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An Up and Down Month | November Wrap Up

Dec 6, 2020

November has been a strange month for me. At the start I was in a little bit of a slump, then it really picked up and I read a heap. But then towards the end of the month, I changed jobs, and I have been swamped for the last 2 weeks. Basically now I’m a full-time bookseller and I could not be happier. So my reader has taken a hit and it’s been up and down.

I read 19 books in November which is one the lower end for me. But I also read some fantastic books this month. I did also have some that just weren’t my thing. But overall it was pretty good. Now enough of this and let’s get into it.

King’s Descendants MC Series #1 – #5 by Bella Jewel: I had many ups and downs with this series. I enjoyed some of the books and really didn’t like others. But I still wanted to know what was going to happen next. It’s not one of my favourite MC series for sure, nevertheless, it still kept me hooked.

Playing with Fire by L.J. Shen: This is my first L.J. Shen book that I have picked up and I don’t think it will be my last. I haven’t read a new adult romance in some time, and this one really gave me NA vibes, I loved that. The romance was intriguing, I enjoyed the characters. And the plot was great.

Hostage to Pleasure (Psy-Changeling #5) by Nalini Singh: I couldn’t wait too long before I picked up the next one in this series and it was just fantastic. I adore Dorian, so this one hit me in all the right spots. It did take me a little longer to get into, but once I did. Bang!

Lacy’s Legacy (Westward Home and Hearts Mail-Order Brides #1) by Elaine Manders: This isn’t my usual thing, but I picked it up. I didn’t love it, that is for sure, but I didn’t hate it either. The romance was cute, and the story was intriguing.

A Rogue of One’s Own (A League of Extraordinary Women #2) by Evie Dunmore: Man I loved this one. You can check out mine and Ely’s discussion on it and see how much both of us really enjoyed it. But the romacne was fantastic, the characters were amazing and I could not put it down.

Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling #6) by Nalini Singh: This has to be one of my favourites from the series so far. Riley and Mercy were just fantastic. I adored that we got to see the two packs interact more and it was just great. I can’t wait to see more of them both.

Stoney’s Property (Devil’s Riot MC: Originals #1) by E.C. Land: I don’t have much to say about this one except that it was not for me. The writing was great, the characters were bland and I could not get into it.

My (Mostly) Secret Baby (My (Mostly) Funny Romance #1) by Penelope Bloom: This one was another book was that was down for me. I didn’t know too much about it when I picked it up. I just saw it on KU and it sounds interesting. But I didn’t find it funny, at all. And I hated up much the protagonists was up and down with one another.

Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny (Loose Ends #1) by Rebekah Weatherspoon: I’ve been wanting to pick this one up for years now and I finally did. And gosh did I love it so much. I really enjoy romances where there are children involved with one of the love interest. It just adds another dynamic to the romance and the novel. I can’t wait to read more from Rebekah.

Xeni (Loose Ends #2) by Rebekah Weatherspoon: I picked this up as soon as I finished Rafe and while I didn’t love it as much as the first book, I still enjoyed it. I couldn’t fully connect with Xeni, and I think that hindered my enjoyment of the book. But I really loved the romance. It was absolutely adorable.

Birthday Shot by Rilzy Adams: I read this after my interview with Rilzy a few weeks ago. And gosh did I love it. This was such a fun read. It’s an older brothers best friend romance and I can never get enough of those. It was sexy and sweet all rolled into one and I can’t wait to read more from Rilzy Adams.

Daring and the Duke (The Bareknuckle Bastards #3) by Sarah MacLean: While this is my least favourite in the series. I adored reading it and will continue reading more and more Sarah MacLean. The choose of love interest is so intriguing, especially since he since two books as the villain.

To Pleasure a Prince (Royal Brotherhood #2) by Sabrina Jeffries: I finally picked up the next book in this trilogy and I had a blast. It took me a while to get into this one. But after 100 pages I started to really enjoy it. I’m loving Sabrina Jeffries HR and I have a whole lot more to read.

One Night with a Prince (Royal Brotherhood #3) by Sabrina Jeffries: This was a great ending to this series, and I loved how it was all wrapped up. I loved the romance in this one. It was intriguing and interesting and I could not put the book down. I had such a fun time reading it, and I want to find more HR romances like this.

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke #2) by Tessa Dare: I’m slowly making my way through this series and it’s so good. This just made my heart smile. It was a very sweet historical romance and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

And that is it! Those are all the books that I read in November. Like I said while I had an up and down reading month. I read some fantastic books and there was only a few that let me down.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? How was your November? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Loverboy by Sarina Bowen

Dec 4, 2020

Loverboy (The Company #2) by Sarina Bowen

Pages: 320
Publish date: December 1st 2020
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing
ISBN: 9781950155095
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Secrets, desires, and exquisite pie. It’s all in a day’s work at The Company.

