(Audio)Book Review: Loathe at First Sight

Loathe at First Sight 
Suzanne Park 
Great Jung (Narrator)

Release Date: August 18, 2020

Book Description:
Melody Joo is thrilled to land her dream job as a video game producer, but her new position comes with challenges: an insufferable CEO; sexist male coworkers; and an infuriating - yet distractingly handsome - intern, Nolan MacKenzie, aka “the guy who got hired because his uncle is the boss.”

Just when Melody thinks she’s made the worst career move of her life, her luck changes. While joking with a friend, she creates a mobile game that has male strippers fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Suddenly Melody’s “joke” is her studio’s most high-profile project - and Melody’s running the show.

When Nolan is assigned to Melody’s team, she’s sure he’ll be useless. But as they grow closer, she realizes he’s smart and sexy, which makes Melody want to forget he’s her intern. As their attraction deepens, she knows it’s time to pump the brakes, even with her Korean parents breathing down her neck to hurry up and find a man.

With her project about to launch, Melody suddenly faces a slew of complications, including a devastating trolling scandal. Could the man she’s falling hard for help her play the game to win - in work and in love?

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
3 stars

This book was not what I expected. It was more about perception and hardship of working in a male-driven industry for an Asian-American woman, which I guess is one of those "it" topics these days. But the description of this novel sells at as romance, that basically is an afterthought here. I'm not mad about reading (or rather listening to) this book, but I wasn't thrilled with the presentation and execution.

Book Review: A Court of Silver Flames

A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)
Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: February 16, 2021

Book Description:
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
5 stars

Epic! 

It was an engrossing roller-coaster ride and is a strong fantasy romance on its own. (I dare say this reads as a stand-alone and not a spinoff, although one would greatly benefit from prior knowledge of these characters and this fantasy world’s lore). There is a lot of emotion and other aspects of the story that are brutal in many ways - Nesta takes a long road in rebuilding her character. I honestly, didn't think I would care as much but to my surprise I quite enjoyed it. To me the love story was not as strong/interesting, as Nesta's journey of coming to terms with herself and carving her own pass in life with her new friends. 

Book Review: Mystery Man

Mystery Man (Dream Man #1)
Kristen Ashley

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Book Description:
Night time is the right time...

Gwendolyn Kidd has met the man of her dreams. He's hot, he's sexy, and what started as a no-names-exchanged night of passion has blossomed into a year and a half-long pleasure fest. Sure, it's a little strange that he only appears in her bed at night, but Gwen is so sure he's the one, she just can't turn him away...

Hawk Delgado knows more about Gwen than she could ever imagine. She's gorgeous, headstrong, and skittish about relationships. But Hawk is facing his own demons, demons that keep him from connecting with anyone. Yet when Gwen is drawn into Denver's lethal underground scene, Hawk's protective nature comes out full force. The problem is, when Gwen gets a dose of Hawk's Alpha attitude in the daylight, she's not so sure he's the one anymore....

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
3.5 stars

I'm struggling a bit here with how to honestly rate and review this novel... On one hand, I was pretty engrossed with the story. On the other, I had major issues with some plot details and characters' behavior. So I decided I needed a list to sort my feelings:

Good:
There were many great moments throughout the book, both touching and emotional, as well as humorous. I always enjoy humor and sarcasm - you have to be able to laugh at yourself and situations you are in. (I even noted a bit of self-promotion from the author on her other series, and it was done in a good, fun way. As Gwen would think it: "Nice!").

If you are a big fan of the Hot Alpha man trope then this book is certainly for you! There were plenty of alpha men here (yup! multiple alpha men, lots of them). Although, I think they might've be a tad too alpha for my taste.

Add hot, steamy sexy time galore! There was palpable chemistry on these pages. Gah!

It was an addicting read - my first KA, and I'm afraid aside all the problems I had with both hero and heroine, I would still read it. (Towards the end of the book I started thinking of it in terms of Ward's BDB series except without the paranormal [I used to roll my eyes at that series as well and look where it got me!])

