Book Reviews Archives - Page 43 of 115

Book Review: Until You’re Mine by Cindi Madsen

Sep 16, 2018

Until You’re Mine by Cindi Madsen

Pages: 350
Publish date: January 22, 2018
Publisher: Entangled: Embrace
ASIN: B0786MSPJ3
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

You might’ve heard of me, Shane Knox, the guy who rose quickly through the MMA fighter ranks, only to crash just as fast. No one cares about personal reasons when it comes to losing fights and money. I’m determined to get back to where I was. For you to hear my name again. I’ve finally convinced the owner of Team Domination to take a chance and get me back in fighting—and winning—shape. What I didn’t bargain for is the guy’s spitfire of a daughter. Factor in her two professional-fighter brothers who are acting as my coaches and the fact that my career hangs in the balance, and Brooklyn’s the last girl I should be fantasizing about.

The closer we get, the more I want Brooklyn. The stakes are high, and I know there’s a big chance of both of us getting hurt, but I won’t stop until she’s mine.

Until You’re Mine:

I’ve read quite a few Cindi Madsen books before, and when I received the second book in this series for review, I knew I had to pick up the first. And I’m so glad that I did. Not only did it introduce to a whole array of characters, but also those of the second novel.

Until You’re Mine by Cindi Madsen follows Shane Knox as he fights his way back into the world of MMA. When unseeable circumstances lead to his demise, he knows it’s going to take everything in him to be on top again. His finally convinced those that own the gym to take him on and nothing will stop him. But then Brooklyn makes an appearance. Brooklyn isn’t happy that she is back at her families gym or even at home. Her memories of being there aren’t that great, and they only remind her of what her father has missed. But she is back before she starts off a life away from the town she grew up. She never thought she would find a reason to stay, but Know may be it.

Brooklyn was a great protagonist for Until You’re Mine. From the start, I was intrigued by her story and wanting to know more. She was an easy character to get along with and the reader is able to understand her hesitation to be back home. One of the main reasons that I loved Brooklyn was that she didn’t want to give up her dream for anyone. There are so many romance novels that the female protagonist gives up her dream for love – and that just shits me. But right from the start, the reader is able to see that Brooklyn loves that she does and wants to pursue all the way. While Brooklyn does brush away a lot of things, the situation with her father really does tear her apart.

Knox is a fighter, it’s what he has trained and worked his life too. It’s what he knows. So when his life crumbles around him – so does he. But now his getting his life back on track. He is at a new gym building something for himself and ready to get back to fighting professionally. Like Brooklyn, right from the start Knox’s determination for his dream is evident. He has waited and fought this long and he wants to fight his way back to an MMA title. He has been through a lot and that is seen throughout Until You’re Mine.

The romance for me in Until You’re Mine made it. It was slow burning, friends to more and just hit me in all the right spots. At the start of the novel Brooklyn has a boyfriend and while they seem great together, Brooklyn and Knox leave sparks flying. While Brooklyn does break up with her boyfriend before anything happens between her and Knox, she does have feelings for him and that plays a part. While Knox is a fighting he isn’t so much an alpha male and I really enjoyed that. Obviously, he is protective over Brooklyn, but not demanding or possessive. Which I love.

The notion of family plays a big part in Until You’re Mine. Brooklyn doesn’t have a good relationship with her father and that plays a big part in the book. He has more focus on Knox then he does her and her career. Their relationship has been rocky for years and it took a lot for Brooklyn to come back – but she knew she needed to. However, that doesn’t change the way that they interact with each other. Things are rough for a lot of the book between these two and I wanted them to work things out so much. But the reader also understands how hard it has been for Brooklyn. In saying that I adored Brooklyn’s relationship with her brothers in Until You’re Mine. It was seriously fantastic. They are protective and will do anything for her, but also know where she stands – which was great.

Overall, I really enjoyed Until You’re Mine by Cindi Madsen. Brooklyn and Knox were brilliant together and I loved that their relationship was slow burning. It added another depth to the book that made me love it. Brooklyn was so easy to read and her character arc was spot on. I loved seeing Knox let go and fall in love – again added another layer to the novel. Until You’re Mine explores romance, family and learning to let go. It’s about following your dreams, forgiving and finding a place in the world. If you are looking for an interesting romance that has a little hint of sport – then this is for you.