Growing up, I was the rough guy from the wrong neighbourhood who couldn’t catch a break. Posy was the pampered girl I tried to impress. But I managed to steal only a single kiss before I had to skip town.

Now I’m back, and the tables are turned. Posy runs a struggling pie shop. I’m the VP of a secretive billion-dollar security company.

Not that I can tell her.

There’s a murderer on the loose in New York, and he seems to spend a lot of time at Posy’s shop. I can’t let on that I’m here to bring him down before he can harm a hair on her pretty head.

Going undercover as Posy’s new barista wasn’t my idea. I don’t even drink coffee. But now I have to call her “boss,” and do everything the curvy perfectionist asks of me. I’d forgotten how much we infuriate each other, and that she somehow fills me with both irritation and desire in the same breath.

There’s nobody more skilled at stealth ops than me. I can bring this killer down. Right after I take a cold shower. And just as soon I figure out how to make a skinny peppermint latte with milk poured in the shape of a kitten…

Loverboy:

I received an earc of Loverboy by Sarina Bowen from the author in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thought and feelings about the book.

It took me a little while to get into this one. I can’t figure out why. I think it was a combo of both me being not particularly in the mood for it and it took me a while to connect with the characters. But as I got novel went on and I continued really, I ended up enjoying the book. It’s not my favourite Sarina Bowen book out there, but I had a good time reading it.

Loverboy by Sarina Bowen follows Gunner who works for The Company. And when a murderer is on the loose in New York, Gunner finds himself back in a place he doesn’t like to stay long. Not only that he has to see and protect someone he never thought he would see again. Undercover as a barista at Posy’s pie shop, Gunner has to find out who is killing people in NY and fast. But the more time that Gunner and Posy spend together, the more old and new feelings arise.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Gunner was an interesting character in Loverboy. As readers, we were introduced to him in Moonlighter, but there isn’t much we know about him going into this one. As the novel goes on and Gunner starts to let Posy in a little more, the reader gets to know him better. I still don’t know how I feel about Gunner. And I wasn’t able to connect with him throughout the series, and that made it hard for me to really enjoy him. I didn’t hate him, but he was just another character.

I felt very similar in regards to Posy as well. Something was holding me back from really connecting with her. Like Gunner, I didn’t hate her, but I couldn’t love her either. I liked she was independent and the reader can see her grow even more throughout the novel. Before the novel starts, she has distance herself from her father and that really sets up a lot of the story and her character. And while I didn’t love Posy, I enjoyed getting to know her and seeing her grow.

Photo by Kenny Luo on Unsplash

And while I didn’t love both protagonists, I did enjoy the romance. Gunner and Posy had a lot of heat and tension and that made for a fantastic romance. They both had a past with one another and it didn’t finish on good terms. But as the novel goes on Gunner and Posy get to know each other again and everything seems to fit. I loved when they egged each other one and pushed the other. It was a great dynamic and played a great role in the novel.

I found that I didn’t care too much about the plot side of Loverboy. Again I’m not sure why I wasn’t able to connect with this book like Bowen’s others, but something felt off to me. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one I didn’t have the same highs from the action. I felt that things were building up and then were over too quickly. In saying that I will continue with the series for sure. There were some hints on what other characters might come together and I need to know more.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Overall, Loverboy by Sarina Bowen was a decent read. I felt that it was hard to connect with the protagonist at first, but as the novel went on, everything becomes better. Gunner and Rosy were a mix of sweet and hot. They could flip between being nice with one another and then trying to one-up the other. Loverboy is a second chance romance, where they never really got to see where it would go the first time. While I didn’t love this one, I will read the rest of the series as they come out.

Have you read Loverboy by Sarina Bowen yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning too? Have you read anything else from her before? Let’s Chat!

Author Interview: K E Osborn | Romance Thursdays

Nov 12, 2020

On this week’s Romance Thursdays I have the amazing K E Osborn. You can also check out last weeks interview with Felicia Grossman as we talked writing historical romance, her Truitt’s series and more.

Romance Thursdays is a feature that spotlights romance authors to highlight how amazing the romance writing community is. Each week I’m will be interviewing a different romance author from across subgenres as well as both traditionally and self-published. I want to share their experience writing romance and why they love it so much. While also focusing on their writing and books.

K E Osborn has a big backlist of titles including her MC series; Chicago Defiance MC, Satan’s Savages MC and Royal Bastards MC: Tampa, FL. As well as her other series including the Recoil Rock Series, The Next Generation Series and The Trust Me Trilogy. Her most current series is back in the MC world with the Houston Defiance MC. So let’s get to know K E Osborn a little more.

Hi K E, and welcome to Angel Reads. For those that haven’t read anything by you yet. Tell us a little about yourself and your books?

Thank you for having me. I’m an indie author who has been writing since 2012. Predominantly in the MC genre, but I also venture out from time to time into other genres as well. I write Rock Stars, Billionaires, Secret Agents, Sports Romance, Rom-coms, and others. I do love writing a little of everything, but I have had the most success with my Chicago and Houston Defiance MC series. Plus, I have the most fun writing them. Gotta love an alpha male, a sassy heroine, and a hell of a lot of action!