Bad:
Did I mention? Hot alpha men everywhere - the testosterone was a little suffocating. Major control issues, caveman attitude with a bit of stalker syndrome mixed in. Yikes! -- Rein it in MM, would you!?

The heroine was a major problem for me. First, I don't really have a problem with one-night-stand turned epic-love storyline, but when that one night stand turns into [a year-and-a-half long sex-only relationship on a I-don't-need-to-know-your-name basis] I got an issue with that. Also, can someone please tell me what was so extra special about Gwen that everyone wanted to be with/save her? Can you say: damsel in distress?

And I can't even go into all the ridiculous nicknames, and over-the-top descriptions. It felt a bit cheesy, but again, when I started to think of it in BDB terms it seemed somehow okay...

***
So, would I read another KA book? I think the answer is "yes" - I am really tempted to know what happens to all the other alphas.

Proceed with caution! Fair warning: If phrases such as, "my woman"and "Badass World" make you cringe and throw away your beloved reading device/book, perhaps this book is not for you. *winks*

Dream Man Series:
Mystery Man (Dream Man #1)
Wild Man (Dream Man #2)
Law Man (Dream Man #3)
Motorcycle Man (Dream Man #4)
Merry and Bright (Dream Man #4.1)
Law Man Short Story (Dream Man #4.2)

Book Review: Marriage Games

Marriage Games (The Games Duet #1)
C.D. Reiss

Release Date: October 22, 2016

Book Description:
THIRTY DAYS
That’s all Adam Steinbeck demands of his wife.
Thirty days in a remote cottage, doing everything he demands. After that, he’ll sign her divorce papers and give her complete ownership of their company.

THIRTY DAYS
That’s how long he has to rediscover the man he once was. The Dominant Master he hid when he fell in love with her five years ago.

THIRTY DAYS
She wants the business they built badly enough to go to the cottage for a month. Cut off ties to the world and do his bidding. She can submit to him with her body, but her heart will never yield.

She thinks this is his pathetic attempt to repair their marriage.

She’s wrong.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Gah! I don't know what to say about this book. I loved it and hated it at the same time. C.D. Reiss always writes such complex, multi-layered characters and stories - you think you know where it is going but really, you have no idea... 

"The world we inhabited wasn’t designed for people to be in love. It was designed for intensity, pain, pleasure, courtesy, and ritual." Marriage Games (Kindle Location 584).

Release Day Blitz: V-Card by Alicia Michaels

Hi guys! I'm pleased to welcome New Adult, Romance author Alicia Michaels to the blog! She's celebrating the release of her newest book, V-CARD, out today! Enjoy the excerpt, and don't forget to enter the giveaway before you leave. Good luck! :)

Enjoy!

V-Card

Alicia Michaels

Release Date: April 20, 2014

Book Description:

Jennifer Nolan has been unlucky when it comes to love; even more unfortunate when it comes to sex. In fact, the twenty year-old college junior is about to enter her senior year still carrying her v-card. All she wants is to be with that special someone without it resulting in a trip to the emergency room, runaway office supplies, or being scarred for life by someone's weird fetishes. With several botched attempts under her belt, she begins to fear she'll end up a lonely spinster or a crazy cat lady.

With only 60 days until her 21st birthday, Jennifer is determined to lose her virginity once and for all. Little does she know that her mission will lead her down a path toward love. She never expects that her mission will lead her to a discovery of what true womanhood is, and where true and lasting love begins.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Excerpt:

My mission? To lose my stupid virginity by my twenty-first birthday ... which is in two months. I can’t very well go into the next phase of adulthood with my v-card. How can I honestly call myself a ‘woman’ if I fidget, wheeze, and just about have a heart attack at even the thought of intimacy? Any guy I date is going to wonder what the hell is wrong with me.

So, it’s happening. I’m not sure when, or with who—since I’m not dating anybody—but I’m determined not to see twenty-one without shedding that one last thing keeping me at girl-status.

