This was just another superficial romance with a ridiculous premise and two unlikable main characters. There’s nothing new here and ins|| 2.0 stars ||
This was just another superficial romance with a ridiculous premise and two unlikable main characters. There’s nothing new here and instead, it only rehashes silly cliches (with poor execution) I’ve never liked in the first place, let alone enjoy reading the billionth replica of. In short, this book brought me nothing but boredom, eye-rolls, and a whole lot of skimming.
'Dreamland Billionaires' series: 1. The Fine Print - 2.0 stars 2. Terms and Conditions - 2.0 stars...more
This book proved that you really don’t need constant, over-the-top love declarations for a book to be insanely romantic!
Khai is autisti|| 4.5 stars ||
This book proved that you really don’t need constant, over-the-top love declarations for a book to be insanely romantic!
Khai is autistic, and because he has never processed emotions the same way as other people do, he has convinced himself he has a heart of stone and can’t feel anything at all, but nothing could be further from the truth. He actually experiences things very deeply, and is capable of extending a tremendous amount of care. I mean, even though it isn’t until the end of the book that he is finally able to recognize he has loved Esme this entire time, it was already so obvious through his subconscious actions and thoughts towards her. It was such a touchingly sweet and gentle story, and I loved it from start to finish.
I also thought it was a very nice detail that Esme never really learned what autism was, and never saw Khai as different in any way. She fell for him exactly the way he was, and she didn’t need any excuses or explanations. It was honestly adorable; Khai’s broody cluelessness and Esme’s bubbly naivety truly made for the cutest couple.
Okay, so I’m not quite sure what to say about this. On the one hand it was painfully stupid and exceedingly frustrating, but on the oth|| 3.0 stars ||
Okay, so I’m not quite sure what to say about this. On the one hand it was painfully stupid and exceedingly frustrating, but on the other hand I breezed right through it without any boredom or reluctance. I mean, this book was somehow insanely addictive to read, even though I didn’t actually like it? I know, it doesn’t really make sense, but it’s the truth.
This book is commonly known as “the grovel book”. Meaning, the plot is supposed to have one big scene of groveling after another. Which, technically, this did. But it wasn’t really what I was expecting or hoping for. When I think of groveling I think of desperation, of longing, of regret, of pain, of pure and complete love. I didn’t get that here. The ‘groveling’ felt… random? There was no build-up to their relationship, and the book basically began with the grovel from the get-go. This meant that we didn’t understand their dynamic or any previous feelings they might have had. I have absolutely no clue whatsoever why the heroine had fallen in love with the hero at the beginning, and I also have no idea why the hero suddenly changed his mind about her and loved her back. I only understood why he was no longer angry with her, but why that would mean he was suddenly irrevocably in love with her, I have no clue. Therefore, the grovel felt emotionless, and I had no real investment in it. Also, groveling usually means romance, softness and gentleness for me. It means the hero wanting to show himself from his best side to get the heroine to forgive him. To fall back in love with him. With this book we didn’t really get that. The hero mostly felt indignant and entitled when it came to the heroine’s forgiveness. He acted like she was just being difficult by not crawling back to him. Like that was what she was supposed to do, and he didn’t understand how she could possibly not! That’s not really the attitude I was hoping for.
Which brings me to my next point, namely; the hero and heroine’s disappointing personalities. When you think of a book with a lot of groveling, you assume the heroine is strong-minded with a real sense of self-respect, right? But no. Theresa wasn’t like that. She was stubborn, sure. But she wasn’t strong and she didn’t have any self-respect. At heart, she was just like all the other horrible heroines who have absolutely no back-bone. I mean, it literally wasn’t even that she didn’t want to forgive the hero, it was simply that she didn’t believe he would actually want her, and thus, she didn’t trust him to not break her heart again. It had nothing to do with her not wanting to be with someone who had caused her so much pain, humiliation, grief and loneliness. It was just a lack of her believing he would actually want her… After all, she was still constantly horny for him, and even had sex with him multiple times while he was supposed to be groveling. Which is not what I wanted from this. At all.
“Theresa, don’t you dare beat yourself up about it. If the divorce rumours are true then he’s a bastard for abandoning his pregant wife when she needs him most,” Rick fumed. “No, I’m happy for him. He was trapped…” she was so dazed, she barely realised what she was saying and Rick swore in disbelief. “My God, it’s like you have battered wife syndrome. Stop making excuses for him, he’s an ass who hurt you time and again.”
