Early October Reviews

Her first last dance by Melanie Jacobson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three men and a baby theme was successfully introduced here in a different style, I liked everything about this, the funny baby moments, the camaraderie, the attention to details. What I didn’t like was need to insert passionate kisses to convey the notion of romance to the reader, the two main characters have enough chemistry and banter to deliver the romantic notion, it’s not easy to skip these kisses while listening to the audiobook version of the book, but I managed.

A true gentleman by M. A. Nichols ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It is a pleasure to stumble upon a talented author, and I’m glad this author was suggested to me.
This story is unlike any historical romance books that I’ve ever read, there is romance that developed nicely, but with uncertainty hovering over it, there was wondering, anticipation, agony, and sweetness. What I liked the most was how the raw emotions were written; I felt the sadness, the joy, the worry over a sick child , the guilt and the happiness at the end. All in all, this was a really good book, and I can’t wait to read another book by this author.

Wyndcross by Martha Keyes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
While I liked the plot, and the characters are decent, and the twists are really good, the romantic events were painfully predictable. It wasn’t boring, nor was it about physical stuff, so I would definitely read more from this author.

A necessary nudge out of the friend zone by Victorine E leskie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where to start! Even when celebrity themes are one of my least favorite book themes, this one is really enjoyable. Ms. Leskie has a rare sense of humor, the visuals she drew with words are really funny, laughing was a constant companion during listening to the audiobook, add that to some twists and turns and a happy ending, and you will be a happy reader/listener by the end of the book. As for my favorite theme, romance was very sweet, filled with feelings and emotions, even the kissing scenes were written brilliantly, needless to say that I’ll never look at RAMs the same way again.

A copper for the countess by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finally! Something less than perfect by this author. Let’s start with what I liked, the characters as always are well written, I loved Frosty’s character and Evelin was good too. As for the other characters, their stories and backgrounds were interesting and intriguing. Unlike other books by this talented author, there was uncertainty about how to write the story, it seems like wanting to please the spicy romance readers and the religious seekers at the same time, the result is not pretty. But, I can’t deny the effort and the creativity of this author, so it doesn’t deserve less than four stars.

A lady’s heart of gold by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Admirable writing style of the setting, the characters, the unpredictability, the genuine storyline, even the effort put in researching some of the topics that are mentioned in the book, all of the above made an interesting and enjoyable read. What I didn’t like -in all three books- was how the romance was written, while I love how the author writes the kissing scenes with no sensual or sexual additions, there was some focus on the physical aspect of the relationship. Still, creativity and hard work were more than evident here and in everything I’ve read so far by this talented author.

Lovers’ Quarrel Jessica L. Randall or Kate Ashgrove. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite sub genres, mainly because of the amount of humor that is usually written along with it. This book took animosity into another level though, I literally hated the heroine and couldn’t sympathize with her, not even at the end of the book. Ben was another issue for me, while I liked his banter with Karina, there wasn’t any kind of appeal to him. All in all, it was fast paced and mostly enjoyable.

A regrettable proposal by Jennie Goutet ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Truly clean romance authors should be highly praised for their creativity and ability to write a love story without the need to add “spice” like other so-called clean romance authors who call it clean because they didn’t add bedroom scenes. This author is one of those talented authors, this book is romantic, thrilling, intriguing, emotional. You will enjoy reading this book, and keep you anticipating the next installment.

Mr.Fernley and the lady by Angela Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A marriage of convenience plot without the overdone innuendos and the continuous physical attraction. Each character was well written, the development of romance is believable, combined with a happy ending made this an enjoyable book.

His Amish romance by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amish romance plots are almost identical in every book, so it’s refreshing to read something different from time to time. Even if there was what felt like an obsession with getting married, there was a decent storyline and interesting events.

The quiet Amish bachelor by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Obsession with marriage, this is the theme for this series. In the fourth installment of the series, there is less predictability, the characters are nice, and it was also interesting.

The CEO’s companion by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has a good plot, the characters are nicely written, and the romance developed nicely too. My only complaint is the overdone and sometimes forced preaching, if I want to read a bible I would go get one, I expected a romantic story and a book filled with biblical verses!!

