Tempted by the Soldier by Nicolette Day

Tempted By The Soldier

by Nicolette Day
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

My review:
I was so excited to read this one, once I found out it was connected to No Strings Attached (this is Jace's brother's story). I loved No Strings Attached. I've re-read it multiple times. Although I didn't remember too much of Nate's personality, I found this book true to what I do remember. He's a closed down person with a lot of emotional pain. He's got the emotional intelligence to watch out for his brother, but he really doesn't connect or share himself with anyone.

Lilly was almost the same way. It seemed that this book was maybe a year plus after the first story and as much as Lilly was really close to Hayden at one time, they don't feel all that close in this book. Lilly has her own share of pain and heartache and problems connecting with people. She and Nate had a single night way back when, but it ended badly and they haven't interacted since then. Now, they're on the way to Hayden and Jace's wedding, with weather issues and a long road trip.

The sexual tension between these two was pretty awesome. I loved the banter and teasing at the beginning of the story. Neither one is going to do anything, except push the other's buttons a bit. They both had a decent give and take, they poked at each other in a lighthearted, sexy way, and I liked how their story was progressing.

Nate and Lilly each had some emotional issues that started getting deeper as the story went on. By the midpoint, I was feeling rather depressed for the characters. These issues were big. Lilly and Nate are just such broken, disconnected people. Lilly has abandonment and trust issues that need to be worked out. Nate has the somewhat normal, romance novel guy issues of running from emotional entanglements, with the extra PTSD of war-zone proportions. They have some hot tension and closeness when they're stuck in a car together, but when night fell and they stopped driving, Lilly seemed to hit rock bottom... and then they had sex. I felt really let down that this was the point they had sex. They've been bantering and teasing all day and after all kinds of rejection from Nate, Lilly is dealing with her pain when Nate decides he's had enough of restraining himself. Eventually Lilly got into the encounter too, but I felt like Nate had “horny caveman” written all over him. I don't think he commented on her tears or anything, just barges in and starts on the foreplay.

As the story progressed, I liked Nate less and less. He got way alpha. He turned possessive, jealous, and demanding. And it felt like Lilly's personality shrunk in proportion to Nate's ballooning ego. She sort of went along with whatever he wanted and stopped introspecting about how to deal with her own insecurities. I saw her having a magical attraction to Nate, but I didn't really see Nate being the type of person that she'd want to be with. He didn't seem to add anything positive to her life.

By the end of the book, Nate and Lilly had worked out their relationship issues. Nate especially grew up enough emotionally to admit that he was in love and didn't want to keep running from connections. But I felt the rest of their personal issues were just dropped. They stopped introspecting about their very real personal issues and didn't seem to spend any time figuring out how this relationship would work. It just all magically disappeared for the sake of a happily ever after.

The story had a nice setting, good writing, and detailed characters, but I didn't think these two actually dealt with their issues or liked each other beyond their soul mate status. I was depressed through the second half of the book, but I was invested enough in the characters to finish and feel nice that they were happy at the end. I wish they had more time and space to grow as people. All in all, the book took about three hours to read and was worth it for the sexy tension, but without enough time spent on resolving the heavy emotions I couldn't commit myself to their happily ever after. I'll keep looking for more by this author, but this one isn't my favorite.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.


**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory Of Lieto Fine

Angeli by Jody Wallace

Angeli
by Jody Wallace
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

My Review:
Another one of those really hard book for me to rate. On the one hand, I really liked the writing, the adventure was fun and original, the sexual tension was good but realistic. Overall I was pleased with the pacing. But then there were lots of places where I had to put aside my questions and hope for answers at the end. Those answers never came. I don't actually know if this is just the first book in a series, so maybe the answers come later. But by the end of the book, I felt like the characters were just plugging along with a veil thrown over their heads, so they never saw beyond their own feet.

Adelita was tough and fatalistic. She got things done and had a good time doing them. I loved how she was drawn. She felt very real and she was able to integrate all parts of the situation pretty well. I liked how she could be emotionally vulnerable but also take charge and intelligent. She seemed to always have a plan and know what needed to be done without being clued in to all the details.

Gregori is an enhanced alien/humanoid. He was honorable, a little blundery, and ready to take on the world. He felt a little like the Wolverine, but with wings. The pain of his enhancements is sort of glossed over in a way that he just shrugs and says that's how things are. He seems like he's not that good around people and he was ok with Adelita taking charge when she felt like it. Not that he was all beta and bendable. He could be rather full of himself sometimes and an authoritarian know-it-all, but he was still flawed and Adelita was just as likely to be the one in charge as he was.