Now, moving on the the hero, it doesn’t get much better. He might possibly be the most stupid person on the planet. This man does not know what the word “communicate” means. None of his problems would exist if he just opened his mouth and spoke what he was thinking once in a while. Why didn’t he say he loved her? Why didn’t he say he wanted to stay married to her after they had a son? Why didn’t he say he wasn’t in love with Fransesca? Why didn’t he say any of the things he needed to say to get Theresa to understand and/or forgive him? Why would he constantly let her assume the worst? It would almost seem as if he was actively working against himself on his quest of winning Theresa back. It was insane! And don’t even get me started on the fact that he was still an arsehole, even while he was trying to win her back, because I don’t even want to get into it. He still did some very questionable and rude things, which was a shame, since his nicer moments were often glossed over or even skipped entirely in the book. The narration would just say something like: “they played board games all night,” and not really get into any of their conversations or interactions during those sweeter or softer scenes.
All in all, I really didn’t like the characters or the romance, but the book itself was somehow still entertaining. It wasn’t great. But it wasn’t bad either. Just some simple, mindless fun with a heavy dose of stupidity....more
Although this was pretty entertaining and addictive to read (for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on), I won’t deny that it was tech|| 2.5 stars ||
Although this was pretty entertaining and addictive to read (for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on), I won’t deny that it was technically bad. The plot was okay-ish (for this type of book at least), but the romance definitely lacked any kind of depth or emotion. The entire relationship was lust-based and all they did was have hate-sex. It wasn’t until the book was almost over that I finally started to see some semblance of a connection between these two (which was honestly still shallow at best). Before that point they only felt animosity and an inexplicable attraction towards each other, and no hint of gentleness or affection was in sight. It would certainly be a fair description to call their relationship toxic and unhealthy, which wouldn’t be the end of the world if it weren’t for the fact that their obsession with each other was only based on lust and hate.
'Calluvia’s Royalty' series: 1. That Alien Feeling - 2.5 stars 2. That Irresistible Poison - 2.5 stars...more
I’m not sure this book ever really figured out what it was trying to be. On the one hand it was an over-the-top insta-love romance base|| 1.5 stars ||
I’m not sure this book ever really figured out what it was trying to be. On the one hand it was an over-the-top insta-love romance based on nothing but lust, while on the other hand it was an odd sort of philosophical consideration of life’s balance and true freedom in a world filled with magic. Neither were fun or interesting in this case, but they were also just so unfitting for each other, I couldn’t help but feel like the author wasn’t really aware of what type of book she wanted to write. And as a consequence, she simply failed at delivering something entertaining or interesting on either side.
The writing style was very boring and it tried to sound all pretentious and serious, which was just weird. Their dialogue was so stiff, it made it impossible to feel any connection to the characters or their relationship. The inner monologues weren’t much better either and I held zero interest in the plot or world-building. It was just overall lacklustre.
The fact that the dude had a perpetual hard-on made me widely uncomfortable as well. Seriously, if I have to read about his hard cock poking her somewhere ONE MORE TIME, I will scream. And him fantasizing about her “cunt” (the term “virgin cunt” being amongst my absolute least favourites) was most definitely not much better. It was all very cringe and yuck!
His cock was a rigid pole pressing against her. Perhaps she believed he was always in this state, for his cock was always hard when he held her close.
Also, this whole book is one big giant misunderstanding and it gave me a headache. Situations like these happened constantly:
After a long moment, she asked quietly, “Do you think you will ever marry?” Only if she would ever have him. “I don’t know.” “I suppose…” She hesitated, and her breath stuttered before she finished, “I suppose you have no need for a wife. There must be many women in the stronghold who would see to your… needs.” “There are.” Though he had no interest in touching them. Only her. Never again would he want anyone as he did Anja. “Oh.” That small reply was followed by a long silence in which she did not look back at him. She let go of his forearm and hugged her middle, as if cold beneath that long coat. Finally she continued in a thick voice, “It is very kind of you to offer. But I do not believe there is a place for me there.” No place with him.
Like, come on! You’d think these people are mentally challenged considering this non-stop level of obliviousness and with such an inability to speak their mind. So frustrating!
This is an over-the-top, slow burn mafia romance that features the arranged marriage trope between two different mafia families.
The her|| 2.5 stars ||
This is an over-the-top, slow burn mafia romance that features the arranged marriage trope between two different mafia families.
