Category Archives: Reviews

Review: The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne
Series: Devil You Know #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 9th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

​The Devil in Her Bed is the final book in the stunning Devil You Know trilogy by USA Today bestselling author Kerrigan Byrne!

He lives in secret service to the Crown—a man of duty, deception, and an undeniable attraction to a woman who threatens to tear his whole world apart.

They call him the Devil of Dorset. He stands alone, a man of undeniable power. Moving in and out of shadows, back alleys and ballrooms, he is unstoppable and one of the Crown’s most dangerous weapons. However, when he sets his sights on the undeniably beautiful Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish, he doesn’t realize that he has met a match like no other.

TRUE LOVE WEARS NO DISGUISE

Francesca is a countess by day and stalks her prey—those responsible for the death of her family—by night. What she does not expect is to be thrown into the path of the devil himself, the Earl of Devlin. She has secrets of her own and he seems determined to lay them bare. Can her heart survive finding the love of her life and losing him when all is revealed?

I am just a little bit devastated I didn’t love this one. I had such high hopes for Francesca ever since she was introduced in book 1, and I loved the setup for her romance in book 2. You can probably guess who the mysterious “Devil of Dorset” is from the ending of All Scot and Bothered. I have one main reason why I was disappointed by this (which I’ll get into below), but I will say that even though it’s my least favorite of the series, I was still hooked onto the pages. Kerrigan Byrne always writes sexy, exciting, almost suspenseful historical romances with fantastic heroines and antiheroes, and The Devil In Her Bed hit the spot regarding that.

Francesca is the last of the 3 Red Rogues to get her story and she’s always been the most mysterious one. She lives her life as a Countess, but it turns out her true goal in life is to get revenge against the people who killed her family and the people her family worked for. Francesca has a secret past full of murder and deceit, and she’s so much more than she seems. She’s a fierce, strong, intelligent heroine I loved pretty much from the start. And one of my favorite parts about this series is the wonderful female friendship between Francesca, Cecelia, and Alexandra, so I was happy to get even more of that brilliant friendship in this book.

Our hero goes by so many names that I don’t even know what to call him without slightly spoiling things, lol. His identity isn’t that much of a secret if you’ve kept up with the series, and the prologue gives you a good sense of who he is anyway. He’s still an intriguing character – he’s dark, tortured by his past, and works as a spy for the government. All of those things should’ve made me love him, but the main reason I couldn’t get into the romance as much as I wanted to was that this hero thinks Francesca is someone else for almost the entire book. So it was hard for me to buy that he loved Francesca for her, rather than for someone else. I don’t blame him for thinking she’s someone else because of her hidden identity, but he kept going on and on about being in love with this person from his past that I just wasn’t sold enough on him loving the real Francesca.

I’m sad the ending to this series didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but I’ll still be reading anything Kerrigan Byrne writes. I love her storytelling and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!


Reading Order: Devil You Know series

#1 ~ How to Love a Duke in Ten Days: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ All Scot and Bothered: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Devil in Her Bed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Review: Waiting For A Scot Like You by Eva Leigh

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Waiting For A Scot Like You by Eva Leigh
Series: Union of the Rakes #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 23rd 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Eva Leigh concludes her Breakfast Club and 80s movie-inspired Regency series with a merry widow and a stoic major on a bumpy road to love…

Adjusting to life in peacetime isn’t easy for Major Duncan McCameron. Escorting a lady on her journey north seems like the perfect chance to give him some much-needed purpose. That is, until he learns the woman in question is the beautiful, bold, reckless Lady Farris. She makes his head spin and being alone together will surely end in disaster.

Beatrice, the Dowager Countess of Farris, is finally free of a stifling marriage and she has no plans to shackle herself to any other man. Ready to live life to the fullest, she’s headed to a week-long bacchanal and the journey should be half the fun. Except she’s confined to a carriage with a young, rule-abiding, irritatingly handsome Scottish soldier who wouldn’t know a good time if it landed in his lap. But maybe a madcap escapade will loosen him up…

Between carriage crashes, secret barn dances, robbers, and an inn with only one bed, their initial tension dissolves into a passion that neither expected. But is there a future for an adventure-loving lady and a duty-bound soldier, or will their differences tear them apart?