It felt like Adelita and Gregori were pretty perfectly matched to each other. They were able to support each other and care for each other in such unerringly precise ways. They fit together like puzzle pieces and their romance and sexual tension was well done without being over powering.

If this were a book written only for the romance, I'd give it four stars for the characters' interactions together. It had a happy ending for the romance portion of the story. But the romance and emotional tension was only about a third of the book. The rest was focused on the adventure and in those terms, I felt like I was just left hanging. Even Gregori and Adelita's part in the adventure seemed to be unclearly resolved at the end, so I was left frustrated and unfulfilled. Perhaps if I see a second book in the series, more of my questions will be answered and I won't feel so slighted, but right now I feel like I put all kinds of time into confusing myself. I did like the writing, so I still have plans to read more by this author.

Marine For Hire by Tawna Fenske

Marine For Hire
by Tawna Fenske
Rating: 4 of 5 stars


My Review:
This is a perfect evening story. I stayed up late for it, but didn't feel too guilty since it only took an extra hour. When you think military story, you think alpha tough guy male and the woman he's after. But this was so much better than that. Sam is military, but he's supposed to be hiding it from Sheri, on orders from her brother. He's doing a favor by being the manny for Sheri's twin 7-month-old sons.


There are a bunch of secrets here, including that Sam's had a crush on Sheri for years (after only one meeting). And I mean, it's a tongue tied, stumble around, sort of crush. It was so cute. Yeah, Sam was a tough guy and took his job seriously, but he messed up all the time and fumbled around trying to get his bearings. We could call him a nervous MacGyver who knows how to order take out when necessary.


Sheri was a good, solid character. She's confident and self-sufficient, but also vulnerable and stubborn. She doesn't always see the best in herself, but she makes no apologies for who she is. She's tough when she needs to be and I liked how confident she was in her own sexuality. I found her very attractive for that reason alone.


I can't wait for the next book in the series. This story gave me lots of happy feelings and was worth staying up for.

Two Wrongs, One Right

Two Wrongs, One Right
by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 of 5 stars


My Review:
Another good installment in the Come Undone series. Katee Robert is fast becoming a comfort read for me. I've been so curious about Nathan after reading all about him in Wrong Bed, Right Guy. He seemed so closed off and unhappy in that book and we finally get to see why.


Nathan and Chelsea were secretly married eight years ago, but immediately after that, he shipped off to Basic Training and Chelsea ran away back to her high-brow family. They've left everything alone for eight years but Chelsea's decided to finally get the divorce papers signed. The invitation she receives (from Nathan) to Gabe and Elle's wedding seems like the perfect opportunity to take care of things.


The tension in this story is really thick. Both of these characters are carrying around huge amounts of pain and hurt. On the one hand, I was surprised by how hot and heavy everything was very early on. These two, especially Chelsea, are so angry at each other and yet they almost immediately have a case of serious lusty pants. Slightly unbelievable to start with although once you read a bit further and see the almost supernatural soul-mate status of these two, it all makes sense. The sex is graphic and intense. They have some sexual power plays that were fun to see. These two didn't let themselves be walked on and enjoyed keeping the other off balance.


There's a lot of artistic expression in this book. Nathan owns a gallery, Chelsea also owns a gallery. You can tell that art is very important to not only these two but also to the author. Settings, backgrounds, and colors are all described with an artist's eye and are very expressive and affecting.


Nathan and Chelsea had to work really hard for their happily-ever-after. It was great to see them actually talk things out and both take responsibility for the things they did in the past. They each started out completely blaming the other for their problems, but they were able to empathize and see things from the other's perspective. You don't get much in the way of secondary characters with this length, but you get a solid view of Nathan and Chelsea. At about 160 pages, this is a perfect length for a quiet afternoon or even a not-too-late night of reading.

In Bed With Mr. Wrong

In Bed With Mr. Wrong
by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

On Sale January 13, 2014
From the Back Cover:

The blind date from hell is about to get hotter…Brianne Nave is never doing her friends a favor again. When they begged her to go on a blind date, she didn’t expect someone so perfectly gorgeous. She’s a mousy librarian—totally not in this man’s league. And judging by his odd reaction when she opens the door, he knows it, too.
Air Force Pararescuer Ryan Flannery avoids his hometown at all costs. He’s not thrilledabout the date until he’s shocked silent by the prickly little librarian’s sweet curves and kissable lips…and her smart mouth. But then an argument leads to a kiss that spirals out of control. How can two people have so little chemistry outside the bedroom when they fit together so perfectly in it?
When their friends strand them in a cabin to “work things out,” Bri’s not sure whether to kill him or put the industrial-sized box of condoms they find to use. Bottom line—Ryan’s career military and hates the tiny town she loves. He’ll leave, just like everyone else in her life. And if she’s foolish enough to give him her heart, he’ll take it with him.