The heroine, Kiara, is a timid and scared girl, who fears the touch and presence of all men after she was raped as a child by her uncle. Her trauma, understandably so, runs incredibly deep, and it takes her a long time to begin to heal. The hero, Nino, is the second-in-command to his brother and is known to be completely emotionless. He is cold, logical and detached, and he does not have any feelings. Previous trauma has also made him the way he is today, and he deals with it the best he can.
I personally really liked the premise of this story, and I thought it had a promising beginning. I liked both characters and I especially felt like the detail put into Kiara’s trauma and the slow process of her healing was handled well. I also quite liked the family dynamic where Kiara has to live with Nino and all of his brothers, but I wish we could have had more interactions between them. It felt a little empty now. The general plot also became rather repetitive, and I have to say it was very uneventful.
Unfortunately, I simply wasn’t entirely sold on the romantic part of Nino and Kiara’s relationship. I mean, I did love how Nino cared for Kiara: He gave her the confidence and support she needed, and it made me feel all warm inside. He was so incredibly considerate of her, and it was rather endearing coming from someone who doesn’t have emotions of his own.
“How can you say things that make me feel better when you don’t even understand what I feel?”
However, I feel like once they became more romantically involved, it became all about sex. Their interactions were all tied in with physical intimacy, and that’s not something I like. I need more emotional intimacy, which I suppose was impossible with Nino being who he is. But still. I just never really saw them connect. Yes, Nino took care of her in a very soft way, but what made him love her? What did she do that he liked so much? I feel like the answer to that is non-existent, because they didn’t really connect on a deeper level like that. He calmed her down and helped her with her trauma, and they had sex. That’s the extent of their relationship. Which, once again, was a sweet relationship in itself, but not a very romantic one in my opinion.
I could totally see why Kiara fell for Nino, but I didn’t understand it so much the other way around. It seemed to me like Nino mostly felt a duty to her as a husband, and that’s why he treated her as well as he did. But he would have probably treated anyone that way if he were married to them; it wasn’t because of Kiara specifically. And that’s what I didn’t like. Also, if Nino was truly beginning to feel affection and love for her, he shouldn’t have even wanted to sleep with other women while they were married. Even if Kiara said it was okay. He should have only wanted her. Which, apparently, he did not.
Their entire relationship had something very clinical about it. It lacked passion and a true connection. It just seemed like something that needed to be done, and like Nino tried to do the best he could, not out of love, but out of a sense of duty and efficiency. I think this idea was emphasized for me by the fact that they had zero conflict or angst in their relationship. It was so easy. Too easy for a relationship in this environment that is formed out of true care and love; it showed to me that this marriage really was a task for Nino. A task he passed with flying colours, yes, but a task nonetheless. Otherwise at least something should have happened between them that didn’t go incredibly smooth.
Due to their lack of a true connection, the ending felt very strange to me. Nino’s sudden influx of emotions seemed completely random to me, and I don’t quite understand where they came from. It was also very over-the-top, yet somehow still anticlimactic. I just wasn’t feeling it.
Also, maybe this is just me, but Kiara and Remo literally had more chemistry together than Nino and Kiara. Do I think Remo would have been better for her? HELL NO. But they did have more chemistry… Probably because Nino and Kiara didn’t have any.
Thank you, Irunía, for recommending this to me. I’m sorry I didn’t love it as much as you did!...more
It’s written in a way that resembles a fourteen year old girl living out her most secret fantasies || 1.0 star ||
Okay, so that was bad. Extremely bad.
It’s written in a way that resembles a fourteen year old girl living out her most secret fantasies by writing them down, with this novella then being the end-result. I couldn’t help but cringe.
The guy is a growly alpha male wolf-shifter who everyone loves and respects, and the girl is viewed as nothing more than a lust-object with no use beyond being the dude’s human “mate”.
This entire relationship was based on sex, and the sex itself was just horrendous. It was not hot at all.
The way these people acted honestly had me laughing out loud. And not in a good way. No, I was laughing at them. Especially at the guy. He was so over-the-top and ridiculous, I couldn’t take him even remotely serious.
I’m still not really sure how I feel about these stories. I don’t hate them, but they’re not really doing anything for me either. I don|| 2.5 stars ||
I’m still not really sure how I feel about these stories. I don’t hate them, but they’re not really doing anything for me either. I don’t feel a connection to the characters or the romance, yet I also don’t feel bored with it or anything. It just feels… mweh.
