In the second installment in the ‘Aged like fine Wine’ series by Liz Alden, we follow Sarah and Chris.
Sarah followed her daughter to Germany, who’s dIn the second installment in the ‘Aged like fine Wine’ series by Liz Alden, we follow Sarah and Chris.
Sarah followed her daughter to Germany, who’s doing a semester abroad in Munich. She rented a small place in Baden Baden, but the apartment turns out horrible and in a small stroke of luck, she meets Chris who offers her a room to rent in his house. Chris is a rockstar and working on his new songs after his one big hit. He’s stuck and feels like writer's block has him in its chokehold.
I didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between Sarah and Chris. A main factor for this may be that I didn’t like Sarah at all, I can’t even pinpoint why, but she got on my nerves very fast and I couldn’t stand her. Especially how she acted around her daughter. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Chris as well, but with him I could deal with him more than I could deal with Sarah.
Just like the first book, this one is short and light. I’m looking forward to the next books and seeing how Jade’s and Emma’s stories will work out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
In the second installment in the ‘Aged like fine Wine’ series by Liz Alden, we follow Sarah and Chris.
Sarah followed her daughter to Germany, who’s doing a semester abroad in Munich. She rented a small place in Baden Baden, but the apartment turns out horrible and in a small stroke of luck, she meets Chris who offers her a room to rent in his house. Chris is a rockstar and working on his new songs after his one big hit. He’s stuck and feels like writer's block has him in its chokehold.
I didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between Sarah and Chris. A main factor for this may be that I didn’t like Sarah at all, I can’t even pinpoint why, but she got on my nerves very fast and I couldn’t stand her. Especially how she acted around her daughter. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Chris as well, but with him I could deal with him more than I could deal with Sarah.
Just like the first book, this one is short and light. I’m looking forward to the next books and seeing how Jade’s and Emma’s stories will work out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review....more
This book combines the first three books in the ‘To be claimed’ series by Willow Winters. BookTok made me buy it and it seems in this case, it didn’t This book combines the first three books in the ‘To be claimed’ series by Willow Winters. BookTok made me buy it and it seems in this case, it didn’t disappoint me at all. It was also one of my first werewolf romances and I’m interested to read more in that genre.
In this story we follow the story of Grace and Lizzy, who attend the yearly offering and are chosen by the werewolves as their mates. It takes a while for the main plot to set in, but I was hooked from the beginning.
When it comes to the characters, I started out really liking Grace but over the course of the story, she was annoying and I didn’t like how she tried to be in everyone's business. My start with Lizzy was a little more rocky but the more I read about her and her mates, I liked her and in the end this turned out to be my favorite part of the story.
Everything felt like it was on a surface level and I would have loved to get a little more into the depths of this world and the relationships the different characters form, not only with their mates but with each other as a group. ...more
This book was a huge let down for me. I was looking for a fun and creepy story set in an almost empty amusement park, but I had so many issues with thThis book was a huge let down for me. I was looking for a fun and creepy story set in an almost empty amusement park, but I had so many issues with this story that I couldn’t enjoy it.
First of all, there wasn’t one character that was likable or interesting. The next time I see a book, where the main characters are influencers I know I won’t touch it. The characters constantly made stupid decisions, especially Paisley the FMC.
The story is boring and not engaging at all. I wasn’t rooting for the characters and it was absolutely unrealistic. There weren’t any great twists or shocking moments, at least not for me. The killer reveal was very anticlimactic and not surprising at all.
The worst thing about this book, though, has to be the ending. I’m not opposed to open endings, when they are done right. Here though? Nope. The story just cut off. It felt like even the author was bored, didn’t want to continue writing and just wandered off. ...more
This was a cozy, closed-door, romance with two Chefs, who work together in a Restaurant in Paris.
I really liked the setting. I’ve been to Paris a fewThis was a cozy, closed-door, romance with two Chefs, who work together in a Restaurant in Paris.
I really liked the setting. I’ve been to Paris a few times and I loved seeing a little of the city through the characters' eyes. The aspect of the kitchen and work as a chef was interesting to read about.