I recently binged on the first two Union of the Rakes books by Eva Leigh and have been dying to read the third and final book! I was especially excited because it’s got two romance tropes I love: grumpy + sunshine characters, a road trip, age gap (with an older heroine), and forced proximity. I enjoyed Duncan and Beatrice’s romance so much. It’s definitely my favorite of the series!

Our stoic Major hero Duncan has been asked to escort widowed Dowager Countess Beatrice to Nottinghamshire for… a week long orgy. Beatrice’s marriage was less than happy and she’s taking charge of her life after being freed from her husband. She wants all the pleasure she can get and she refuses to ever marry again. Duncan is very much an uptight, rule-following sort of man. They are opposites (yay for the opposites attract trope) but still perfect for each other.

I had a lot of fun with this book. If you love road trips and small adventures, this book would be great. I loved the nods to Ferris Buehler’s Day Off and Footloose. It’s steamy, entertaining, and… there’s only one bed! I would recommend this one, especially if you enjoy the rest of the series.


lacey

Reading Order: Union of the Rakes series

 

#1 ~ My Fake Rake: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Would I Lie to the Duke: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Waiting For A Scot Like You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Review: Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 23rd 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan comes a charming, emotional romance about redefining dreams and discovering unlikely love along the way.

Life for Emma isn’t good. The world knows her as Princess Anya on Dark Castle, but then her character gets the axe—literally. The cherry on top is finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She needs a break, and sanctuary comes in the form of Rosemont, a gorgeous estate in California promising rest and relaxation.

Then she meets the owner’s equally gorgeous grandson, ex–hockey player and current recluse Lucian Osmond, and she sees her own pain and yearning reflected in his eyes.

He’s charming when he wants to be but also secretive and gruff, with protective walls as thick as Emma’s own. Despite a growing attraction, they avoid each other.

But then there’s an impromptu nighttime skinny-dip, and Lucian’s luscious homemade tarts and cream cakes start arriving at Emma’s door, tempting her to taste life again…

In trying to stay apart, they only grow closer—and their broken pieces just might fit together and make them whole.

I am such a huge Kristen Callihan fan, so when I heard she was writing a romance with a hero who BAKES, I knew I needed it in my life. (I always need more heroes who bake and cook.) So what do you get when you put one grumpy ex-hockey player with a hidden talent for baking and one actress whose character has been killed off from a successful Game of Thrones-like show? You get fireworks, banter, and one deliciously swoony romance.

Emma has just been let go from her acting role as Princess Anya and is floundering. She decides to take a break from the acting world and stay at Rosemont. She comes across gorgeous, broody, reclusive Lucian, whose grandmother owns the estate. Despite Lucian trying to stay away from Emma, who is a temptation he knows he can’t resist, there’s only so much space in this estate and they come across each other again and again (with some meddling from Lucian’s grandmother Amalie), and sparks fly.

I absolutely adored Lucian and Emma. Their romance is not the easiest or the smoothest, but from the moment that they meet, there’s chemistry and an intense longing to know each other better. Lucian is struggling with his retired hockey life. Hockey is his greatest passion, but now that he’s lost it after too many concussions, he feels broken. Emma is the one bright light in his life and even though he knows her time at Rosemont is temporary, he can’t help but woo her through his delicious pastries. I was dying at all the baked goods Lucian makes Emma – I’m a Great British Bake-Off fan and I was drooling over all the food descriptions!

If you’re looking for a foodie romance that will sweep you off your feet, Make It Sweet is it. Kristen Callihan is known for her sports romances, and even though this hero is retired, fans of her Game On series will definitely enjoy this book. If you enjoyed Dear Enemy, there’s some nice cameos of that couple in Make It Sweet. Overall, I just had such a fun time reading this romance and would love some more foodie romances from Kristen Callihan!


lacey

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Review: Happily Letter After by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Happily Letter After by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: December 1st 2020
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward comes a love story about taking chances and the surprises that come with them.

My love story all started with a letter.

Only it wasn’t from the man I’d eventually fall in love with. It was from his daughter. A sweet little girl named Birdie Maxwell who’d written to the magazine that I worked for.

You see, once a year my employer fulfilled a few wishes for readers. Only that column didn’t start up again for months.

So I fulfilled some of her wishes myself. It was harmless…so I thought. Until one day I took things too far.

While anonymously granting yet another of Birdie’s wishes, I got a look at her father. Her devastatingly handsome, single dad father.