Also, the whole Ryan situation is still genuinely pissing me off. The way everyone treats him like a Saint makes me want to hurl, and I need him to be taken down a peg or two. Also, why on earth does this Hartley kid stay with him anyway? He can clearly see what an abusive arsehole Ryan is and Hartley doesn’t seem like a pushover. It’s strange.
Anyway, Will and Patrick’s romance seems like it finally got started here as they give in to their sexual tension. But… I don’t know. It wasn’t anything to write home about. Their relationship truly isn’t super meaningful or deep. And I’m starting to doubt that will change. Doesn’t mean I don’t still enjoy their interactions, though.
Well, then.. This really didn’t add much to the story. Nothing happened and it was kind of boring. There hasn’t been any development in|| 2.0 stars ||
Well, then.. This really didn’t add much to the story. Nothing happened and it was kind of boring. There hasn’t been any development in the plot, characterization or romance yet. I also feel like this has been missing emotional depth so far. I’ll try to remain patient, but I have to admit that this was disappointing.
When it comes to the characters, I like Patrick’s snarky attitude, but he can veer into annoying territory quite quickly too. Luckily, it is easy to see he secretly has a heart of gold. I’m still a bit ambivalent towards Will, especially since he doesn’t have much of a distinct personality yet and he is just so incredibly pathetic when it comes to his ex, Ryan. Speaking of, Ryan is genuinely making me so mad. He is such an arsehole and I need Will and everyone else to see and acknowledge that. I am desperately awaiting his fall from Grace; I honestly can’t wait for that.
All in all, I just really have to wonder: when will we finally get to see some kind of love blossom between Will and Patrick? Because so far it’s been awfully quiet on that front. And I mean, don’t get me wrong; I absolutely adore a good slow-burn, but it’s honestly starting to look like a no-burn at this point. A mere bit of lingering sexual tension doesn’t count as all that much to me, especially if there aren’t even feelings involved.
This was quite a promising beginning to the series. It genuinely has hints of humour going for it, and the relationship has started in || 3.0 stars ||
This was quite a promising beginning to the series. It genuinely has hints of humour going for it, and the relationship has started in an interesting way. I’m not really feeling the love between them so far, but I kind of like that: it suggests we might be able to expect a little bit of a slow-burn. I do like that Patrick is already reluctantly admiring Will, though. He might be annoyed, but you can tell that he already has a slight soft spot for Will.
The characters are more unique than I thought they would be: they’re not written in an overly simple or superficial manner. So far I’ve truly quite liked reading about them, even if they aren’t exactly super likeable. I mean, Will has a very pathetic vibe around him, and Patrick is cold-ish and dick-ish. Nonetheless, I quite enjoy them and I especially appreciated Patrick’s sarcasm and pessimism. I just really hope we’ll get some great character development for them. There’s definitely potential for it.
I’m not sure how to feel about this one, since the whole thing left a very nasty taste in my mouth. The omegaverse this story takes pla|| 3.0 stars ||
I’m not sure how to feel about this one, since the whole thing left a very nasty taste in my mouth. The omegaverse this story takes place in is utterly horrendous and completely unfair; you constantly feel the anger and helplessness of it all.
One of the main characters has also done a lot of awful things, especially to his love interest, so it was extremely difficult to forgive him. Ned claims to have loved Ezer from the very beginning, but he never stopped his friends from bullying and harassing Ezer, and he even stood by and watched while his friend attempted to rape him. How can you ever get over such a thing? I mean, even after reaching the end of this book, I’m still not sure if it is even possible to ever truly forgive him. In the end, it is clear that Ned was an utter coward, but I do believe he loves Ezer with all of his heart and he would never let such a thing happen again in the future.
I honestly felt a little squeamish while reading this book and some of the things that happened were questionable at best. Seeing people have no right over their autonomy at all is so devastating and completely enraging: It makes me feel like utter shit.
I also thought there was far too much smut and I would have liked a little more talking and bonding between the love interests without sex involved.
Nonetheless, I did think this story was interesting and I was intrigued by a lot of it. The characters had their issues, but their characterization was done well and I was invested in seeing their lives unfold.
