Review: Pity Play by Whitney Dineen

As much as this series has been fun to read and I’ve wholeheartedly loved each book so far, Pity Play is definitely my favorite. It took a second, diving into the book to realize when I saw the character names, an instant love for what was to come and it never disappointed. With the its small town charm and romantic tension, you will fall in love with this Luke and Lorelai just the same.

Lorelai Riley has been in love with Luke Phillips since they were kids. As the friend to her older brother Noah, the last thing on his mind back then was his younger sister. Fast forward to life as an adult, with a family accident that brings him back to Elk Lake, what other place would his best friend recommend to stay? With that life long crush of hers, Luke needs a place to stay and guess who has a spare room? Could this be the moment she has always wished for?

Without taking away from the swoon craving journey that you will be on, Pity Play delivers a slow burn romance full of all the charm of that small town romance. It’s unspoken glances, close proximity tension and gives some unforgettable smooches that change the trajectory of fantasy to reality. Despite Luke returning to Elk Lake to deal with some personal obstacles and adamant on returning to his life in Chicago, then with one kiss, fate had another plan to remind never to judge a book by its cover.

There’s so much to love about this book. You’ll not only fall in love with the both of them but be endeared by the charm of Elk Lake. For those who have followed the series, you will feel right at home. The highlights for me are the laugh out loud moments that make you smile. The heart warming moments balancing out with the flirty ones give you just enough steam to savor the moments.

Despite this being part of the series, it can be read as a standalone. If you’re new to the series, start from the beginning to get to know everyone. If you’ve followed along then I know you will love this one. Make sure to look out for the next book in the series, Pity Play which will follow Noah and Allie.

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Review: When Hearts Awaken: An Angsty Enemies to Lovers Billionaire Romance by Victoria Lum

There were some good things in When Hearts Awaken, and unfortunately, there was so bad. More bad than good. The good— the romance, well, mostly. For the most part, I enjoyed Taylor and Charles’ romance. I think they were at their peak in the early characters of the book. Lum had a strong dynamic going with them, and I bought into their hatred of each other. However, their “hatred” burned too quickly for me.  I would have preferred one or two more chapters before they flipped the switch.

Taylor felt more of a stronger character than me than Charles. Taylor’s journey was more rewarding and developed than Charles. Although, it’s unfortunate that her older sister—Grace—and her had little scenes together. I read Grace’s book, and I could have sworn Taylor was such a huge presence, which is why it felt disappointing not to have Grace in the same level.

The plot for When Hearts Awaken was too soapy. It’s tiring how everyone and everything in this series connected, and it makes the plot twists not as jaw-dropping. Additionally, it feels as though plot points have been recycled. For example, I’ve read at least three books within this series, and after the main leads meet for the first time, there is always a time jump and a strong dislike of each other.

Final Thoughts

When Hearts Awaken did not meet my expectations. I recall being excited to read Taylor’s story when I first met her in Grace’s book (When Hearts Ignite). I think she deserved a much better story. One that is original to her and doesn’t feature reused story beats. 

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Review: Take Me Home for Christmas by Miranda Liasson

Miranda Liasson brings the holiday charm with her holiday romance, Take Me Home for Christmas. As always, the gift of a feel good second chance romance mixed with some fake dating and the charm of the holidays.

In this heartwarming novel, we meet Mia D’Angelo, a pediatric resident who is intelligent, compassionate and while her heart is in the right place, has been living a lie. To give something positive for her ailing mother to focus on, she creates the perfect boyfriend. Only one problem. The D’Angelos love to get together for the holidays and her family wants to meet him. Let me introduce Dr. Braxton Hughes. The annoying but charming former crush who she thought was the perfect guy seemed to come to an end once they became coworkers going for the same job. 

With the upcoming visit with her fake boyfriend, her potential prospects fell through for the task. When Brax proposes himself as a fill-in, he is the last man she’d ever trust with her heart. He’s good looking, reliable and has a big heart. He’s just someone who has a commitment problem and definitely not someone she’d take home for Christmas. With no options left, she finds it harder to resist once his charm infects her family. Sometimes being at the right place and the right time will inspire the perfect second chance for Mr. Right. 

Take Me Home for Christmas is a slow burn romance with chemistry, swoon worthy and witty moments. Besides watching Brax melt Mia’s heart, another part of her story is her personal connection with her work inspired by her own life tragedy. Losing her sister and her dedication of her life to helping kids is a heartwarming addition to her part of her story. Brax’s hardship in life, gaining a found family brings a genuine joy as an added bonus to his life giving him a second chance. Just an overall feel good enjoying the influence of a great family and two people finding their way together warms you up for the holiday.

If you love a holiday romance with heart, second chances sprinkled in with a fake boyfriend then you’ll enjoy this one.