Drastic, much? I don’t think so. Maybe if you knew some of my history, you wouldn’t either. First, there was Jeremy …

Book Review: Chasing the Star Garden

Chasing the Star Garden (The Airship Racing Chronicles #1)
Melanie Karsak

Release Date: December 4, 2013

Book Description:
An opium-addicted beauty.
An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.
An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.

Melanie Karsak's Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thrilling adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley.

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily’s life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium.

Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
I must apologize it took me so long to write my review because Chasing the Star Garden is an absolutely wonderful, steampunk adventure novel that I can’t wait to share with you! Part romance, part mystery, with a fabulous cast of characters and beautiful world-building, a sprinkle of history and mythology – it is a charming and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Book Review: Bridget Jones

Bridget Jones’s Diary (Bridget Jones #1)
Helen Fielding

Release Date: June 1, 1999

Book Description:
Meet Bridget Jones—a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she could:

    a. lose 7 pounds
    b. stop smoking
    c. develop Inner Poise

"123 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..."

Bridget Jones' Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program the VCR.

Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and — like millions of readers the world round — you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!"

Amazon US | Goodreads

Book Review: A Hundred Summers

A Hundred Summers
Beatriz Williams

Release Date: May 30, 2013

Book Description:
Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak.

That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married—an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations. Budgie’s arrival to restore her family’s old house puts her once more in the center of the community’s social scene, and she insinuates herself back into Lily's friendship with an overpowering talent for seduction...and an alluring acquaintance from their college days, Yankees pitcher Graham Pendleton. But the ties that bind Lily to Nick are too strong and intricate to ignore, and the two are drawn back into long-buried dreams, despite their uneasy secrets and many emotional obligations.

Under the scorching summer sun, the unexpected truth of Budgie and Nick’s marriage bubbles to the surface, and as a cataclysmic hurricane barrels unseen up the Atlantic and into New England, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional cyclone of their own, which will change their worlds forever.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
I have to say that I’m very grateful for having won this novel in a giveaway, especially since I never win anything. And to add to my excitement I won it not once but twice (from two different sources). So, I shall thank both Literary New England radio and Chick Lit Central blog for my two copies of A Hundred Summers, one of which I happily shared with a friend.

As the New England hurricane of 1938 slowly marched ahead through the pages of A Hundred Summers, the novel has slowly swept me away within its eerily grandeur setting of an oceanfront community, its residents, and their complex and intricate histories.

Book Review: Austenland

Austenland (Austenland #1)
Shannon Hale

Release Date: May 29, 2007

Book Description:
Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen; or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Where is one to start with this? It took me all but 3 nights to finish it – it was certainly a quick read and funny at times, but Bridget Jones’s Diary it was not sadly, although some remnants were certainly there. I found it fun and entertaining at times, and rolled my eyes at our heroine at others, but other than that it was a typical romance novel.

Book Review: Strange Fates

Strange Fates (Nyx Fortuna #1)
Marlene Perez

Release Date: March 19, 2013

Book Description:
The first in a line of three exciting new urban fantasy novels blending elements of Greek myth and forbidden romance against the backdrop of Minnesota's magical underworld.
Brooding, leather jacket-wearing Nyx Fortuna looks like a 20-something, and has for centuries now. As the son of the forgotten fourth Fate, Lady Fortuna, he has been hunted his entire life by the three Sisters of Fate that murdered his mother.
Fed up and out for revenge, Nyx comes to Minneapolis following a tip that his aunts have set up a business there. His goal to bring down his mother's killers and retrieve the thread of fate that has trapped him in the body of a twenty year old unable to age or die.
But when a chance meeting with the mysterious, dangerous and very mortal Elizabeth Abernathy throws off his plans, he must reconcile his humanity and his immortality.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Egalley courtesy of Orbit Books/Hachette Book Group via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nyx Fortuna is the son of Lady Fortuna murdered at the hands of her sisters – Fates. Nyx sets out on a mission to avenge his mother and find an end to his own immortality. Tired of being constantly on the run, he is finally ready to face his ominous aunts, who have hunted him since his mother’s death. But, to put his plan in motion, Nyx needs to get close to his enemies. Thus, he comes to Minnesota [of all places to find Greek mythological figures], where the Fates have taken residence and spawned a business empire, where among other things they produce the nectar of the gods, banned by the magical underworld. The nectar, also known as ambrosia can help prolong the life of the mortal, with an exception of unfortunate side effect of making one go mad and die an agonizing death. But then, have the Fates developed a new formula? And what’s with the sudden appearance of the girl – Elizabeth, who is a ringer for Nyx’s dead ex-girlfriend?