I also can’t say anything negative about the main characters. I liked them and their banter was fun. The romance was very slow-burn, it takes a long time to even get to a friendship between the two characters and it takes even more time after that to progress from friends to more than that. This book is extremely closed door, when it comes to spice, something I’m not used to in the romance I typically choose.
Some things in this book felt very unfinished and rushed. There were some aspects to the story that were only mentioned and never made a real impact on the story, so I don’t really know why they were included at all. For example the article about Claire and James, which didn’t have any impact and nothing resolved out of it. Why mention it at all?
The same goes for the ending, there were so many things not really resolved that kept the reader just guessing. And, I know that’s a pet peeve of mine, but I hate it when characters [I’m spoiling the ending in the next part, so don’t read it unless you’re sure you want to.] (view spoiler)[ date for barely a month and then marry. Same goes for people in real life, too. This made me actually furious about this book. Especially since I left the impression they were only getting married so they could have Sex. I would never judge someone for setting boundaries, and that they want to form a real connection with someone before getting intimate, but at least stick to your guns and principles. I would argue it’s worse to marry someone you don’t really know, just to learn later that they weren’t the one you were expecting them to be than to have Sex with someone, and then later learn that was a mistake. (hide spoiler)] ...more
I swear after ‘The House across the Lake’ I thought I was done with Riley Sager’s books. I wasn’t a fan of his previous books as well and I don’t knowI swear after ‘The House across the Lake’ I thought I was done with Riley Sager’s books. I wasn’t a fan of his previous books as well and I don’t know what it is about him or his work that makes me want to buy and read it instantly. After Kayla picked this book for the ‘Literary Dead Bookclub’ I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid reading ‘The only one left’ and what can I say? I’m actually really glad I did.
I enjoyed the story about Leonora Hope and her alleged crimes, the plot was interesting and even though you could see some of it’s twists coming from a mile away, there were other surprising elements that didn’t were as obvious and made for a fun and twisty read.
I still don’t know if I liked the FMC or not, but she was an interesting character that wasn’t as oblivious to the things going on around her as other Riley Sager characters in previous books and that’s a plus in my book.
This actually was a solid read, not especially mind blowing but fun and now I’m pretty sure I’ll pick up his next book as well. ...more
My favorite Disney movie is ‘Beauty and the Beast’. As a child I loved it to bits and watched it all of the time. Even as an adult I’m still watching My favorite Disney movie is ‘Beauty and the Beast’. As a child I loved it to bits and watched it all of the time. Even as an adult I’m still watching it now and again. I’m also a sucker for books where the supposed villain gets the girl. When I heard there is a book that combines these two things, I knew I had to read it.
G wasn’t just morally gray, it’s debatable if he has any positive characteristics. Still it didn’t really bother me, because his arrogant ways and his behavior fit with the character I expected him to be. I liked his development and how his character turned out not to be one of the good guys but still able to find love and happiness. Charlie on the other hand was good. I liked her from the beginning, but after a while she turned out to be pretty bland. Even her secrets didn’t intrigue me as much, still I liked following the plot of these two characters.
Normally I’m not a fan of books with Fae, but it didn’t bother me in this book, I kinda enjoyed the supernatural element in this book. ...more
If you need an example for the miscommunication trope, take this book. There is so much of it in these pages. And I hate it, it’s one of my least favoIf you need an example for the miscommunication trope, take this book. There is so much of it in these pages. And I hate it, it’s one of my least favorite tropes.
After the ending of the last book, Morgan is now discovering a whole new world and at least that was something I really enjoyed. I liked to learn a little more about the different kinds of Fae. Some major aspects of the first book seemed to be mostly forgotten in this book, which kind of irritated me, but I guess we’ll see where this story will lead us in the future.
My main complaint with this book has to be about Morgan herself. I was so annoyed with her for most of the book. At some point I was convinced that she intentionally misunderstood everything just so she could be more annoying. ...more
This is a mix of a dark fantasy romance centering Fae and a retelling of the Artuhrian legend. Two things I often don’t enjoy in books, but here it diThis is a mix of a dark fantasy romance centering Fae and a retelling of the Artuhrian legend. Two things I often don’t enjoy in books, but here it did work for me.