Few Surprises Plus More of the Same

Flame and ember by M. A. Nichols ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite plots, and it’s not always that an author succeeds in grabbing my attention and fulfilling my desires for this kind of theme. That’s why this book was a pleasant surprise and a very enjoyable read, everything is well written, the usual elements that are often used in this genre are missing, add that to a happy ending and you’ll end up with a smile on your face by the end of the book.

Mistaken identity by Mindy Burbidge Strunk ⭐️⭐️

It was an okay read, the romance was mainly physical attraction, and there weren’t many interesting events to grab my attention.

Autism goes to school by Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a romance reader, I come across some stories that are more than a romantic story, this book has one of those stories. It was more than a fictional plot, there is a lot of knowledge about autism that everyone can benefit from, I really liked how the characters are written in a way that we can relate to. Having multiple POVs is a plus here, especially Kyle’s, without his point of view we could never understand how an autistic child thinks. Even if my main interest is romance, I didn’t miss it here, because it wasn’t the main theme and what was written was almost typical romance, and I appreciate it keeping clean, even if the language wasn’t.

Silver dollar duke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has good characters that made me excited about reading the next book, the setting and the western theme was very enjoyable to picture using Ms. Britton penmanship. The jump from regency to western is a daring and admirable move, and it’s obvious that this book is not like the previous books by this talented author.

Rachel laine by Jennifer Peel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Interesting, romantic, intriguing story, romance has too much innuendo and was too physical. Emotions are in abundance, a fairytale kind of characters, the whole story is too good to be true. 

Once Upon a Cowboy by lacy Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I liked how the author weaved a fairytale into this story, and all the characters are likable, the romance didn’t hit the spot, it was more about kissing and physical connection, there weren’t enough emotions to draw my attention.

The Cowboy’s Beauty by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a modern retelling of beauty and the beast, the plot is constructed nicely but the execution of it fell short. Dialogue and characters are written nicely but the author wrote primitive urges as romance, the kissing scenes were revolting, at least for me.

Prejudice meets pride by Rachael Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, I’d like to point out that choosing hard to pronounce names for a character is a constant struggle for me, I don’t understand why some authors do that.
Romance development is good, passionate kisses are not. Some scenes were really sweet, especially the ones with the kids in them. Being too pride is the theme here, overdoing it though wasn’t good for Emma’s character.

Threadly secret by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My only complaint about this book is that there is no romance in it, but it was so good that I kept thinking while I was listening to it that someone should make a TV show out of this series. Everything is built nicely, the characters are written well, especially the sisters, their antics are funny and their investigative methods are genuine.

The Amish bachelor by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay story, okay characters, okay everything.

A Yorkshire carol by Jennie Goutet⭐️⭐️

It was sweet and romantic until the “low bodice” scene and the infamous “awareness” reared its ugly head!!! That’s not my definition of romance, so it was a real turn off for me and I didn’t enjoy the good things in this book because of it.

More than friends in the middle of Main Street by Meg Easton

Love again at the heart of Main Street by Meg Easton

More than enemies on the bridge of Main Street by Meg Easton

⭐️⭐️

Would’ve loved these books if it wasn’t for the detailed kissing scenes, and the step by step kissing sessions.

Love not luck by Melanie Jacobson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everything in this book was good, the main characters’ interaction with each other was funny and had loads of chemistry, the story was progressing nicely, the romance was developing beautifully. But, when the conclusion of the book came, it was a huge disappointment. Why confuse love and emotions with sexual innuendos? By the end of the last scene, every romantic notion flew out of the window.

Belated Reviews

Leaving liberty by Mary Jane Hathaway ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For a Christian romance, this book was good. First of all the preaching in most of this genre books is always overdone and suffocating, not here though. As for the romance, it was really sweet and well developed, without any sexuality or praising of physical attributes. And then there’s my favorite place on earth as the main setting here, a library! You will feel a strong connection if -like me- you love libraries. All in all, an enjoyable and interesting story.

Masquerade by Janette Rallison ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Taking a typical boss and nanny romance and turning it into this enjoyable story was really amazing, add that to adorable and funny kids antics and you’ll end up with a smile on your face all throughout the book.

Running Home by Barbara Ellen Brink ⭐️⭐️
After finishing about a third of the book, the suspense lost its appeal, the romance disappeared, add that to a third character’s point of view, with pages long preaching, I lost interest in the book and skipped to the ending.

