I decided to highlight the last 3 romances I've read and feature them on the blog, as sort of a "mini-review" series. I know for myself when I am wanting a new romance to read, I appreciate coming across a round-up of novels to either add to my TBR, or pass on by, thanks to other book bloggers. So I am hoping this new feature does the same for you!
The Hating Game by Sally ThorneI read this novel a little over a month ago, and it's been on my mind ever since.
Published: August 9, 2016 by William Morrow
About the book: Debut author Sally Thorne bursts on the scene with a hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love.
Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
2) A person’s undoing
3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.
Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.
If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.
Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.[goodreads]
My first thoughts after finishing it: "I could have raced through this book in a blink of an eye because it was so dang entertaining. But I took my time with it, savoring every hysterical witty banter, every irresistible look, & that holy smokes hot kiss in an elevator! Oh this book is what dreams are made of. I adored every single page. Please give me MORE, MORE, MORE."
Yup, I fell completely head over heels in love with it! And that love affair is still going strong. If you're a fan of love-to-hate relationships like I am, then this novel is everything you've ever wanted. The tension between these two characters builds and builds, yet revealing sweet moments here and there. I love a good story that can deliver on both the physical and emotional attraction between two characters. This is a definite must read!
Beautiful by Christina LaurenWell, it's no surprise I am a total Christina Lauren fangirl. Though their Wild Seasons series is my favorite, I've still really enjoyed their Beautiful Bastard series as well. And just like the other, this one has now come to a close, too. Queue sad music and all the tears!
Published: October 4, 2016 by Gallery Books
About the book: Featuring the entire BEAUTIFUL series cast for one final hurrah!
A FREE-SPIRITED GIRL IN NEED OF A BREAK.
A MAN WEIGHED DOWN BY RESPONSIBILITY.
A ROAD TRIP VACATION WHERE ALL BETS ARE OFF.
OH, AND A LOT OF WINE.
After walking in on her boyfriend shagging another girl in their place, Pippa Bay Cox ditches London for the States to go on a drunken road trip with Ruby Miller and some of her Beautiful friends.
Scaling the career ladder is the default way to deal with heartbreak—and to just deal—for Jensen Bergstrom. Absolutely buried by his drive and workload, he rarely takes time for himself. But when his sister Hanna convinces him to join the gang on a two-week wine tour, he has a rare moment of cutting loose. Of course, it’s only once he’s committed that he realizes the strange girl he met briefly on the plane is coming along, too. She might be too much for him…or he might realize his life has become too small and needs her to make it bigger, crazier.
With this circle of friends there’s always something going on: from Chloe and Sara’s unexpected personality swaps to Will’s new domestic side to Bennett’s text message barrage and George’s own happily-ever-after. In short, their adventures in love, friendship, and hilarity are nothing short of Beautiful. [goodreads]
My first thoughts after finishing it: "What a sweet surprise at the very end :) Oh how I love this writing duo! Sad to see another series end, but I'm anxious for what they're giving us next."
I love their stories, because even though they're written as part of a series, each novel is its own unique story. Do you have to read them in order? No. But will you understand all the side characters, and appreciate those little check-in's to see what they're up to now? Probably not. And THIS novel is so much more than just Pippa and Jensen's story. It's a culminating finale for each individual couple. Such a BEAUTIFUL way to end the series and say goodbye.
Misbehaving by Tiffany ReiszI recently went on a binge of Cosmo Red Hot Reads and found this little gem. If you're ever in the mood for a quick, hot, enjoyable romance -- I definitely recommend checking these out!
Published: February 11, 2014 by Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin
About the book: Wanted: Adventurous, open-minded man willing to try anything…
As a popular sex blogger, Beatriz gets paid to have orgasms. So being on deadline the week of her sister’s wedding isn’t as rough as it sounds. There’s just one hitch: Bea’s assignment is to write a review of a sex position manual, but she doesn’t have a plus one to play with.
The good news: Ben, the one who got away back in college, is also attending stag--and he's as temptingly gorgeous as ever.
The bad news: Ben turned down Bea’s offer of graduation night sex five years ago.
The best news: He’s not planning on making the same mistake twice. [goodreads]
My first thoughts after finishing it: "Whoa! That was hot! And unexpectedly entertaining. Short and sweet and to the point. Just what I needed."
There's no need to create an entire backstory for this novel. Just enough details are given to place the characters exactly where they need to be in order to go forward with THIS particular story. I think that takes a lot of skill as a writer to be able to not just TELL me what's been going on, but also to make me FEEL it. And this author definitely delivered in that detail.
This novel is definitely for mature eyes only. Sometimes the romances I read can be a bit too heavy on the actual romance-making scenes, and leave out the actual story on who these characters are. Which is totally okay for some novels -- that may be the point of the story. However, I need some depth before all the action begins. This novel gave just enough details to produce a very entertaining read. I definitely recommend this one for readers who are looking for a quick romance, heavy on the romance-making part.
I just bought the Hating Game this week because just too many people loved it for me to ignore it. I love the hate to love trope so much. Glad you enjoyed it and great reviews!!
ReplyDeleteI adored The Hating Game too so I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it too. I can't wait for Grace to read it and see what she thinks. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the other two books you mention in this post but the Christina Lauren has certainly caught my eye. The book and the author. I need to try this Wild series by them.
Short, sweet and hot is a good combo for a book!
I listened to the audio of The Hating Game and really enjoyed it. I own 4 of the Beautiful series on my Kindle but have yet to start it. My favorite Christina Lauren book so far is Sweet Filthy Boy.I haven't read anything by Tiffany Reisz but I own The Siren
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