Title Reveal: Mad About the Boy

Did you guys hear? There is now an official title for the third book in the Bridget Jones series? And *drum roll please* it shall be called Mad About the Boy! I don’t know about you, but I love Bridget. Cause how can you not love her? I will also admit that I’ve been a Bridget Jones movie fan first and only recently read Helen Fielding’s novels, which were quite entertaining. So, I am sure I will be picking this one up as well. Speaking of movies, Working Title Films confirmed that a third film is in development – I sure hope we see most of the roles reprised by the wonderful cast. 

Are you a Bridget fan?

Book Review: City of Dark Magic

City of Dark Magic
Magnus Flyte

Release Date: November 27, 2012

Book Description:

Cosmically fast-paced and wildly imaginative, this debut novel is a perfect potion of magic and suspense

Once a city of enormous wealth and culture, Prague was home to emperors, alchemists, astronomers, and, as it’s whispered, hell portals. When music student Sarah Weston lands a summer job at Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven’s manuscripts, she has no idea how dangerous her life is about to become. Prague is a threshold, Sarah is warned, and it is steeped in blood.
     Soon after Sarah arrives, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor, who was working at the castle, may not have committed suicide after all. Could his cryptic notes be warnings? As Sarah parses his clues about Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” she manages to get arrested, to have tantric sex in a public fountain, and to discover a time-warping drug. She also catches the attention of a four-hundred-year-old dwarf, the handsome Prince Max, and a powerful U.S. senator with secrets she will do anything to hide.
     City of Dark Magic could be called a rom-com paranormal suspense novel—or it could simply be called one of the most entertaining novels of the year.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:

Sex, drugs, and… Beethoven?

Sarah Weston is a PhD student living in Boston, when she suddenly lands a summer job at a Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven’s manuscripts. It is a fantastic opportunity for Sarah that will possibly help open many doors for her; but there are many secrets and mysteries surrounding the castle and its inhabitants in Prague, so Sarah sets out to solve some along the way.

Book Review: Overseas

Overseas
Beatriz Williams

Release Date: May 10, 2012

Book Description:
A passionate, sweeping novel of a love that transcends time.

When twenty-something Wall Street analyst Kate Wilson attracts the notice of the legendary Julian Laurence at a business meeting, no one’s more surprised than she is. Julian’s relentless energy and his extraordinary intellect electrify her, but she’s baffled by his sudden interest. Why would this handsome British billionaire—Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor—pursue a pretty but bookish young banker who hasn’t had a boyfriend since college?

The answer is beyond imagining . . . at least at first. Kate and Julian’s story may have begun not in the moneyed world of twenty-first-century Manhattan but in France during World War I, when a mysterious American woman emerged from the shadows of the Western Front to save the life of Captain Julian Laurence Ashford, a celebrated war poet and infantry officer.

Now, in modern-day New York, Kate and Julian must protect themselves from the secrets of the past, and trust in a true love that transcends time and space.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
As I finished the last few pages of Overseas, a novel by Beatriz Williams, I hurried to reflect on my reading of it. I had many emotions and thoughts running through my head while reading it, but as soon as I faced the blank sheet – I was suddenly at a loss for words. What does one say about this novel? Sweet, romantic, cheesy? Perhaps, all of the above?