Still the one by Belle Calhoune ⭐️⭐️
Too wordy, big paragraphs between sentences. Too much focus on “perfect” physical attributes.

When a man loves a woman by Belle Calhoune ⭐️⭐️
Predictable, repetitive, couldn’t keep reading it so I skipped to the end.

His disinclined bride by Jennie Goutet ⭐️⭐️⭐️
While this is a marriage of convenience story, with too much focus on consummating the marriage, there are many good aspects that are interesting and sweet. Both of the main characters are likable, and the development of the relationship was believable.

Trust me by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the characters, and the kids were nicely written. The romance is sweet and well developed, and the ending was nice.

Courage in the mountain wilderness by misty m beller ⭐️⭐️
Everything, except the romance and the preaching, was good. When I pick up a romance book, I expect emotions not lust, and I managed to skip the scriptures and the preaching, so in the end I just enjoyed the well portrayed setting and characters.

Second chance on Main Street by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well written plot, likable characters, good development, with a happy ending. There was some preaching, but it was easy to skip.

Gold Rush Brides: The Beginning by Cassie Hayes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot and character writing, I especially liked how Jack Dalton is written. It was refreshing to read a different way of writing this theme, so it was not predictable at all.

Christmas at the end of Main Street by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Likable characters , and nice story.

Kidnapping lord Blaymire by Catherine Bilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A regency romance, with a twist. It’s not often that I come across a title where the kidnapped is the male leading character, so I was intrigued, the story is interesting and the ending is nice. With such a plot, there could’ve been more, more events, more twists, but in the end it was a good story.

Some of them I listened To, and Some I Read

How I Met Your brother by Janette Rallison ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved it! Everything is perfectly written, the characters, the plot, the humor and the funny moments. The romance was really good, it developed beautifully, but I didn’t like the kissing scenes which is why the fifth star is missing.

Phoebe and the pea by Catherine Bilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is pleasant and the characters are lovable, no drama or cliches. It’s fast paced and enjoyable to read. I liked how clean the writing style is and I liked the happy ending too.

Ms. Communication by Myra Kendrix ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a romance reader, I first look for the romantic story in the book. But here, there was much more than that. There are so many things to think about, and so many subjects that were introduced to me personally, especially the business and tech world aspect of the story. The author wrote in a way that mostly kept my interest, and the characters were all interesting to read and know more about them. When the romantic part of the story finally started, I loved every moment of it, and the ending was nice too.

Just one word by Melanie Jacobson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An interesting look into the world of authors, and their struggles and enjoyments with the process of writing a book. The main characters are both intriguing and lovable, the story line is eventful and thought provoking. The romance was nice and the ending was sweet.

The billionaire’s second chance by Bree Livingston ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet fast paced romance, I liked the straight forward style, and that there was no focus on physical attraction and the kissing scenes.

Acres of promise by Lisa Renee ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I Know it’s a religious romance, but the overdone preaching makes it hard to enjoy the story, and it was a good story. The characters and their backgrounds were interesting, and struggles were real. Even though I wasn’t interested in reading the religious parts of the book, I didn’t like the kissing scenes either.

Hearts awakening by Delia Parr ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The premise is good, the characters are well written, the emotions and the struggles of both the adults and the children were palpable. The religious parts were easily skipped, and the ending was a bit rushed.

A companion for the count by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Different plot and new characters, genuine story line and a happy ending. I don’t expect anything less from Ms. Sally Britton, and the depth of the search that was made by the author was very obvious and admirable. The only thing I didn’t like was how immature Emma was, but she’s probably written this way because she’s young and….immature.

Love letters from cowboy by lacy Williams ⭐️⭐️
I liked the plot, the sweet romance, the dialogue, and the dog. But I hated Ash, being a war hero amputee is not an excuse to how she’s written. On the other hand, I loved how Ryan was written.

Royal portraits volumes 1 & 2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The details in each picture are exquisite. I would’ve liked to know how each person died, especially when most of them died so young, I wanted to read something more about their lives, something personal if it was recorded. As a fashion designing and history enthusiast, this book was a treat for me.

