Tag Archives: Humor

Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood – a Review

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Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood – a Review

 

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Description:
STEMinist novellas featuring a trio of engineers and their loves in loathing—with a special bonus chapter!

Under One Roof
An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never cohabitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hell—a detestable big-oil lawyer who won’t leave the thermostat alone.

Stuck with You
A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalry—and love—to the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.

Below Zero
A NASA aerospace engineer’s frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

 

Review:

Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood are three novellas that are part of her STEMinist collection.  Since I have read each of the novellas separately, I will note the highlights of each short story.  There is a bonus chapter at the end, which I will detail more. Mara, Sadie and Hannah were best friends, with each being scientists in different fields.

Under One Roof
Mara is an environmental engineer, who learns that scientists should never cohabitate; especially when she finds herself with a roommate from hell.  They seemed to have great chemistry, but things fell apart quickly.  Did they finally get past the bad start?

Stuck With You
Sadie, our heroine, is a scientist, who works for a new firm producing safer products.  Within the same building, another firm is very successful, making things harder for Sadie and her boss. One evening Sadie, met Erik and it turned into a one-night stand, which she learns the following day that he is one of the founders of the other company.  Sadie feels that Erik betrayed her, when she finds out they took one of their customers away. What follows is a quick story line, with POV’s switching back and forth from the one-night stand and them trapped in the elevator.

 Below Zero
In Below Zero, Hannah is the lead. Hannah is an aerospace engineer for NASA, and she loves her job.  She met Ian, early on, discovering how hot he was; but all she wanted was sex, no dating, and Ian just stepped away; since he was interested in dating and getting to know Hannah. What follows is a quick story line, that was a bit funny, somewhat zany, and at times fun. 

 

Bonus Chapter
Mara and Liam are married, and when Liam gets home from work, he is thrilled to learn that Mara is pregnant.  He is surprised that she told Sadie and Hannah before telling him first.  Mara tries to explain that he was in court all day, and she couldn’t resist telling her best friends.  Liam wasn’t too happy to find out that their significant others (Erik & Ian) also knew about her pregnancy.

We get to see Sadie, who is married to Erik, argue with Erik’s brother, about keeping their cat.  Kind of funny.  Ian seeing how happy their friends are, pushes Hannah to marry him.  This bonus chapter was a quick and nice addition, allowing us to see how all three couples were doing.

Hazelwood is great at upping the heat level and the build-up.  I have enjoyed Ali Hazelwood’s previous full novels, but was not into these novellas. These novellas were zany and fun, but Hazelwood’s full-length novels are so much better. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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The Heretic Royal (Scarred Earth Saga 3) by G.A. Aiken – Reviews

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The Heretic Royal (Scarred Earth Saga 3) by G.A. Aiken – Dual Review

 

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Description:
Gods save the queen!

Ainsley Farmerson has always planned to break free of the family business—and the family drama. But what was once farming, smithworking, and bickering over the dinner table has turned into open warfare between sisters. Sides have been taken, lives are on the line, and Ainsley has no doubt which sister must be queen. She’ll do whatever is necessary to take down the soulless Beatrix. Even if that means joining forces with angry battle nuns, irritating monks, and overbearing centaurs.

Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan has no time for human beings. And yet . . . there is something about the uncontrollable princess that he can’t ignore. Maybe it’s the way her eldest sisters underestimate her. Or her bravery facing down dragons and mad queens from distant lands. Whatever the reason, Gruff is willing to fight by this human’s side. Not only for the entertainment value, but because she’s right. Beatrix must never be queen. So whatever he has to do, whoever he has to destroy, Gruff will battle beside Ainsley. Fast. Hard. And with absolutely no mercy

 

Barb’s Review:
The Heretic Royal by G. A. Aiken is the 3rd book in her The Scarred Earth Saga series. I am a big fan of G.A. Aiken (aka Shelly Laurenston), and as I have said before, I will read anything she writes; as she is one author who I look forward with high anticipation to read her books, which are fun, exciting, enjoyable and so much laughter along the way, with crazy and wonderful characters.