Why did you start writing romance novels? Is there anything in particular that drew you to it over other genres?

I think I started writing romance because that’s what I read. It’s what I knew. I was a big fan of Stephanie Meyer and EL James, and coming right of the back of their successes, I stepped into the Indie arena and dipped my pen in the ink. Because of Twilight and FSOG, I found my love for the written word, and I suppose, like many other authors out there, found my voice through those stories. Though, my actual starting point came from a vivid dream one night. I got up the next morning and started typing, and the next thing I knew, it was a four-book series. That was in 2012, now here we are eight years later with over forty books written, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

You write a range of romances, but you also write multiple series that link together, either through familiar characters or generations. What is your favourite thing about doing this?

The best part about leaving funnels in stories is for the readers to find them. I love getting messages from a reader who is so excited that their favourite side character has shown up in another story. I’m currently doing this with the Houston Defiance. Funnelling side characters into other stories for my readers to find these little surprises. I can’t wait for you to read about them all.

As for the series that link together, I do this in various ways. With my rockers, it is the generations or the backing bands. With MC, it’s the brother chapters, and we get to see glimpses of the other chapters in books with various issues and troubles they come across. I love the different Defiance chapters I’ve created, and there are so many I can go on with. This ride is nowhere near done!

What is your favourite thing about romance as a genre? Why do you like reading and writing it?

I adore writing it. The ebbs and flows, the angst, the build-up and suspense of will they-wont they. My favourite thing about writing romance is when the flawed character grows, finds their inner strength, and builds on themselves, not just because they have found their one, but because of that love, they can love themselves. The growth of a character is so important in each novel. Without it, the story doesn’t have the depth it should.

Why do I like reading romance, for all the reasons I have just mentioned. 😊

What are some of your favourite tropes that you like reading and writing in the romance genre?

I like all tropes. I don’t have a favourite, but if I had to pick, I suppose enemies to lovers is the most fun to write. Because having that undeniable hatred, but with that underlying chemistry, it is SO much fun!

You have published multiple MC series. What is your favourite thing about writing books that include MC’s characters that keep pulling you back in?

I’m going to sound a little dark here, but I adore the drama and chaos of an MC book. Yeah, love and romance are great. But I love getting down into the grit of the MC club. When the bad guys almost win. When everything looks lost. And when all the blood and anarchy takes hold. I love the mayhem. I thrive when writing that. It excites me to my very core.

What are some of the ways that you think we can start overcoming the stigma of romance novels?

I guess not all life is sunshine and rainbows, and this is probably why I write more gritty romance. I think writing about flawed characters is something readers can relate to, rather than everything being happy and fluffy. However, in saying that, there is nothing wrong with a great story if it has a happy ever after and is not full of problems. Readers read to get away from everyday life, and therefore escape is real. If they can escape even for a few hours within a romance novel, even if there is a stigma attached to reading them, then I say go for it. I guess what I am trying to say is that there will always be a stigma regarding romance novels no matter what you write. It’s just a matter of writing what makes you happy as an author and hoping that the readers love it as much as I do writing them.

Have I found the stigma associated with me as a romance author? The answer is always going to be yes. However, mostly I find people congratulate me, even if they don’t want to read my books. It’s always going to be a happy medium, I am afraid.

Do you currently have any books in the works? Is there anything that you are looking forward to writing, but haven’t started yet?

I constantly have books in the works. I have books lined up for months. But my next project is book four of the Houston Defiance Series. I’m really looking forward to writing that book. I also have book three of the Royal Bastards coming up. There is a collaboration project – The Diamond Dozen – and included in that is my book Stripped by Silence, which is about a burlesque dancer, so that’s taking a little left turn for me, but I am super excited to write something different from my MC genre. I can’t wait to get into that one.

Thank you so much for coming by Angel Reads. It was lovely having you here. And I can’t wait to read more of your books!

Thank you so much for having me! It’s been an absolute pleasure. xoxo

***

If you love reading MC series, K E Osborn writes some intense, fast and addicting books that you need to get your hands on. I hope that you liked this weeks interview.

If there is an author that you would like to see featured here, please do let me know and I will try my best. If you are a romance author and would like to be apart of Romance Thursdays, don’t hesitate to message me.

Have you read any books from K E Osborn before? Are you excited for more Romance Thursday posts? Let’s Chat!

About the Author

With a flair for all things creative, International Bestselling Author K E Osborn, is drawn to the written word. Exciting worlds and characters flow through her veins, coming to life on the page as she laughs, cries, and becomes enveloped in the storyline right along with you. She’s entirely at home when writing sassy heroines and alpha males that rise from the ashes of their pasts.

K E Osborn comforts herself with tea and Netflix, after all, who doesn’t love a good binge?

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