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Review: The Passion Parameter by Ana D’Arcy

Mostly, I liked the first book –The Desire Variable­­—within this series. My main complaint was that it took an unexpected turn towards the latter half of the book. Instead of being a light, contemporary read, it turned a little into something greyer. The story was far from a dark romance, but just the light office romance I had thought it would be. Still, I was committed to reading what I thought would be the final book in this series—more on that later.

The Passion Parameter has Lex and Andy struggling with the outcome of the end of the last book. They are apart, miserable, and still working at the same company. I was surprised with how quickly they got back together. I expected it to be dragged out more since this is a chunky book. Though, I can’t say I’m upset about that. I called Andy a lovable nerd in my first book review, and that still stands. When she and Lex are together, their nerd power increases by one thousand percent. It’s cute, though their dialogue and behavior could sometimes become a little much. Oddly, it works for their characters and their relationship.

Even though Lex and Andy come together after the events of the last book, their relationship still isn’t smooth sailing. There’s a lot of relationship drama in this one. Their drama is the entire focus of the book, with Andy’s app taking another backseat. I’d say that most of the drama was fine. Although I didn’t like the drama with Evora, I did like how it was resolved and how Andy and Evora became friends.

There are a lot more reveals about Lex’s character within this installment that gives clarity to his actions in the last book. Most of the more emotional moments center on him and his relationship with his family. Spoiler—his parents are the absolute worst.

Finally, I entered this book, expecting it to be the last one. Of course, that isn’t how this happened, and this one ended on a cliffhanger. My rating for this one is lower than the first; however, the cliffhanger was intriguing enough, and I am curious about what happens next. I might be too hopeful, but I hope the author doesn’t wrap up that storyline in the first few chapters of the third book. I hope she leans into it because it’s an interesting concept, and the hints have been woven in since the first book.

Final Thoughts

Any Lex and Andy superfan might adore The Passion Parameter. The romance and character development (especially Lex’s) are the center plot in this book, with other things occurring but falling to the background or quickly being resolved. They have many relationship woes; however, they celebrate so many high points in their relationship. Their chemistry and cuteness can’t be denied. And neither can their sometimes cringe dialogue and behavior. As I mentioned previously, it works for these characters, even if it feels a bit too much at times. For me, I had to read the book in small doses so that I wouldn’t get overwhelmed.

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Review: Chaos by E.J. Blaise

One chapter into Chaos, E.J. Blaise had ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and then proceeded to drive her car over it. I quickly realized that this was not going to be an easy read for me, and E.J. Blaise was not going to allow me to breathe easily. I was right. I had already lost my heart during the first chapter, but the wounds and bruises still came. Thankfully, this ended on a good note because I was fully prepared to send E.J. my therapy bill.

I’ll admit that Lottie was not my favorite Jackson girl. I’ve always been a Lux girlie (I’m begging for her book, please!). Though Lottie’s my girl, too. She’s angry and willing to hurt anyone who gets close to her or stands in her way. She’s in so much pain, and most of the time, she doesn’t mean it. One day, she makes a bad decision, and she’s forced away from her family’s ranch. She’s been gone for two years, and when she returns, she’s missed so much.

I ran across two quotes in the book that I think sum up the book and Lottie’s development. They go together. The first, “There’s more to Lottie Jackson than her rage,” then, “Finn knows that.” There are still some hurt feelings between her and her siblings, but Finn’s the first one to see her and understand her. I liked their relationship and how sweet and kind he was to her. Additionally, he was able to hold his own, and their banter was great.

Lottie’s relationship with her siblings was highlighted well, too. Unsurprising, my favorite is the relationship between her and Lux.

This book is one hundred percent Lottie’s story—her character development and her relationship with everyone else. She’s the star of the show. Although my heart was ripped from my chest for most of the book, I loved this story. Lottie is a strong character, and yes, she makes mistakes and gets angry, but that isn’t all she is. Chaos is a raw character study into the mind of Lottie Jackson—the good, the bad, and the perfection.

Final Thoughts

Like with the first installment, E.J. doesn’t hold any punches with Chaos. She is someone who can write emotion—make it bleed through the pages and leave an everlasting impact.

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Review: The Brave and the Reckless: A Bravetown Novel by Dilan Dyer

I was excited to jump into this one. Unfortunately, I learned early on that it would be a chore to read. It was not my favorite. The author had a fantastic idea and invested a lot of time and effort into bringing Bravetown to life. Her efforts were not wasted. The park was my favorite, and I yearned for more lore.

The biggest drawback with this one is that the romance and the main characters don’t work. I felt nothing for either. It felt as if the author compelled a list of tropes and attempted to make a plot with it. The dialogue felt ripped from trendy social media posts, and there was no chemistry between the leads. Not to mention, I don’t believe that I enjoyed either main character on an individual level. The supporting characters were somewhat fun, though a little underused and underdeveloped at times.  

Final Thoughts

The Brave and the Reckless stages a fun and interesting setting; however, the same can’t be said for much of anything else. The romance and main leads are unenjoyable and lackluster. 

ARC provided by NetGalley

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