Tag: 3 star reviews

About the book:

Title: Love by Design

Author: Katy Ames

Published: April 6th 2020

Source: ARC received in exchange for an honest review from Forever Write PR

Format: e-copy

Blurb:

ANNIKA

Cheating husband. On-air meltdown. Public humiliation.

Lucky me, I’ve experienced them all.

Oh, and the implosion of my career as an up-and-coming designer and renovation television darling.

That was then.

Now, I’m in the TV studio, more determined than ever to prove to myself (and the few fans I have left), that I’m back for good. Nothing from my past—no man, no mistake—is going to knock me down again.

If only fate—and Grayson Hesse—had gotten the memo.

GRAYSON

Woodworker. Stone house restoration guru. And the new host of Hesse and a Hard Place.

This is what I know:

If this show’s a success, I’ll finally be able to give my family the financial stability they need. My chances of success go way up if I have the best designer in the business working by my side. And the best in the business (despite the lingering rumors) is Annika Hale.

She’s the triple threat: brilliant designer, restoration maven, and the woman who stole my heart six years ago…and hasn’t looked back since.

But that was then.

Now… Well, what is it they say? After all, 425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love.

Check it on: Amazon & Goodreads

The “425 Madison” series is a great one. It has a lot of amazing stories and I cannot wait to read them all. I did manage to finish only a couple until now, but I am following up on them slowly. For today, let me tell you my thoughts on “Love by Design”.

 While I devoured this book, I admit I was not too found of it. It’s an easy read, with likeable characters, but the plot was not to my taste. But I should start with the things I really enjoyed.

Annika and Grayson have had their fair share of misfortune and now they plan on making their careers as successful as possible. I like their simple life, their desire to gain success through hard work and dedication to a job they really love! I envy them for this. It’s a breath of fresh air seeing two normal people try to combine professional with personal, acting like the adults they are.

But the plot was so predictable. And the fact that we learn about the issues very early in the book, makes all the following events feel like a drag. At some point I was thinking: “Come on, kiss and make up already! You know this is not serious.” I understand Annika’s mistrust and her fears of being let down, but I find it misplaced. The guy proves he is there to stay with every step. Also, there is one additional conflict close to the end that felt unnecessary and forced. This is what made me take several steps away from the five-star rating.

Overall, I did not dislike it and I think it’s an ok book. With good characters, a sweet second chance romance and an interesting TV show, “Love by Design” by Kate Ames will definitely offer you a good reading time 😉

Cover review: I like the happy couple, I like the consistency with the city in background, as it appears on the covers of the other books in the series. But nothing makes me think about the characters or the plot.

About the Author

Katy writes contemporary romances about heroines who aren’t afraid to kick ass, heroes brave enough to love them, and stories that get a little messy before ending happily ever after.

She’s mom to two boys whom she loves to bits but wishes would sleep a lot more than they do, and wife to a man whose reading habits are far too serious. Katy and her family reside in Washington, D.C., a city in which she never planned to live and loves so much she’d be happy to talk about it for hours. Just ask.

Katy is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Washington Romance Writers.

I am quite conflicted here. On one hand, I liked the characters and their backstories, but a part of the plot is with a small question mark and as well something about the writing doesn’t resonate with me. However, I also have to mention that I am reviewing an ARC copy, so the finished product can be different. Let me explain what I mean.

Mia’s best friend recently passed away and she is left carrying for her little girl. Painful memories and the desire to offer little Maisie a future away from the hurt of losing her mom determine her accept her aunt’s offer to move in with her. She then meets Jack – sent by her aunt to help with the moving and then to renovate her future home, they have an instant connection. His strong and kind nature as well as his behavior toward the little girl are just some of the attributes that bring Mia close to Jack. The one night of passion they share feels like an escape for her, a little ray of light in her sad heart. But if they both are willing to see this forward or not, is a different and more complicated story.

The author created two strong characters that had to face a lot in their younger years. When Mia’s parents became ill, she started writing a blog and then developed a business from sewing. I appreciate her desire to be financially independent and the strength she has shown professionally, as well as personally, with carrying for her parents and Maisie. Jack’s return from Afghanistan finds him battling physical injuries and worse: mental ones. He somehow manages to find the strength to push forward and get over his addictions.

While I liked the two and I liked the themes Mimi Barbour incorporates, I did not fully like the implications of Jack’s guardian angel. For me it was too much, in some situations and I would have preferred to see him less, probably this would have made me accept the concept easily.  Also the reason Jack decides to run for mayor is … not the most mature.

Si I’ll go ahead and give “Mischievous Christmas Angel” 3.5 stars. It’s a quick read, with enjoyable moments and an adorable 4 year-old kid. I liked it for the most part. Enjoy!

Cover Review: I like little Maisie in the front, spreading her magic and bringing the two main characters together, but I am not as fond of the way the title is written. The red is too bright and takes all the attention from the other elements in the cover.