Audiobooks Reviews

A Haunting at Havenwood by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a wonderful tale! It’s everything I look for in a romance book and none of everything I despise in nowadays romance books. The story is both interesting and mysterious, and the writing style is fast paced without any complications or unnecessary twists and turns. The characters are nothing like any other romance novel characters, their imperfections made them more endearing, and the way Louisa reacts to the main “flaw” in Ras is evidently genuine and very true to reality. As always, Ms. Britton doesn’t use the unromantic clichés of most romance books nowadays, yet I can still feel the love that she portrays in her stories.

Reforming lord Neil by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It takes a real talent to show the good qualities of a despicable character,we’ve seen a glimpse of these qualities in the previous book, but here they’re on full display! This book has some of the sweetest moments in this series, I often find myself reflecting on these moments with a smile on my face.

Love Conquers All by Lerona Hoops ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot, nicely written story, and a happy ending. The characters are written in a way that makes you feel their emotions, and there are some important messages to think about.

A Puzzling Amish Murder by Samantha Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very intriguing and very mysterious story, and the two sisters’ antics are really funny. The plot is interesting and the characters are well written, it’s not your usual Amish style, there was less focus on the community and more on the mystery.

Marrying Miss Kringle, Ginger by Lucy McConnell ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magical plot, magical characters, and magical love.

A Question of Destiny by Anita Higman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is both an inspiring and an enjoyable read, I was emotionally invested right from the beginning and all the way to the end. The characters are very interesting and their development is smooth and realistic. The book didn’t focus on romance, but there were many argumentative moments that discussed many issues we have nowadays. Nonetheless, the romance is there and it’s really romantic and so sweet, and the humor is a good bonus.

The Beast Gets His Cowgirl in the Show me State by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Funny fast paced and interesting story, the characters are likable and the dialogue is enjoyable.

Love Walks in by Chris Keniston ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice story, good message, and good development of the romance. The language and slight innuendo was like a sore thumb, and didn’t fit with how clean everything else was.

Giving Thanks by Susanne Ash ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet, fast paced and clean romance, with an interesting story and nice characters.

Persuaded by Andrea Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is mainly about Felicity. I liked how her character developed, and the romance was nice too.

Dare to Love the Guy I Hate by Ellie hall ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is interesting, and the journey is very eventful. The romance developed nicely and the ending was nice.

A Marriage of Convenience in the Show Me sate by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot and funny moments with the children, the flow of the story is smooth and fast paced. The romance developed nicely but I didn’t need the innuendo, their emotions were more than enough.

Mr. Gardiner and the Governess by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The plot is something I didn’t read before, and the characters are unique with different backgrounds and struggles. There are no clichés, and whatever you think it’s going to happen, won’t happen. The romance is written exquisitely, even the kiss was so sweet it almost brought me to my knees, because it wasn’t sensual, sexual, or even physical. Ms. Britton keeps surprising me with every book I read by her, and I can’t wait to read whatever she has in store for us.

The Cowboy Billionaire by Lorana Hoopes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice clean romance, and well written characters, and the ending was good.

Earl Grafton and the Traitor by Angela Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good plot, nice setting, the main male character is annoying but the female character was okay, and there was good variety of characters.

The Clause in Christmas by Rachael Bloome ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is sweet with emotional issues, and some humor to lighten the mood. The characters are interesting and the progression of the plot is fast paced and enjoyable.

The Christmas Pact by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Light Christmas story and the struggle of the characters during the season, the romance was hard to feel, most of it is physical attraction and the goodness of the characters.

Philippa Holds Court by Jennie Goutet ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Interesting plot and characters, I mostly liked how the characters are written. Philippa is strong and sweet at the same time, she handles every situation with elegance and always gets her way. I also liked the snobbish Mr. Blythefield and how his feelings developed towards Pilippa. All in all, an enjoyable read and a happy ending.

New Light by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet face paced romance, with a good story and a happy ending.

The Lady and the Mountain Doctor by Misty M. Beller ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the backstory of the characters, it was important to show us how these characters came to be, and the medical aspect of that era is very interesting to read.
It didn’t hurt at all that Alex is Irish ☘️ and it showed in his character. But I thought Merriam suffered way too many accidents, and too many injuries for one character. At the end, it was an enjoyable read.

