjoyed the pace of No Heartbreaker Required. It was a good combination of being fast-paced but also slowed down when needed. In saying that I did feel at parts I was hanging for a little more and it was all just brushed over.

Starr was a pretty easy protagonist to get along with. But I also didn’t feel any real connection with her. I think that is one of the things that No Heartbreaker Required did lack. I felt that there wasn’t much character building. Starr just didn’t feel fully real at times. In saying that I liked how she did grow, the reader is able to see Starr at her worse and then build up from that.

Like Starr, Spencer was easy to read, but I again I felt that he lacked substance. I really wanted more from him, but I felt that the reader doesn’t even get to know him until right at the end. I also wanted to like Spencer more, but because of the lack of connection, I felt that he was boring. While I didn’t fall in love with the protagonist, I did like the storyline. I felt that it was engaging and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Tim Mossholder

I also liked how the author included diversity. Starr is suffering from a form of PTSD at the start of the book from a skiing accident. And while I wish she delved into it a little more. I did like that she included and the reader was able to see Starr try and overcome her fears.

Overall, No Heartbreaker Required by JoAnn Sky was a nice read. It’s one of those books that you might pick up when you have no idea what to read. It’s an easy read that when you finish, you just smile. No Heartbreaker Required has a great combination of romance, family and surviving. While this isn’t my favourite romance out there, I really enjoyed reading it and will most likely read more books by the author. Have you read No Heartbreaker Required by JoAnn Sky? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

Series Review: Wind Dragons MC by Chantal Fernando | Part 1

Jun 9, 2019

I’ve had the first two books in this series on my TBR for ages now, but I finally got around to read them, and now I’ve read the whole series…oops. I am going to say this up front, these aren’t the best romance books I’ve read. But they are fun books, that I know I will re-read it soon. So as I’ve now read the whole series, I thought I would share my thoughts on each of the books. This will be in two parts, and I tried not to talk too much about each one either. But here we go.

Dragon’s Lair (Wind Dragons MC #1) by Chantal Fernando

Pages: 272
Publish date: May, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781501106187
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

When I found my boyfriend cheating on me, I did something stupid.

Or should I say, someone?

Because of that mistake, I’m now stuck in a world I don’t belong in.

I’m a law student. They’re criminals. He’s the vice president of a motorcycle club. I’m a good girl with a strict upbringing. He’s my ex-boyfriend’s brother.

And I’m screwed.

Dragon’s Lair:

It took me a little while to get into Dragon’s Lair. I don’t really know why, but there was something that was holding back from really enjoying it. But after about 50 pages or so, I really did get stuck into the world and couldn’t put the books down.

Faye was always the good girl, but when her boyfriend cheats on her, she needed to let off a little steam. And well it just so happened to be with the vice president of a motorcycle club. And now it’s changed her life forever. Dexter Black never really go on with his family, he just didn’t fit in. And he is living a pretty good life away from it all. Until her finds Faye, his now brothers ex – and oh boy do things change.

Faye wasn’t easy to get along with at the start. She was the typical ‘good girl’ of romance books, but as the novel went on she found her voice. And that is when things got interesting. I loved that Faye didn’t do what she was told to do. She didn’t like Dexter or anyone else in the MC boss her around. She stood up for herself and that was that.

I adored the banter between Faye and Dex. While they didn’t really know too much about each other growing up, they already formed somewhat of a relationship. And as the novel goes on, it grows even stronger.

There are some very cliché moments in Dragon’s Lair, but I still really enjoyed it. Sometimes MC books can be really hard to read, but I think that Chantel has done a fabulous job of combining the hard nature of an MC club and the comedy that a tight-knit group brings.

Arrow’s Hell (Wind Dragons MC #2) by Chantal Fernando

Pages: 352
Publish date: June 16th 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781501106194
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Being the younger sister of a Wind Dragons MC member isn’t as great as you’d think it would be.

I can’t escape the details of my brother’s exploits.
No one tells me anything.
Men who know who I am, tend to stay away from me.

And worst of all:
The members of the MC are off-limits.

When Arrow catches my eye, I make it my mission to make him happy again.

When I fall head over heels in love with him, I just hope he will be there to catch me.
And that my brother doesn’t kill him.

Arrow’s Hell:

After finishing book 1, I jumped right into Arrow’s Hell. I felt that this one was more fast-paced and jumped right into the story – which I really liked. This one also included one of my favourite romance tropes – friends sibling.

Anna has also been looked after by her older brother, but she’s an adult now and wants to live a life of her own. And when her brother sends her new ‘baby sitter,’ Anna knows that she is trouble. Arrow is so hard to resist, but they both know that it’s only going to complicate things even more.

One of the main reasons why I’ve really enjoyed reading this series so far is how real and flawed the characters are. None of them are put on pedestals, and the reader is able to pick out what they don’t like about them. But Anna and Arrow’s flaws is what makes them perfect for one another.

Both are closed up off, but with each other, the reader is able to see a different side to both of them. And as the novel goes on, more is revealed. The chemistry between Anna and Arrow is intense throughout the novel and that is just what makes it so good. Arrow is an Alpha male, but Anna sure knows how to hold her ground.

Again, the family dynamics in Arrow’s Hell is brilliant and I just love seeing the banter not only between the MC members but also their ladies.

Tracker’s End (Wind Dragons MC #3) by Chantal Fernando

Pages: 352
Publish date: August 11th 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781501106217
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Tracker is everything I’ve ever wanted.

I see him. I’ve watched time change him.

I’ve been patient, but he still hasn’t noticed me. Not the way I want him to. The more time I spend with the MC, the more I understand.

When you want something, you have to take it. You have to fight for it.

And Tracker is more than worth fighting for…

Book name:

Tracker’s End was a lot of fun. Like the other books in the series, there is a great combination of comedy, intense action, and romance. The reader gets to know both protagonists in the previous books, but they both get to shine here.

Lana and Tracker are instantly attracted to each other. But Tracker lives a dangerous life, and while he tries to stay away from her – he can’t anymore. Lana may seem like the innocent character, but she sure has her secrets and I loved it.

Books that include motorcycle clubs are always a hit or miss for me. Sometimes the things that happened can be totally out of this world and not in a good way. Sometimes the things that happen don’t seem real. But this series has a good limit. Somethings that do happen are a little over the top, but for the most part, I can get into it.

There is so much chemistry and intensity between Lana and Tracker and that made reading Tacker’s End so much more fun. I loved that Lana like the other female characters don’t let the men tell them what to do. They can hold their own and rock it. But what I also love is they know and understand when they do need help.

While Lana and Tracker are very different in a lot of ways, they seem to bring out the best in one another and I loved seeing their relationship form.

And that is it for this post. This is also my first post back from my holiday and I am really excited to get back into blogging.

Have you read the Wild Dragon’s MC series by Chantal Fernando yet? What did you think? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!