In the beginning we’re introduced to the world the story is set in. We learn a lot about the customs and politics that are present in the country and we see how the court works. It takes a while before we really get into the story, but that didn’t bother me. I liked learning about worldbuilding, about Morgan and her past.
Around the halfway point the story picks up pace and there’s a lot more action. It always feels like there is a plotline hidden behind everything that’s going on and we just scratch the surface when the book ends.
I’m excited to see where this story goes and what we’ll find out in the next book. ...more
Ever since Yulenna left the group in ‘Bound to the Battle God’ to serve the Spidae as an anchor I wanted to see her story and in this book we get it, Ever since Yulenna left the group in ‘Bound to the Battle God’ to serve the Spidae as an anchor I wanted to see her story and in this book we get it, even if it’s much shorter than the previous books in this series.
If you thought ‘Wed to the Wild God’ was spicy, buckle up. This one is full of spice and smut, there are three guys and one woman after all. There is a little plot how Yulenna comes to terms with her new living arrangements and the gods she now serves, but the more we get into the story and the more we learn about the Spidae and their different personalities, we get more and more into the smut territory. And I didn’t mind one bit. ...more
Ugh, this book wasn’t for me, there were just so many things that I didn’t like. The book started out as a solid 3-star read but over time it got bad Ugh, this book wasn’t for me, there were just so many things that I didn’t like. The book started out as a solid 3-star read but over time it got bad and honestly I don’t even know where to start.
First of all, this book is the epitome of insta-love, which is something I don’t tend to enjoy and it wasn’t any different with this book. The two main characters meet in a coffee shop for the first time and talk for about 5 minutes, and in these 5 minutes they nearly come in their pants just from looking at each other. He also starts calling her Baby at this time, which I didn’t find sexy at all, it only had my eyes rolling. Hard. There are so many moments where I think the relationship is progressing way way way too fast, that I can’t talk about all of them here. It wasn’t good.
Then there are the main characters. Maverick is obsessed with Bridget after he reads her answers to the sex quiz, which in all honesty was such a vanilla quiz for women in their 20s. He is overprotective and very focused on the fact that he will be the first (and only) man to give her orgasms. Bridget itself was at first an okay MC, but after a while it got so bad with her. She is super insecure, nearly every thought of her is that she’s not good enough, that she has to be sorry for absolutely normal things, like saying hello, it was way too much. All I wanted to do was slap her.
By the time we got to the third act drama, I was so over it that I thought about quitting. I was mad at everything and I really didn’t care if they would have a HEA. The drama itself would have been dissolved in 5 minutes, but of course there had to be miscommunication. Why let the characters talk about something, when you can easily drag this story for a few more chapters?
I won’t be reading anything more in this series. We get a small glimpse of the next couple, Mavericks brother and Bridget’s sister. He looked at her one time and knows he will marry her now, of course. It’s just not something I’ll enjoy. ...more
This is one of my new favorite series of all time. My expectations after the first book were pretty high, but Liz Tomforde delivers in this one as welThis is one of my new favorite series of all time. My expectations after the first book were pretty high, but Liz Tomforde delivers in this one as well.
It’s the characters that make this book so strong. We have Ryan, he’s Chicago's Basketball superstar and due to that, he’s also a complete control freak. But then Indy, our FMC, stumbles into his life after a bad break up and she is everything Ryan is not. She is emotional, colorful and messy. These two characters compliment each other so well, it was a joy seeing how they challenge and help each other.
Fake Dating, in my opinion, is one of the best tropes. It has proved a recipe for a book I love and it’s no different in this case. I loved the whole dating thing and even though there were some concepts that I knew from other books, I still immensely enjoyed watching it play out in this book.