Santa Maybe by Mazy Morris ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Giggle inducing romantic comedy, with lovable characters and a happy ending. I had my doubts about it at the first meeting of Madeleine and Marc, but it all vanished as the story progressed. I liked how the kid character is written, and the relationship between the siblings.

The Christmas Bet by Meg Easton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Light Christmas story and the struggle of the characters during the season, the romance was hard to feel, most of it is physical attraction and the goodness of the characters.

Home Before Dark by christy Barritt ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the suspense and the mystery, the romance was developing nicely too. But I didn’t like the last third of the book, the romance was awkward, and the conclusion wasn’t good enough for me.

Marrying Miss Kringle, Frost by Lucy McConnell ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the “you’ve got mail” theme for the plot, and the characters are interesting.

Marrying Miss Kringle, Robyn ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Robyn’s character is not the typical romance book heroine, and Gabe was what she needed. I’m not a fan of reality show themes in romance books, but the author put an interesting twist on this one, and there wasn’t any of the typical stuff that comes with that theme. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.

A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The plot is good, and the characters are well written. I liked the friendship bond between the girls, and the ending was sweet.

Upon a Dream by Andrea Boyd ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A nice spinoff of the Sleeping Beauty, I liked how the author added a few things from the Disney cartoon, especially the song scene. I liked the plot and the characters, and the ending was nice too.

The Physician’s Helper by Rose Fresquez ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice plot and good story, well developed and interesting flashbacks. I didn’t like the kissing scenes though, it didn’t add any value to the story, nor did the overdone preaching.

The Lady and the Mountain Fire by Misty M.Beller ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another book in this series, different plot with the story of the other doctor. I liked it, the characters are good and the romance developed nicely.

Reviews From 2022

The Girl in Seat 24B by Jennifer peel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a wonderful journey, agonizingly sweet and strongly emotional. The plot is one of my favorites, what happens after the happy ending, what if the happy couple fell out of love? It was very interesting and intriguing story, and I never knew what to expect next. Carley’s character is amazing, she is at the top of my very short list of favorite heroines. She’s funny, very lovable, devoted and says what she feels. I liked her way of dealing with everything, and how her emotions were so palpable. I have mixed feelings towards Michael, he was a bit confusing, but he can be comprehensible….eventually. The writing style kept me entertained from the beginning and all the way to the end, and it’s one of those books that I’ll want to read again.

The stone family inn by Taylor hart ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The plot is interesting, the characters are well written. The romance wasn’t convincing, it was like they were drawn to each other because loved kissing each other, and that’s it, I wanted to read more emotions and less kisses.

The fake fiancé’s billionaire adversary by Bree Livingston ⭐️⭐️

I liked the story, and the dialogue was enjoyable to read. Unfortunately there was no romance, just passionate kisses.

Angels can’t fall in love by Victorine E leskie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a very enjoyable book, the story is very intriguing and mysterious, the humor is off the charts, and the characters are very lovable. I especially loved Aden from the first “oops”. The dialogue is really good and funny, and the ending holds a promise for another good read. The narrator did a good job, it’s always good to listen to Liz Crane.

Saving miss everly by sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a regency romance, but when you read it you will get more than that. The romance is present, and I loved how the author didn’t follow the clichés of heroines ogling shirtless heroes, instead , emotions are portrayed beautifully and I actually felt them. I loved the writing style, the author portrayed the scenes and the emotions and the characters so clearly that it was as if I’m watching the scenes, the talented narrator has a role in that too. Sally Britton writes carefully and cleverly, nothing is out of place, nothing is unexplained, and as usual, nothing is predictable. I loved the epilogue, and I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the books in the series.

Coffee, tea, or just me by Rich Amooi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice plot, well written characters, and a happy ending. But, unlike every other book I read by the author, this one was missing a few things.

shrouded memory by krista wagner ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good mystery with some thrilling scenes, and a deeper glimpse into the dark world of PTSD.

The ghost who wasn’t there by Angela pepper ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The ghost who wasn’t there by Angela pepper ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The dog who barked fire by Angela pepper ⭐️⭐️⭐️

All three books are interesting and fun to read, the characters are very intriguing and different, and the stories are very eventful.

Engaging sir Isaac by sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No dull moments, very unpredictable, so sweet innocent kisses, very genuine epilogue, thoroughly researched.