I should have stopped playing fairy godmother then. I should have left well enough alone. But I just couldn’t help myself. I had a connection to this girl. One that had me acting irrationally.

Like when I showed up on their doorstep.

Happy Letter After was SUCH an adorable read! It’s endearing, sweet, feel-good; it’s exactly what I’m looking for in a single parent romance. It’s got a unique meet cute: the heroine, Sadie, comes across a letter from Birdie, Sebastian’s daughter, at her workplace. They write back and forth until Sadie decides to leave a present for Sadie, accidentally is seen by Sebastian, who thinks she’s the dog-sitter he’s hired, and starts training their new pet. It’s a little bit ridiculous but totally works in this story. I had so much fun reading about Sadie, Sebastian, and Birdie. I adored their family and this romance!

Sebastian is a widower and single father. I’m always a sucker for single parent romances and this one was such an enjoyable read. I thought it was hilarious that Sebastian thought Sadie was his new dog trainer – but luckily the lie doesn’t hold up for too long until the truth comes out. This is when our main characters start to slowly fall for each other, albeit reluctantly at first. Sebastian has Birdie to think of first, always, but he soon realizes that he can’t live without Sadie in his life and does everything he can to woo and romance her.

Your heart will melt when you read this book. Not just because of the romance, but also the sweet relationship between Sadie and Birdie, who both have lost their mothers and connect over this. Sebastian is also so swoony when he’s with his daughter too – he’s a fantastic father. I just adored this romance so much and if you love single parent romances like I do, you need to read this one!


lacey

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Review: The Wreckage of Us by Brittainy Cherry

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

The Wreckage of Us by Brittainy Cherry
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: October 20th 2020
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Never in a million years did I think it would be Ian Parker who saved me…

I know I should stay away from Ian Parker.

But when my drug-dealing stepdad kicks me out, I have nowhere to go. Squatting in an abandoned shed on Ian’s grandpa’s farm seems like as good a plan as any.

Ian finds me there, of course, and he insists on me moving into his spare room. I should say no, but the appeal of a roof and a warm bed is too much. Not to mention Ian’s brown eyes and strong arms.

We’re nothing alike, but the spark between us is undeniable. My life is finally looking up.

Until I call the cops on my stepdad and unintentionally get my pregnant mom arrested.

Now I have to sacrifice my dreams to take care of my mom’s baby. She’s the only family I have left. Meanwhile, Ian’s band is taking off; his dreams are coming true.

Ian is my one chance at love. I just hope he doesn’t become the one chance that got away.

When I went into The Wreckage of Us, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even read the blurb, just dove right in. But I knew, since it was a Brittainy C. Cherry book, I would get an angsty romance, and that’s exactly what I got! It’s a new adult romance set in a small town, with a heroine down on her luck and a hero who wants to chase his dreams of stardom. It’s kind of a rock star romance too, with Ian becoming a musician. If you’re a fan of Brittainy Cherry’s books, I highly recommend this one. It’s got her signature jerk hero, plenty of drama/angst, all wrapped up in a great, entertaining package. I enjoyed this romance so much!

At eighteen, Hazel has just been kicked out of her home, leaving her homeless and jobless. Her luck turns though when she’s hired on the town’s ranch, owned by Ian’s grandfather. This puts Hazel and Ian in close proximity, though to say they don’t get along would be an understatement. They get off on the wrong foot from the get-go, especially with Ian acting like the ass that he is. But slowly, as they work on the ranch each day and get to know each other better, Ian falls for Hazel and shows her he’s not quite the jerk he seems to be.

While their romance is growing and steaming up, Hazel is given responsibility of her newborn sister. This forces her to stay in their small town all the while Ian’s music is taking him around the world and onto the stage. I loved the angst and tension during these parts, mainly because I knew how devoted Ian and Hazel were to each other. Their love is fierce and powerful, and not even thousands of miles that separate them can break the bond they have with each other.

If you’re looking for an emotional read, Brittainy Cherry delivers in The Wreckage of Us. I was aching for Hazel and Ian as they go about their long distance troubles, but also swooning over Ian’s adoration for Hazel. Hazel is a tough, strong heroine who doesn’t give up easily, which was my favorite thing about her character. This was a solid romance with a young but everlasting love, and I would love to see the rest of Ian’s band get their stories!


lacey

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ INSTAGRAM • YOUTUBE • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.