Liz Tomforde has a writing style that’s very compelling. I was sucked in from the first page and couldn’t put it down. Hours reading felt like minutes and I’m super excited for the next book in this series. I also hope we get a book about Rio. ...more
Going into a book blind can be very hit or miss for me. This was my first book by Susan Stoker and I didn’t know anything about it, besides it being aGoing into a book blind can be very hit or miss for me. This was my first book by Susan Stoker and I didn’t know anything about it, besides it being a romance.
Normally I’m not into books with military men, but Riggs and his friends aren’t in the military anymore and we only get a short glimpse at that time, they are now lumberjacks in Maine, which I really liked as a setting.
The writing is in 3rd person narration. I’m not a huge fan of that, but I didn’t hate it. I still enjoyed reading about the characters, even though I wasn’t completely immersed in the story. The narration definitely pulled me out of this world once or twice.
The two main characters, Riggs (who’s called Chappy by his mates) and Carlisle (who has the most Twilight name ever: Carlisle Renee Edwards), fall in love instantly. Another thing I didn’t love about this book. But both characters are so likable and good for each other, that I was really fond of them and their interactions.
The “mystery” around Carlisle’s stalker was rather obvious but it wasn’t the main focus of this book and felt more like a byproduct to me. It was necessary to get more information about why and how Carlisle acted, but it didn’t surprise me at all, when the secret was lifted. ...more
This book contains the complete Mindf*ck series by S. T. Abby. This book was such a wild ride and I loved it so much. It’s one of the best books I reaThis book contains the complete Mindf*ck series by S. T. Abby. This book was such a wild ride and I loved it so much. It’s one of the best books I read this year and I’m pretty sure it’ll end up in my Top 10 books of 2023.
I don’t think there is anything negative for me to say about this. The writing had me hooked from the first chapter. The characters were amazing. The plot was interesting and had me shocked so many times and I couldn’t put it down.
I read the whole thing in one day. It was intense. I laughed a few times but I also cried a lot. I felt for the characters and just like Lana and Logan fall in love with each other, I fell in love with their relationship and bond.
Lana is a badass, everything she did to the bad guys, they had coming and I was cheering for her revenge. I figured out the mystery behind the original Killer around three quarters of the book and I was impressed by S. T. Abby’s world building and how everything was connected and fit so well together.
Sadly, the author passed away in 2021, but I can see myself rereading this series again and again. I’ll also give her books, that were published under a different name, a try....more
I know I just read these books but since ‘Pucking Wild’ comes out this month and I loved the story, especially in ‘Pucking around’ ReRead August 2023:
I know I just read these books but since ‘Pucking Wild’ comes out this month and I loved the story, especially in ‘Pucking around’ so much, I had to reread it again.
Just like last time, I was in love with Jake immediately. From the first moment we meet him on the pages, he’s just his puppy self and he’s so adorable, not only helping Rachel out of a shitty situation but also the way he treats her throughout the night. He’s always making her comfortable and asking if she’s really okay with going further.
I’m so excited to get to Jake’s, Caleb’s, Rachel’s and Ilmari’s story again.
____________________________
Before jumping into yet another 700+ page book I wanted to test the waters with this prequel to ‘Pucking around’.
We meet Jake and Rachel, they are both in Seattle on twin duty and find themselves left alone in a bar, they connect instantly and have a very wild and hot night together. Jake is giving me strong puppy vibes and I loved him immediately. Rachel was funny, strong minded and admirable. I loved their interaction.
If I ever thought I would be able now to not get to ‘Pucking around’ and read more about my adorable Jake and his Seattle girl, I was SO wrong. Need to get to it ASAP....more
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
After reading ‘In too Deep’ I was hesitant to pick up this boThank you NetGalley for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
After reading ‘In too Deep’ I was hesitant to pick up this book, but I decided to give Jade Church a second chance and start this book without any prejudice or bad feelings. And I have to say, this book was maybe not good, but better than the first book.
One of my problems with ‘In too deep’ was the writing and it still doesn’t work for me. It felt off the whole time, but since there are so many raving reviews for this book, this seems to be a me-problem.
I have to say I liked the characters in this book a little more than in the first book.