The romance had an intense beginning, and a difficult path ahead of it. I definitely loved the obsessive devotion from Ned and I also appreciated that Ezer stood his ground, refusing to forgive Ned without a fight. Ezer did not open up until the end, which was good for him, but also a little frustrating to read sometimes. I would have loved to see more true development in their relationship with more depth, understanding and true love. I still don’t entirely know how I feel about their love story, but it was surely quite fascinating....more
➛First read: July 2022 | ★3.5 stars ➛Second read: September 2023 | ★3.5 stars
This is a fantasy story with a big focus on political allia|| 3.5 stars ||
➛First read: July 2022 | ★3.5 stars ➛Second read: September 2023 | ★3.5 stars
This is a fantasy story with a big focus on political alliances, family dynamics and romance. The book takes place in a fictional world where Oliver and his cousin, Tessa, travel to 'The North' where Tessa will be expected to marry the cold, stoic and older king Erik, since their homeland needs a bigger army to fight their ongoing war. However, upon their arrival, king Erik quickly makes it clear he has no intention of marrying the young girl, and instead offers she chooses between his two eager cousins, one of which will be the heir to the throne after him. Meanwhile, Erik develops affections of his own, but instead they are directed at Oliver.
The main love story in this is definitely the one between Erik and Oliver. It is very much a slow-burn, and I loved Erik’s tentative courting of Oliver. Once Erik decided he wanted Oliver, he was so gentle and soft with him, and I found it quite sweet. Opposingly, Oliver was doubtful and unsure of their growing relationship, since he felt inadequate as a delicate Southern bastard to be with a Northern warrior king. This led Oliver to be scared to try anything between them, but he was still confident in all other matters of life, and I really liked him. I could see why Erik would fall for him, and also the other way around.
“But I’m only a bastard,” Oliver said, weakly. “You are mine. And I will not have it said that you are anything less than the highly-esteemed, brilliant, beautiful object of my deepest affection.”
The love triangle between Tessa, Rune and Leif was mostly a side-romance, which made it hard to really get invested in it. Besides, I found their love to be a bit simple anyway, which could quite possibly come from the fact that Tessa as well as Rune were and acted very young. It also didn’t help matters that Tessa obviously preferred Rune, who was like an overeager puppy and appeared to be a bit of an air-head, while I saw much more potential in Leif as a love-interest. I really wasn’t feeling the direction the love triangle was taking, and thus enjoyed it even less.
I also have to say that I wasn’t really a big fan of the writing style. It was far too drawn-out and all the many descriptions tended to bore me.
Nonetheless, I did really like the plot and the setting, and it definitely had some interesting things going on. I also felt invested in Erik and Oliver’s romance, and would have preferred to have seen even more of it. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed reading this, and I’m pretty curious about the sequel.
'The Drake Chronicles': 1. Heart of Winter - 3.5 stars 2. Edge of the Wild - 3.5 stars...more
Yess, this was exactly what I was hoping it would be!! Although I disliked the first book, and even went as far as skipping the second || 4.5 stars ||
Yess, this was exactly what I was hoping it would be!! Although I disliked the first book, and even went as far as skipping the second book entirely, I still knew I really wanted to read this book. Something just made me feel like I would love it, and luckily I was right!
This book is about Daman (who represents the Sin of Envy) and Warrin (who is the prince of the Ice Dragons). They are forced into an arranged marriage so their families will have allegiance to each other in the war against Lucifer's son and his army of demons.
Daman is reluctant about the marriage, but not overly so, and only because of his own insecurities, bitterness and jealousies (he is Envy, after all). Warrin had felt a connection to Daman from the very beginning, and was patient and understanding with Daman in trying to get him to open up and let him in.
"I know close to nothing about love and romance. Before you, I never wanted to know. But now that I've had a taste of it, of you, I never want to go back to how I used to be. I never want to know a day where you're not beside me." "You can't feel that strongly already. It's too soon." "Don't tell me what I can or can't feel. Because I only needed a single moment to know I belong to you."
The relationship between Daman and Warrin developed at a really pleasant pace. Although there was a 'bond' from the beginning, it doesn't feel like insta-love in the slightest. This was probably due to both of them holding their emotions close to their chest, and having a little bit of a push-and-pull because of Daman's major issues regarding his self-worth. I loved how Warrin never wavered when it came to his feelings, and every time Daman lashed out at him, he was steadfast in his devotion to him.
When Daman and Warrin finally fully accepted their emotions for each other, they became incredibly cute and sweet as a couple. They loved each other so much, and they were perfect together. They were each other's first priority, and nothing could come between them.