Favorite Quote: “I can’t mawwy you, Jack, ‘cause I’m too little. I wanted you to be my daddy.” (just read the book, the context of this line is to die for ! )

About the book:

Title: Jackson (Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas #1)

Author: Emily March

Published: June 25th 2019 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Source: St. Martin’s Press

Format: e-copy

Blurb:

Sometimes it takes a new beginning
Caroline Carruthers thinks she buried her dreams along with the love of her life…until a stranger named Celeste dares her to chase a dream all on her own. Moving to Redemption, Texas, is chapter one in Caroline’s new life story. Opening a bookstore is the next. Finding love is the last thing on her mind as she settles into this new place called home. But when she meets a handsome, soulful man who’s also starting over, all bets are off.

to reach a happily-ever-after
Jackson McBride came to Redemption looking only to find himself, not someone to love. Ever since his marriage ended, he’s been bitter. Sure, he used to believe in love—he even has the old song lyrics to prove it—but the Jackson of today is all business. That is, until a beautiful young widow who’s moved to town inspires a change of heart. Could it be that the myth of Redemption’s healing magic is true…and Jackson and Caroline can find a second chance at a happy ending after all?

This is quite conflicting. I had several expectations from this book when I started reading it and, while these expectations were not met, I cannot say that I disliked it.

Let me start with the title. Jackson’s story is definitely more elaborated than Caroline’s. Both characters have a backstory and they came to Redemption to start over. But if for Caroline the past life concludes quite quick, for Jackson we need to wait until the end. So it is somehow fitting.

This is a clean Romance book, focused on starting over, building a good life and making friends. We have a hint of a blessing here and there, which just makes the atmosphere even more warm. If you are expecting lots of skin and clothes scattered around, this is not it. Which is fine by me, as long as we feel what our characters feel.

The backstories are quite strong. Both characters have struggled a lot in life. She has had to deal with a husband who was forgetting her a little more every day and he has to deal with the absence of her daughter. Hearts mend in Redemption and the intervention of two awesome innkeepers has something to do with it.

So we have quite a good start here. However I had issues with the slow pace of the story. In some chapters, I got lost in the details and I received little if the chemistry I was expecting. For how much they were saying they wanted to stay away from love, both started an exclusive relationship quite quick, but I did not feel that emotion. I didn’t feel the Sparks and their connection. I would have expected more butterflies and more passion when these two meet.

All in all, I do have some plus and minuses her, but I cannot deny the warmth of Redemption. I do believe the other couples will be even more interesting and I expect a little more intensity. For now, I am keeping my 3 stars rating and I am looking forward for book 2 of this spinoff. Happy Read.ing guys !

About the book:

Title: Until We’re More (Fighting For Her #2)

Author: Cindi Madsen

Published: August 27th 2018 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Embrace)

Source: received in exchange for an honest review

Format: e-copy

Blurb:

Chelsea is smart, funny, gorgeous, and the best friend I’ve ever had. Ever since she left, I’ve been a wreck. I’ve been focused on keeping my family’s MMA gym afloat while I train and coach fighters, anything to not miss her more. But now she’s finally back, along with her grumpy, possessive cat, and things are weird between us.

By weird, I mean I can’t stop thinking about her in that way. She’s in the room next door, and it takes all my control not to storm in there, sweep her up, and bring her back to my bed. Even stranger, I’m pretty sure she’d be into it.

And this time, I’m not going to stop fighting until we’re more.

Check it on: Amazon  & Goodreads

“Friends to lovers” is always a great trope, if explored to its fullest.  Cindi Madsen does a good job in “Until We’re More”, creating a beautiful friendship that our main characters are afraid to ruin.

Chelsea and Liam have been best friends for a long long time. She is the only person he feels comfortable with, he is he only guy she can feel herself with, the guy who puts up with her love of books and her family’s complicated issues. However, one moment between them changes everything and she decides to put distance between them. Chelsea returns after 6 month away from home, willing to build her career and change her personality. Can Liam keep his emotions in check? Are they able to stick to the friends zone? You’ve already figured the answer to these questions, but the steps they take are interesting and even funny.

I like how comfortable their relationship feels and how they see each other’s flaws or particularities and accept them, no questions asked. Liam is not much of a talker, but Chelsea manages to get more than one word out of him. She is lacking self-confidence, but with a little help from him, she will manage to build it.

There are good things about this book, but also many that were not as much to my taste. I did not feel the relationship between the main characters and their friends and family. They felt like being thrown in there and I did not feel the substance. Also, these particularities of the main characters feel a little contradictory. He is shy, but I didn’t feel this from his interactions with others. True, there is not much dialogue with other characters. She is not very imposing, but I didn’t get that part, except in her professional career. I don’t know, I just didn’t feel it.

As for the writing, I would have preferred to see a bigger difference between the chapters from Chelsea’s perspective and the ones from Liam’s. The plot is great, but the family aspect that she has to deal with is not well defined from my point of view.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read. Granted, I would have preferred much more, but I liked it nonetheless. For now, I am going with 3 out of five stars and my love for the author 🙂 She has many amazing books and many I still need to go through 🙂 Happy Reading 🙂

About the Author

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

If you’re interested in ARCs, interviews, and/or blog tour information please contact the publicity department at publicity@entangledpublishing.com

Website: http://cindimadsen.com

Twitter: @cindimadsen