Will I pick up another book by Jade Church? Probably not. It wouldn’t be fair to me or her. I don’t seem to be compatible with her writing style, but if you don’t have the same problem, especially with 3rd person narration, then you should give it a go. ...more
Before we go into this, let me just say: I’m not a fan of modern day Cinderella retellings and I don’t like 3rd person narration. So these are two facBefore we go into this, let me just say: I’m not a fan of modern day Cinderella retellings and I don’t like 3rd person narration. So these are two factors that weigh heavily in my opinion of this book. But I enjoyed the first book and Cal was one of the most intriguing side characters, so I thought I would give this book a try anyway. This story didn’t disappoint. We have Cal, who struggles a lot with his past and what happened to him, when he and his friends were kidnapped. June is the sunshine to his grumpy, even though she had a lot of hardship in the past. Both characters struggle with their imperfections and this struggle is absolutely believable, but there didn’t seem to be more to June, it felt like something to her character was missing.
What I still don’t understand is, why she stayed all this time with her stepmother and -sister. Her reasoning for that didn’t make any sense to me.
The plot is pretty shallow, there never really is a lot of danger for the characters and we mostly get to see how June and Cal interact and fall in love, which was nice and relaxing but I wouldn’t have minded a little more action.
Overall I enjoyed this book, I had fun with it. The next book will be about Bob and I feel like he is the one of the four that we know the least about.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This book was a complete surprise for me. The blurb of this book had me intrigued right away and even though Sharon M. Peterson is a new author for meThis book was a complete surprise for me. The blurb of this book had me intrigued right away and even though Sharon M. Peterson is a new author for me, I wanted to pick it up as soon as I had it downloaded on my Kindle.
The writing was really good. I was able to read this book nearly in one sitting without even realizing how far I got in the story. It was SO funny as well. I have laughed so many times while reading this.
Chris has to be one of my favorite male characters in a book. He was sweet, hot, caring and literally a sunshine. Also, he reads a lot, which makes him even more interesting. The banter between him and Mae was great, too. And Mae is the grumpy to Chris’ sunshine. She is an older sister and feels like she has to take care of her mother, who recently had a stroke, her sister and nearly everyone she meets, except for herself. I have to admit she got on my nerves after some time, but overall she was really likable and a good MC.
There are a lot of tropes in this book, especially the fake dating one, which I love. This is one of the factors that had me drawn to this book. Some things are predictable, but this doesn’t lower the fun at all.
Every chapter starts with a cheesy pick up line and these alone had me laughing so hard. Some had my eyes rolling, but one or two were actually pretty good.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I was on the lookout for a sweet and fluffy summer romance and when I more or less stumbled upon this book, I knew I wanted to give it a try.
It has sI was on the lookout for a sweet and fluffy summer romance and when I more or less stumbled upon this book, I knew I wanted to give it a try.
It has some of my favorite tropes, fake dating and age gap, whereas the fake dating falls a little short for my taste. The two main characters pretend to be engaged for barely 10 minutes, considering the title I thought this would be a bigger plot point.
The whole book seemed very flat. There’s not a lot happening, we don’t see a lot of character development and the romance is kinda instant. It was cute, but it didn’t do much for me.
I liked the writing, it was very straightforward and not too flowery, and it worked very well for me. It was sweet, short and light, perfect for a day in the sun. ...more
I saw this book on BookTok and was instantly drawn to the story and the characters. Sadly, this one didn’t work for me.
The plot itself was interestinI saw this book on BookTok and was instantly drawn to the story and the characters. Sadly, this one didn’t work for me.
The plot itself was interesting enough, but the world building lacked some information. There are so many things thrown in our face and other things that are essential for understanding this world, were just left out.
There is so much repetition. We read the same scene over and over again, with just very small aberrations. They nearly kill each other, but then realize they can’t because they need each other to achieve their goals. And don’t let me get started on the ending. This whole thing where they both anticipated what the other had planned again and again was ridiculous.
The writing itself wasn’t something I enjoyed. It felt clunky and rough, like some polishing was missing.
I don’t think I’m intrigued enough to continue this series, I don’t really care about the characters and their love/hate antics. ...more
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