Have you read Until You’re Mine by Cindi Madsen yet? What did you think? Are you planning to? Have you read anything else from her? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Fighting For What’s His by Laura Kaye

Sep 10, 2018

Fighting For What’s His by Laura Kaye

Pages: 242
Publish date: September 10th, 2018
Publisher: –
ASIN: B07CYT37YG
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – iBooks

Resisting her only makes him want her more…

Private investigator Billy Parrish is good at three things—fighting, investigating, and sex. MMA training with the other vets in the Warrior Fight Club keeps his war-borne demons at bay—mostly, and one night stands ensure no one gets too close. But then his best friend from the Army Rangers calls in a favor.

Shayna Curtis is new to town and full of hope for the future. With a new job starting, she’s grateful when her brother arranges a place for her to stay while she apartment hunts. But she never expected her roommate to be so brooding. Or so sexy.

Billy can’t wait for Shay to leave—because the longer she’s there, the more he wants her in his bed. To stay. He can’t have her—that much he knows. But when fight club stops taking off the edge, Billy lets down his guard…and starts fighting for what’s his.

Fighting For What’s His:

I received an e-arc of Fighting for What’s His by Laura Kaye from Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve read quite a few Laura Kaye books now and most I have really enjoyed. They are easy reads that I can just quickly pick up and just relax. Fighting for What’s His was just the same. While it does deal with heavier issues, it’s still a quick, fun, romantic read.

Fighting for What’s His follows protagonist Shayna as she moves into her brothers best friends place as she finds her place in a new city. But her new roommate also happens to be someone who she has crushed on for quite some time. Billy still haunted by his past is trying to move on with his life. It’s all about fighting, investigating, and sex, but when Shayna moves in, he is taken off guard. Starting off with a bang Shay and Billy are in for a ride, and things are about to get heated.

I really enjoyed Shayna as a protagonist in Fighting for What’s His. She was really easy to get along with and I was able to fall into her voice nicely. From the start, the reader is able to see that. Shay has been through a lot and this is her time to get away and really take time for herself. I really enjoyed how passionate Shay was about her career and doing what she loves. I liked that Laura Kaye shows the struggles that she had to go through, but also the highs that made it all worthwhile. It was a nice contrast and added more depth to the novel.

Shay also makes a range of friends throughout Fighting for What’s His and that was so great to see. Normally in romance novels the female protagonist already has friends, but as she has moved to another town, she has to start all over.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve loved reading more and more romance books with military-related characters. I don’t know why I love it so much, but it just adds another layer to the novels and makes it that more interesting. Billy is an ex-ranger. Still trying to find his footing in the ‘normal’ world, he becomes a private investigator while also attending the Warrior Fight Club. And while he has all these things to distract him, the war still haunts him and does play around with his life. Throughout most of Fighting for What’s His, I really enjoyed Billy, but there were times where I just wanted to scream at him. He has poor communication skills that really affected his relationship with Shay.

The romance in Fighting for What’s His was okay. I didn’t actually love it that much. I think that Shay and Billy are a great couple and had heaps of chemistry. But I think the novel lacked to show the progress. There was a big part of the middle of the novel, where not much happened. It was like they had heaps of chemistry at the start and then they were saying they loved each other. The connecting part for me lacked depth and substance.

One of my favourite things about this series so far is how it deals with mental illness. PTSD plays a huge role with people that have fought in a battle and I really enjoy about Laura Kaye represents it. Both novels so far, explore mental health in different ways and on different levels. But it’s done in a way where romance doesn’t ‘fix’ the mental illness, but helps assist with striving to be in a better place. In Fighting for What’s His we get to see two different ways that mental health has effect people. Billy because of the horrors of the life he leads as an ex-ranger and then Shay with the guilt of her brother’s death.

The notion of family was a huge theme in Fighting for What’s His. Although not in the book much, I really enjoyed Shya’s relationship with her brother. The reader is able to tell from the start that Shay really cares about him and what he thinks of her. His opinions matter and that she wants to make him proud. I do wish that Laura Kaye did focus more on Shay’s realtionship with other members of her family, but it was only really spoken off.

Overall I enjoyed Fighting for What’s His. Is it my favourite book? No, not even close. But it was a really enjoyable read. The romance is firey and was fun to read. Shay and Billy are both great characters that were able to capture me from the start. Fighting for What’s His explores the notion of believing in yourself, letting go and letting people in. It’s a novel that explores family, friendship and mental health. If you are looking for a quick, but impactful romance read then this one is for you.