Livin’ in high cotton by Jennifer youngblood and Sandra Poole ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked reading about the era of this book because , for once, it wasn’t about a mail ordered bride, and I loved how the story progressed. I liked the book, up until the beginning of the second part of the book, when the “romance” started, unfortunately it wasn’t as good as the first part, it was very predictable and filled with cliches, and Shellby’s character was frustrating.

An unexpected love by lerona Hoops ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought this was going to be a typical mail ordered bride plot, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t. I liked how the characters are written, but I really liked Kate’s character.

Meet on the beach by Susanne ash ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice and sweet romance, the plot and characters are enjoyable and there was a nice message in there too.

Death of a double dipper by Angela pepper ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I like the cinematic style of writing the story, but the humor is really funny. The mystery is good but not unsolvable, you can figure it out whodunnit and the motive right after the crime. I didn’t like the romance, Stormy is attracted to almost every male in the book, and Logan doesn’t behave like a man in love.

A fall from grace by Jennie Goutet ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Interesting story, enjoyable writing style, and well written characters.

YouTube New Trend

Recently, authors of various genres started uploading their audiobooks on YouTube. It’s overwhelming to have so much books available for you at once, but it allowed me personally to read more books and be introduced to new authors. So, that will explain why I’m reviewing a whole series, or the reoccurrence of certain authors.

Me and my Tidy Tornado by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tammy was introduced in the first book, I knew there would be a story about her, but given her personality, I thought her story would be dull. I was wrong. She is a challenge and Justin is perfect for this challenge, i really liked his character from the first moment and was grateful for the abundance in his POV. The humor is good and the romance builds up nicely.

Me and my Helpful Hurricane by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really liked the humor in this book, it was the best thing here. The plot, the characters, the romance, and the ending are all good. I wanted more bickering between Leah and Doug, the romance came too soon for me but it was very enjoyable to read.

Me and the Tweet Snowstorm by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked Bain from the first book and wanted to read a book about him, Kimber on the other hand wasn’t as likable. The humor was good, the messages were valuable, and the ending was sweet.

Me and the Dreamy Doomsday by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was probably the deepest among the other books in this series, I liked the characters and the story, and of course the humor is always a nice touch.

Mail Order Bride A Bride for Carlton by Karla Gracey ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I like how an author doesn’t use cliches and typical methods of writing certain themes like the mail order bride, and this author has done exactly that.

His unexpected heiress by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Tale as old as time True as it can be Barely even friends Then somebody bends Unexpectedly🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶”
Not fully based on the fairytale but it was filled with hints to my favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. The whole story was crafted so beautifully and the romance was blooming slowly like a beautiful rose. No clichés, nothing shallow, just an emotional story with a happy ending.

Her unsuitable match by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is the only one that used beauty and the beast and didn’t disappoint, for me at least. The plot and characters are very well written, there are a few clichés but the way they are written took the cliché out of them. I loved how Miles was written, and how believable the story was.

A New Batch Of Reviews

Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Interesting, clean, fast paced, well written mystery, not typical or has any cliches.

Pawsitively Cursed by Melissa Erin Jackson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Intriguing, suspenseful, clean, humorous, well written characters and plot.

Pawsitively Secretive by Melissa Erin Jackson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the story, and the mystery, and the characters, and the suspense, and the writing style, and the fast pace of the story, and the humor. What I liked about this series outweighs the few things I didn’t like, so I won’t mention them.

Don’t bet on love by Victorine E leskie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You know it’s a good book when you like it even though it’s not your favorite genre, and this is the case here for me. I liked the writing style, I liked how the feelings and the emotions were the rulers, not physical stuff. And I liked how unpredictable it is, and how devoid of cliches it was.

Don’t fall for trouble Victorine E leskie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Even if the series is about a group of students in one high school, the author is able to come up with different plots and various characters for each book. What I liked the most here was the development of both the characters and their romance, and the ending that was written skillfully. Few authors have the ability to make me feel the romance, and this author is one of them.

Don’t trust the imposter by Victorine E leskie ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice plot and cute story, and there’s a happy ending.

Don’t kiss your enemy by Victorine E leskie ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The plot is really good, and I loved Cole.