"You're so precious to me, Daman. More precious than anyone or anything on this earth. When I'm with you, I don't need wings to fly."
I think there is a really nice balance between romance, characterization and plot with this book. Obviously I loved the romance, but I also thought Daman and Warrin were really likable and well fleshed out as characters. Especially Daman was surprisingly well-developed, particularly when it came to his sin Envy and how that affected him as a person. The plot was also really good. I truly find the ongoing story of this series really interesting (it was what made me still moderately enjoy the first book).
All the characters here work so well together, and I'm intrigued by a lot of them. It's not one of those series where the secondary characters feel like they merely take away from the main story; I really want to know about it all. Daman, Gray and Bellamy are my favourites of the seven brothers, so I'm very excited about the next two books as well, since those feature Gray and then Bellamy as main character!!
This was cute, albeit a little too short for me to truly get invested. If it had been longer, we could have had that depth that would h|| 3.0 stars ||
This was cute, albeit a little too short for me to truly get invested. If it had been longer, we could have had that depth that would have made this story be absolutely lovely. It had the potential to be great, but it was still nice the way it was now. It’s a sci-fi love story with the arranged marriage trope, and I really liked the premise.
Emvor is a gruff alien living a lonely life on his farm, not really having anyone to keep him company. He doesn’t think many people will be attracted to him due to the ugly scars that run all over his body and face after his time in the war. Thus, he decides to find a wife through an agency in hopes of finding a partner that can help him on the farm. When his new ‘wife’ arrives he finds out he has been deceived, as instead of a fellow-alien, a fragile and dainty human has arrived! Nicola isn’t what Emvor expected, and he doesn’t think he will have any use for someone so weak. Nonetheless, he does not want to send Nicola back either, as he knows a terrible fate will await her then. Instead, he promises to find her another husband in their small-town village, someone who doesn’t need help on the farm and can afford to keep her. However, as time goes on, Emvor discovers Nicola is everything he never knew he wanted. Her cooking, her smiles, her charming demeaner, her delicate frame, her sweet personality; he loves it all! But will he be able to keep her when she’s not what he asked for?
As days pass, it becomes harder and harder to ignore her presence. Nicola’s like a burst of sunshine that’s come into my life, and her smile warms me every time I see it. Turns out the cute little dent in her cheek is called a dimple, and I live for its appearance. There’s nothing that makes my day better than seeing Nicola grin so wide that she dimples up. She’s been smiling a lot more lately, too, and most of them are directed at me. Makes my heart ache fiercely.
These two were genuinely adorable together. Their gentle, domestic vibe was so sweet, and I loved how they both appreciated each other so much. They were both very kind, and their relationship was honestly just cute.
➛First read: April 2022 | ★4.5 stars ➛Second read: October 2022 | ★4.0 stars ➛Third read: June 2024 | ★2.5 stars
Edit after my last re-|| 2.5 stars ||
➛First read: April 2022 | ★4.5 stars ➛Second read: October 2022 | ★4.0 stars ➛Third read: June 2024 | ★2.5 stars
Edit after my last re-read: While I can see why I originally enjoyed this book, it’s safe to say my reading tastes have changed quite a bit since the last time I read this, and so I wasn’t really into it anymore. It was too smutty, too ridiculous, too repetitive, and too superficial.
Original Review: Ugh, I loved this!
Was it perfect? No. Do I care about that? Also no.
I just genuinely enjoyed this so freaking much.
Seriously, I am quickly discovering that these types of books are my new weakness. This trope just has me in a complete chokehold! So, if anyone has any more recommendations with dominant alpha-men completely obsessed with a beautiful and sweet boy (no doormats, though), who they develop an immense soft spot for: Yea, I'd appreciate those recs!!! Please. I need them! They're so good!
Anyway, back to this book in particular; obviously I loved the premise with Alton forcing Noah to marry him after Noah's dad stole a bunch of money from him. Alton really wanted revenge, but also wanted to have Noah badly, so this was his great solution. He just didn't expect to fall completely in love with the guy to the point where his happiness depended on Noah. (Are you swooning already?? Because I sure was!)
I mean, as we all know, a book needs more than just a good premise; it also needs good execution. And luckily we definitely got that here. Of course, if it were up to me, I might have changed some things, but my complaints truly are minor and, in the grand scheme of things, totally irrelevant. I did wish there was a little less sex, though, because it took up quite a lot of their interactions, whereas I would have preferred something more meaningful.