Ainsley is the third and good sister, with Queen Keeley and Gemma having had their story previously. Keely had become Queen of the Western Lands, with Gemma protecting her sister from the evil Beatrix (Queen of the East). Ainsley, who is excellent at shooting an arrow, steps up in this story.  Beatrix is the evil sister, who is determined to kill off all her sisters, as she continues to build her own kingdom.

Ainsley has always been the quiet sister, who likes to climb up to the trees to get away from the constant bickering between her sisters. Ainsley knows that she must join the fight against Beatrix, who must never be queen; even joining with centaurs, monks and to her surprise, Dragons

Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan is a Centaur, whom we met with his sister and brothers, in the previous book.  Gruffyn rarely talks, just likes to grunt, but finds himself being attached to Ainsley, even talking to her; as well as protecting her. I really enjoyed the slow built romance between Gruff and Ainsley, which was at times funny. 

Of course, this is G.A. Aiken, which means the entire story was suspenseful, action packed, but totally hilarious; especially with the return of the Dragons.  It was so great and hysterical to see all of them again; as these wonderful zany characters are so much fun. We did not miss any of the amazing dragons, and Annwyl from the start, played such a major role. I loved every minute of these wonderful, wild, insane and violent characters, who spent time working closely with Queen Keely, Gemma and Ainsley. 

What follows is a wild, exciting, non-stop action adventure filled with bloody battles, deaths, and our fantastic dragons. The entire book has so much humor with me constantly laughing from start to finish.  I loved that Aiken brought the Dragons back, and allowed us to revisit these insane wonderful characters, who are bloodthirsty, violent, fun and totally entertaining.

The Heretic Royal was a fun filled, exciting amazing ride, with fantastic characters that G.A. Aiken creates so well.  It blew my mind that the Dragons returned, giving us a wonderful trip down memory lane. If you enjoy Aiken/ Laurenston, you need to be reading this series.

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Sandy’s Reviews: THE HERETIC ROYAL is the third instalment in GA Aiken’s adult SCARRED EARTH SAGA fantasy series set in the author’s DRAGONKIN world. Although focusing on several characters, and intersecting plot lines, THE HERETIC ROYAL follows the building relationship between Ainsley Farmerson , and Gruffyn, centaur of the Torn Moon Clan. THE HERETIC ROYAL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

SOME BACKGROUND: Beatrix Smythe was prophesized to become queen, and her sister Keeley grew to protect her older sibling but Beatrix’ assent into power was driven by madness, and in the ensuing time everyone would come to fear the all powerful queen.

Told from several third person perspectives including Ainsley and Gruffyn aka Gruff THE HERETIC ROYAL is a flight into the fantastic as the author brings together our favorite dragons, their kin, the centaurs, and an assortment of undead horses, demon wolves, war monks and mythological gods.

With the appearance of Annwyl the Bloody, aka the Mad Queen, and a large assortment of squabbling dragons (Fearghus, Briac, Gwenvael, Gwenvael’s son Unnvar Reinholdt, and Morfyd, Bram, Ghleanna and Queen Rhiannon), Ainsley Farmerson and her sister Queen Keeley Smythe, knew all was not well with the world. Annwyl’s reputation has far surpassed all imaginable rumors but when Annwyl suspects one of the human queens is enslaving children and teaching them to kill, Keeley and Ainsley must come to an arrangement that proves to the Mad Queen that someone else is responsible for the annihilation of innocents. Meanwhile Ainsley has found herself with a guardian, so to speak, in the form of centaur Gruffyn of the Torn Moon Clan, a centaur who is willing to sacrifice himself to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. As Beatrix’ armies advance on Queen Keeley’s territories and lands, the Dragons find themselves making an alliance with Keeley, in advance of the terror that is about to reign down.

THE HERETIC ROYAL has a large ensemble cast of fabulous and fantastic secondary and supporting characters many of whom we have met in previous story lines. There is humor, snark and sarcasm as per G.A. Aiken’s style of writing. Once again, the back and forth banter between siblings in both dragon and human families is fast, furious and frenetic, as is the requisite crazy uncle, long suffering parents, and oblivious but powerful kin.  The inventive premise is detailed and fanciful with plenty of action, violence, blood shed, and fun. The characters are numerous, familiar, powerful and charismatic; the slow building romance is passionate and intense.