The cowboy songwriter’s fake marriage by Lucy McConnell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is about a marriage of convenience, and I liked how the author didn’t follow most of nowadays cliches when it comes to that sub genre. I liked how the romance was developed, and it wasn’t all about physical attraction. The characters and the dialogue are well written and the ending is so sweet.

Me and the Cute Catastrophe by Jessie Gussman ⭐️⭐️
Good plot and fast paced style, the humor is nice and the male character is good. I didn’t feel any romance here though, and there was no development in the relationship. I like reading-listening- this author’s books, but I’m often bothered by the inconsistencies and the repetitions.

Dare to love my grumpy boss by Ellie Hall ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The plot is nice, and the romance is clean, and the development of the story was good until the cliche misunderstanding scene. The ending was also sweet and I liked the humor.

A mistletoe mismatch by Sally Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The story is nice, there’s a hint of Austin and the romance is clean and so sweet. Parts of it are a little bit predictable but it’s enjoyable to read. I didn’t like the aunt, she’s so annoying and I think she’s the worst matchmaker that I’ve ever read.

Hearts crossing by Marianne Evans ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nice plot, and heartbreaking moments, the pace is fast and the ending is good. But, The focus on the physical aspects dominated the romance, in the end, there were less emotional moments and more passionate kisses.

Reviews of the Classics and the contemporary…and Discovering Sarah M Eden

Roads of destiny by O. Henry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Each story in this collection has a deep message, and ends with a gasp or a sweet surprise, or an involuntary “aww Henry” or a smile and sometimes a laugh.

Mail Order Bride: Bitter & Pregnant Michael Podgorski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Even though it was shorter than I liked, it was really good. Not a typical mail ordered bride plot, the romance was sparse but I liked the characters, the dialogue and the ending.

The lady and the highwayman Sarah Eden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved it, everything was a delight to read in this book. The stories within the story is a very enjoyable writing style, the romance is so sweet and romantic, the elements of suspense and intrigue are very powerful and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books, not just because they’re all good, but I really want to know the identity of DM or the Dread Master.

The gentleman and the thief by Sarah Eden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Delightful, creative, eventful, enjoyable, intriguing and new style of writing to me by combining three stories in one book. I liked everything in the book, especially the writing style and how the romance was written. Each book in this series is a gem among today’s romance books.

Lady Anna by Anthony Trollope ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Even though the writing style was somewhat repetitive and dragging, I liked the book. What I liked the most was how Trollope painted the hideous face of aristocracy, how the “nobility” looked down at the people with no noble ancestry. I loved Anna, she’s one of the few female characters that I liked in Trollope’s books, I love how she’s written and how she is in general.
Mr. Thwiate’s presence was less than I liked, but he’s also a very likable character. The “evil” characters are written in a way that made me despise every one of them, which is a telltale sign of the author’s remarkable talent.

Necessary Proof by Camy Tang ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fast paced full of action and suspense, the romance is nicely developed and the ending was sweet.

courage to heal by Shanae Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet fast paced Christmas themed romance, with a beauty and the beast plot line.

LOVE FOR LENORE by Regina Tittel ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the story and the fast paced style, the dialogue was enjoyable. The author leaned on sensuality more than romance, but in the end it was a good read.

Lightning Strikes By Bonnie McCune, Kim McMahill, Carlene Havel, Trinity Hart, & Josie Riviera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read this short story a few years ago, and I still remember some of the scenes. So it’s memorable, and sweet.

Cousin Maude by Mary Jane Holmes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sad, romantic, with a touch of mystery. Most of the atmosphere of the book was gloomy, even the few sweet moments and joyful events were overshadowed by the unfortunate events. But, It was a good read with a happy ending.

Bessie’s fortune by Mary Jane Holmes ⭐️
The story would’ve been better without the uninteresting mystery and the awful suspense that wasn’t suspenseful at all. The romance didn’t come until the second book, and there are too many tragedies for one story. The portrayal of the children was absurd, every child in the book acted way older than their age. Then it was too tedious to finish the book when it started to be repetitive and boring. I didn’t like any of the characters, they were either too weak or disgustingly evil, and they all cry….all. the. time.