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Blasphemy, Hard Ink, and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Laura also writes historical fiction as the NYT bestselling author, Laura Kamoie. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Have you read Fighting for What’s His by Laura Kaye? What did you think? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read anything else by Laura Kaye? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Chase by Elle Kennedy

Aug 28, 2018

The Chase by Elle Kennedy

Pages: 377
Publish date: August 6th, 2018
Publisher: Self-Published
ASIN: B07G6M9HDV
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.

The Chase:

I received an e-arc of The Chase by Elle Kennedy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series is one of my favourite NA sport-romances ever. So when I heard she was writing a spin-off series, I couldn’t hold my excitement. The Chase is the first book in the Briar U series follows new and old characters that we have seen before. Set in the same school, the same hockey team and the intense, steamy romances. Overall I really enjoyed The Chase, it’s not my favourite Elle Kennedy book out there, but I still really loved it.

The Chase follows Summer Di Laurentis as she begins her first semester at a new school. And a new school means new friends, new classes and a chance to start over. Things are bound to get out of control when Summer unexpectedly movies in with hockey boys. And one of them happens to be Fitzy, someone who Summer has had a crush on for quite some time. Fitzy knows that liking Summer is wrong, and he tries to keep this distance, but that just never works. When Fitzy and Summer break down their walls things have just started to get interesting.

For the most part, I really enjoyed Summer as a protagonist in The Chase. She wasn’t the typical characters that you see in an NA per say. She wasn’t this really smart characters and she was the classic college girl and I think I really enjoyed that. From the start, Summer doesn’t hide too much from the reader. We know that she likes to party, struggles in school and needs a little bit of extra help. But as the novel goes on we really get to see a side of Summer that I loved – her vulnerability.

It seeps in through the novel, but I just really enjoyed her exploring herself and why she struggles in school. Summer has ADHD and it really affects her schooling and does make her vulnerable. But it is also something that makes her strong and pushing her to be the best she can. I also loved that those around her; mainly her friends and family and trying to help her and support her.

If you have read Elle’s Off-Campus series then you would already know about Fitzy. But the reader gets to know him a whole lot more in The Chase. I was already intrigued by Fitzy when reading the previous novels, this tattooed, video-gaming ice hockey player. The reader gets to know more about Fitzy throughout the novel and while I didn’t exactly love him, I really enjoyed him as a love interest for Summer. Throughout the novel, Fitzy’s insecurities are brought to the forefront. I did feel at times that Fitzy’s character arc in The Chase fell short and just didn’t go anywhere at times. I did love that he was unapologetically so into video games and art.

The romance in The Chase was cute, and I loved seeing Summer and Fitzy together. However, I did feel that things could have gone differently. I hated the love triangle aspect of the novel and wish it wasn’t there. There was enough going on around these two that it wasn’t necessary for the plot, I think. I adored the way that Fitzy wanted to help Summer study and be the best she can. It was great seeing a young male really think about learning disabilities, understand and want to help. And I adored that Summer believed in Fitzy and his capabilities even when he didn’t. It was great seeing that they would both knock down everything in each other’s paths so they can do well.

Friendship was a massive theme in The Chase and I really liked the way it was handled at times. Summer and Brenna are perfect together and I cannot wait to see their friendship grow. It was also a great way to tie into the previous books. I did feel there was a strain on Fitzy and his friendships with teammates after the love triangle debacle – hence another reason why I wish it wasn’t included. The appearance of characters from the Off-Campus series also made for some great laughs, smiles and gave the reader some insight on what has happened.

The plot of The Chase was up and down for me. There were a lot of things that came out of the blue and created this line in the book that just took me away. It explored the boundaries that teachers in college break and not for good reasons and when women speak up – not many people listen. This is such an important topic, and it was rushed in the book which means that things came out of nowhere and did have no consequences. However, other than that the plot moved pretty smoothly for me.

Overall, I enjoyed The Chase. It was a great sports romance read that you all know I love. The romance was adorable and I loved how slow burning it was. Fitzy and Summer are adorable together and sometimes even sexy which was a nice combination. The Chase explores trusting in yourself and learning to love who you are. It’s about friendship and family and creating something new. If you are looking for a slow-burn college romance then this one is for you.