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Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie – Review & Giveaway

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Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
A hilarious new novel full of Hollywood glitz, glamour, and scandal.

When he changes the locks, she changes the rules.

Agnes Murphy Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife – she has the right friends, the right clothes, and even a side career of her own as a writer. Her husband Trevor is a bigshot producer, and from the outside it looks like they’re living a picture-perfect celebrity life, complete with tennis tournaments and lavish parties.

But the job description of a Hollywood wife doesn’t cover divorce, which is the way Agnes’ life is headed after she comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the security passwords to get into her enormous LA home changed. Oh, and there’s a guy there whose job it is to tase her if she tries to enter…which she does. Needless to say, Agnes’ husband is dead set on making sure she loses big time, but Agnes isn’t the type to just lie down and take it. In a world of fremenies and hot nannies, personal psychics and “skinny” jello shots, Agnes may be losing her husband, but could that mean getting her own life back?

Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.

 

 

Review:

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie is a novel about Hollywood, Marriage/Divorce and Scandal.  At the start, we meet our heroine, Agnes Murphy Nash, who is the wife of a famous producer, and has lived a glamourous Hollywood life, as well as a writer.  Life is about to change for Agnes, when she comes home and finds herself locked out.  It seems her husband is filing for a divorce, and slowly takes everything away from Agnes, including locking her out of the house, taking away her credit cards, accusing her of being an unfit mother; just to name a few things.

Trevor, her husband, is a powerful and arrogant man, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants; a divorce, custody of their daughter, no money for settlement and a new girlfriend.  Agnes is beside herself, trying to get some support, but money talks and Trevor seems to be winning everything, not to mention being a horrible person.

Been There, Married That is noted as a hilarious frantic comedy that focuses on the wild antics of the main characters.  The concept of the story line is good, but I thought the writing was all over the place, which also came across as confusing often.  I will say it was at times humorous, and  wild and crazy from start to finish, and maybe others will enjoy that style of writing.   The husband, Trevor as noted was a terrible person, but Agnes did not come across as a great character either.  Sure, you did feel sympathy for her, and there was so many absurd and laughable situations that it was hard to like anyone in this crazy story line.

Been There, Married That was a different kind of read, a bit too wild for me, but if you enjoy wild chic lit entertainment, you should enjoy this book. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Gigi Levangie’s publisher is  offering a paper copy of Been There, Married That to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered, please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging in, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter or Facebook, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE Gigi Levangie on  Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Giveaway is open US only

9. Giveaway runs from February 11 – 15, 2020

 

 

 

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Accidental Sire (Half-Moon Hollow #6) by Molly Harper-a review

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ACCIDENTAL SIRE (Half-Moon Hollow #6) by Molly Harper-a review

Accidental Sire

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 24, 2017

In Molly Harper’s newest paranormal romantic comedy, Ben, Gigi’s old boyfriend, must find a way to save his new love after a freak Ultimate Frisbee accident. But will she want to live after she finds out how Ben had to save her?

In this exciting addition to Molly Harper’s beloved Half-Moon Hollow series, the focus is on Gigi’s ex-boyfriend Ben. When his new girlfriend is killed in a freak Ultimate Frisbee accident, he’s determined to save her, no matter the cost, even if it means bringing her into the darkness of vampire life!

••••••••••

REVIEW: ACCIDENTAL SIRE is the sixth full-length installment in Molly Harper’s contemporary, adult HALF-MOON HOLLOW paranormal, romantic comedy series-a spin off from her Jane Jameson series. This is Ben Overby, and Meagan Keene’s story line. ACCIDENTAL SIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion, backstory and the characters’ histories.