Back to Classics

With some non fiction and Audiobooks

The Belton Estate by Anthony Trollope ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a story of a man’s nobility that shows in his actions rather than his family’s name, and another man’s nobility that evidently was by his family’s name only. I loved Will, poor Will. His love and passion are very romantic, something I didn’t expect in a Trollope book. But, Clara was annoyingly stubborn, and her stubbornness -which she mistakes for a strong will and independence- sometimes borders towards stupidity, by the end of the book, I even doubted the sincerity of her feelings.

Lost for love by Mary Elizabeth Braddon ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I should be prepared for Braddon’s style by now, but the myriad of feelings that I experience with every book I read by her is unstoppable. This book started well, the characters and the plot were interesting, then halfway through I was tempted to stop reading the book, but I persevered and through it all I never let myself hope for the best for any of the characters. Even if the ending was pleasant enough, the means that led to it was agonizing and unjust.

Dr. Wortle by Anthony Trollope ⭐️⭐️⭐️

not as good as other books by the author. Interesting story and a very slow pace, but I wanted to continue so I could find out how it will end.

A Weaver of Dreams by Myrtle Reed ⭐️⭐️

The author’s personal views on love and marriage are very obvious in her writing, the result is a gloomy story with unpleasant surprise and unsatisfying ending. This is the last book I will read by this author.

The Vintage ladies by Marilyn Messik⭐️⭐️⭐️

The pictures are wonderful, it gives us a glimpse of the past and how people used to pose for pictures. The commentary though, wasn’t funny and wasn’t what I wanted to read under each picture. I was hoping for a brief history of each Picture, instead I got a comic caption that I stopped reading after the first few pictures.

Rhett’s Make Believe Marriage by Liz Isaacson ⭐️⭐️

I liked the western atmosphere, I liked the plot and the development of the story, the characters are okay and Rhett’s character was the best. But, I wished the focus on the physical aspect of the relationship was non-existent, it was so distracting and ruined all of the above, it was like painting a beautiful picture then splashing a bucket of dirty water over it. there is so much innuendo and sexual tension between the main characters that I had to go check if this wasn’t a “religious romance” and the multiple POVs and stories was also distracting. I’m thoroughly discouraged from finishing this series.

Twin Souls by Barry Rachin ⭐️⭐️

Even with the unique writing style, and how intriguing the story was, the language and the ending made it hard to like this short story.

Trip’s Trivial Tie by Liz Isaacson ⭐️⭐️

The same plot like the first book, with different characters and less depth.

Liam’s Invented I-Do by Liz Isaacson ⭐️

Repetitive, predictable, and almost identical to the previous two books. … I give up on the rest of the series.

Where love begins by Donna Fletcher Crow ⭐️

Preaching book disguised as a romance story.

Hopeful Cowboy by Elana Johnson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the setting here, and the plot is very interesting. I liked how the characters are written and the dialogue was enjoyable. The romance is good and clean, it was really refreshing to read a kissing scene without any innuendo, but I wanted more emotional moments and more romantic gestures between Nate and Ginger. All in all, it was enjoyable to listen to the audiobook and I’m looking forward to listening to the rest of the books in this series.
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Mistakenly married by Victorine E. Lieske ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Funny, witty, and intriguing. Nothing typical and no clichés, the dialogue is funny and the romance is really clean. The best part about this series is the various plots and ingenuity in each story.

Blissfully married by Victorine E. Lieske ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked the comedy part of this romantic comedy, but not so much the romance. I didn’t like adding poor Ted to the mix and most of the “grownups” behavior here was somewhat immature. I might’ve liked it more if it was a young adult plot.

Acting married by Victorine E. Lieske ⭐️⭐️

I wish I could give it more stars but the humor wasn’t as plenty as the previous books, and the romance was almost the typical “I love her/him and I won’t say it until the end of the book”…almost. I still enjoyed listening to the audiobook, and I’m glad I found an author that I can read her books without hesitation or fearing clichés and physical “romance”.

Overprotective cowboy by Elana Johnson ⭐️⭐️

I liked Ted but I couldn’t tolerate Emma, the plot was fast paced but it was too identical to the previous book. It was okay and I’m looking forward to listening to the next book.

Smoothies for weight loss by Jackson Nash ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really good recipes, easy to make and with available ingredients.