Noah and Alton had amazing chemistry, and there was a great build-up to their relationship. It might have been lust at first sight for both of them, but it is clear that the actual 'love' part builds over time, and their relationship dynamic changes right along with it. Alton changes his behaviour towards Noah more and more after he starts to care about him deeper and deeper. He also becomes a sweeter person in general because of it; at the end, I actually quite liked him and thought he was a good partner for Noah! Noah was someone I actually already loved right from the beginning and I grew to like him even more as the book went on. He was a great character, and although he could have stood up for himself a little more, I'm glad he at least decided to not take any of Alton's shit after they actually started to form a real bond and were way past their little games. It all led to them developing a softer, caring and eventually even almost healthy relationship. Who would have thought!?
Long story short, I enjoyed every second of this, and that's all that really matters to me....more
My opinions here are a bit mixed. On the one hand, I did enjoy this book, but I also found it surprisingly underwhelming.
Something tha|| 3.5 stars ||
My opinions here are a bit mixed. On the one hand, I did enjoy this book, but I also found it surprisingly underwhelming.
Something that bugged me was that the relationship between Nico and Elena definitely felt more like ‘lust’ than 'love' for a very long time. I only began to see the love more towards the end, but by that point the tension had almost completely disappeared, so I wasn’t even sure which phase I preferred: The tension or the love? I wish there had been more of a mix of both of those things at the same time. That's definitely something I felt was missing for me.
I do have to admit that I loved Nico’s possessiveness. It was so poignant and intense. He was so greedy when it came to Elena’s attentions; not wanting to share her physically but also not emotionally. He wanted her to love nobody but him: past, present or future. Which is, of course, not exactly healthy, but… it’s just hot in books okay! My feminism and morals can sometimes simply fly right out the window, allowing me to merely enjoy the ride.
Nonetheless, I did need Elena to be a little tougher, stand up for herself and push back more. I feel like she was far too much of a doormat, especially when it came to her relationship with Nico. She let him get away with everything. He never had to grovel or anything close to that. I was honestly waiting for it to happen at some point, but it never came. Quite disappointing.
Now, when it comes to Nico, I really needed more from him in general. We hardly ever got to read from his POV, and even then, he rarely seemed to show us his emotions or inner thoughts at the beginning. Near the end, he opened up more, though. Anyway, I truly think this book would have been so much better if the POV had been split fifty-fifty between Nico and Elena: more interesting, more swoon-worthy, more everything that made this book enjoyable.
Honestly, the thing I hated most, was the constant miscommunication happening in this book: Elena thought Nico didn’t really want her and was still sleeping with other women, while Nico thought Elena was in love with another man. This resulted in both of them remaining completely closed off towards the other. Meanwhile, in reality, both were only into each other and no one else. A simple conversation could have cleared everything up between these two and it was annoying when this didn’t happen for the length of almost the entire book. Frustration definitely bubbled up inside of me.
Long story short, this book was enjoyable, but flawed in multiple ways. I wouldn't say anything about this story was done perfectly, but most of it was done adequately enough for it to be an okay read.
I didn't regret reading this, and I actually think the chances are high of me picking up the sequel. Hopefully the things I think could be improved will be done better in the next book!
After all, I can see a lot of potential with this series: the mafia dynamic, the family ties, the characters, the possessiveness/jealousies, the writing-style. It all truly has very high potential. It just needs a little more depth when it comes to the romance and everything would be great!
This book started off absolutely hilarious. I laughed like a crazy person, tears and all. The amazingly humorous exchange between the t|| 4.5 stars ||
This book started off absolutely hilarious. I laughed like a crazy person, tears and all. The amazingly humorous exchange between the two main characters went on for quite a while, until eventually the humour dialled down a bit, being replaced with an intense romance. I thought this gradual shift was a nice balance between two aspects that I enjoy very much in a book. The romance was very enjoyable as Charlee and Rath have undeniable chemistry. Charlee is extremely likable (being the reason for most of my chuckles and laughs while reading this novel), and I can completely understand why Rath fell hard for her. The playfulness in their romance was enhanced by the office-setting, seeing how their employee-boss relationship worked really well for them and their developing feelings (unlike many other romance novels trying to work with a similar trope). I do have to say that I could have done without the ‘marriage of convenience’ as it did not really add much tension for me, and rather made the shift into being more than just co-workers a little bit too easy for my liking.
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