Told from first person point of view (Meagan Keene) ACCIDENTAL SIRE follows the unconventional human death and vampire re-birth of University of Kentucky co-eds Meagan Keene and Ben Overby. Following a freak Ultimate Frisbee accident Meagan lay on the verge of death and the only possibility of survival was through a vampire turning. But only twenty-four hours would pass, unlike the usual seventy-two, wherein our story line heroine would wake up a more powerful and hybrid version of the ‘normal’ vampire. What ensues is the accidental turning of Ben Overby, and the search for the person responsible for the new breed of vampire with above average abilities.

As new vampires, Ben and Meagan will fall under the guidance of Jane Jameson-Nightingale, leader of the local chapter of the World Council for the Equal Treatment of the Undead, and a powerful vampire in her own right. Locked down and treated like fledglings just out of the nest, Ben and Meaghan struggle within the confines of the vampire rules and newbie regulations. But someone wants Meaghan and Ben for nefarious purposes, and on more than one occasion our leading couple find themselves caught up in someone else’s plans.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including many of the previous story line couples, as well as a number of couples from the author’s Jane Jameson series. Meagan is introduced to a world of vampires, shifters and werewolves, as well as a plethora of information about her new life as a supernatural creature of the night.

ACCIDENTAL SIRE is a story of family and friendship, and the struggle for two young people to acclimate into the world of the supernatural. Molly Harper weaves humor, fun, romance and conflict into a paranormal story line where creating the ultimate vampire is akin to creating a more perfect human being. The premise is entertaining and enjoyable; the characters are colorful, energetic and sassy; the romance is sweet, sexy but mostly implied. Molly Harper’s ACCIDENTAL SIRE is a heartwarming story that will captivate your attention with its’ lighthearted look at the supernatural.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell – a Review

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Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell – a Review

 

 

 

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Description:
Love is in the air in St Carys, but you’d never know it – the people of this seaside town are very good at keeping secrets…

The man Clemency loves belongs to someone else. She has to hide her true feelings – but when she ropes in an unsuspecting friend to help, wires start to get crossed.

For the first time in Ronan’s life his charm has failed him in winning over the woman he wants. Loving her from afar appears to be his only option.

Belle seems to have the perfect boyfriend, but something isn’t quite right. And now a long-buried secret is slowly rising to the surface.

The truth has a funny way of revealing itself, and when it does St Carys will be a very different place indeed…

 

Review:

Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell is a sweet chic lit romance.  We meet our heroine, Clemency at the start, when she boards a plane and sits next to a man who immediately draws her attention.  Sam, our hero, is distant at first, but our bubbly charming Clemency is hard to ignore for too long.   When they arrive at their destination, Sam quickly disappears and Clemency catches up to him to learn that he is married.

Three years later, they will meet again, as Sam comes to St. Carys, on the arm of Clem’s sister Belle.  Both are shocked to see each other again, and though she learns that Sam’s wife died, Clemency has to keep her distance, since Belle is now engaged to Sam.  We also get to meet Ronan, another hero in this sweet story.  Ronan is a long time friend of Clem and they work together as real estate agents.  Because she is determined not to interfere with Belle’s relationship with Sam, Clem will get Ronan to help pretend that they are a couple.  Clemency was a great heroine, always fun, caring, romantic and loyal to her friends and family. 

Ronan meets Kate during a showing, and they become friends.  In a  short time, he will begin to realize that he is falling for Kate.  This was a another romance that mingled with the main characters, and the fun people of St. Carys.   The only one I wasn’t crazy about was Belle, who came across as snobby, arrogant and bitchy.  Towards the end, this will change somewhat to make her more likable.  I loved the close friendship between Clem and Ronan, which made this story so good, as they were fun,  humorous, with witty banter.    The relationship between Sam and Clem was quieter, since it doesn’t really happen til later in the book. 

This was a very nice romance, with wonderful characters, small town atmosphere, and a few very nice background stories.  The other good characters besides, Clem, Ronan, Sam, Belle, Kate were Josephine, Verity and Marina. The story with Marina was very good, and emotional.  Jill Mansell does a wonderful job writing a fun story line that also touched series subjects, such as cancer, adoption and gay relationship.  I wholly recommend Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay as a book for you to read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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