My Review:
This is my third Katee Robert contemporary. I need to be in the right mood to really enjoy these, but it's scratches exactly the right spot. Mostly they're best when you can give them the 2-3 hours they deserve. I've tried in my head to compare this book to some specific type and I think the closest I'm getting is some of the angry 80's Diana Palmer books (maybe like Heart Of Ice), but with a healthy dose of female agency thrown in. You know the ones, “I can't stand you, I'm going to yell and scream at you, but now we're kissing, how did that happen?!”

Brianne and Ryan are at each other's throats almost from the first moment of the book, but they're also totally in Lust. Think: wild, angry sex is the only way we can keep from yelling at each other. They snipe at each other constantly unless they're having sex. It could have turned into just a caricature of a romance but it didn't. See, these two aren't angry to hide their lust or because they're just too innocent to understand their attraction. They're actually so wounded that they can't let anyone close. They know just where to prick at the other's vulnerability so it takes a long time for them to calm down and see the wounded animal in the other. They eventually start opening up and healing and it was beautiful to see. They took baby steps and had lots of fits and starts, but they did it. They gave each other compassion and understanding, forgiveness and space to heal.

It was a rather narrowly focused book. We didn't get many details about either character's work or daily habits. They had a couple friends/family members that were instrumental in the romance but weren't very clearly defined secondary characters. I loved the interplay between Ryan and Brianne, but most things outside their immediate, romantic sphere were blurry and indistinct – a pretty normal occurrence with this length of book.

I ended this book knowing that Brianne and Ryan really belonged together. They fought hard, with each other and with themselves, but they came out of it better, more vulnerable people. I knew that they'd do whatever was necessary to work out their issues together. When you need an angry, passionate romance with lots of satisfying sex; and two breathtakingly wounded, vulnerable characters, look no further than In Bed With Mr. Wrong.

I received a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Asking For Trouble

Asking For Trouble
by Tessa Bailey
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
I didn't think there was a way that Daniel and Story could have been knocked off the top-couple-of-the-year for me, but Brett and Hayden are right up there. These two sparked off each other every time they were together. There was still a lot of dirty talking, but Brett and Hayden did so great feeding off each other. Brett wasn't the same sort of dominant personality as Daniel, but Hayden was also a lot more aggressive. I absolutely loved these two together.

Brett and Hayden are so alike personality-wise. They say things at the same time, even when they don't like each other. And a night of Hayden not backing off gets the book off to a really hot start.

They both have some misconceptions about the other and as those start to fall away, they convert their energy into lust for each other. I thought their connection felt very real and I loved that Hayden was this strong, take-no-prisoners personality. Brett takes care of everyone he knows, but doesn't let his friends see that part of him and he's really at loose ends that Hayden doesn't need to be taken care of. He thinks she's this prissy socialite who does nothing all day. She thinks he's an uncouth jerk. They both couldn't be more wrong about the other and it's so great to see each new facet of their lives be exposed to each other and to us.

I don't even think I can file this one on my kindle until after I've read it again. It was just that good. I love Tessa Bailey's writing and so far, I think I love this book best of all. If you love dirty talkers, who are still caring, emotional, and connected to their friends and family, pick up this book and I'm sure, like me, you'll be reading it a couple times in a row.

Down The Aisle

Down The Aisle
by Christine Bell
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

My Review:
Definitely don't try to read this one if you haven't already read Galen and Lacey's first book: Down For The Count. You'll miss out on way too much of who these characters are if you read this one first. I loved Galen and Lacey in their initial story and I was really happy to see more of them in this short novella.

This was still a sex-filled story, definitely explicit. For a short novella (that does have a prominent storyline), this book has a lot of sex. Galen and Lacey are really hot together, but this time in their lives was rather heartbreaking.

The story really centers around their infertility battle as they get ready to walk down the aisle. I felt the issues and emotions were presented in an authentic manner, but I didn't quite think the story lived up to the back cover. I expected something a little different. The back cover implies that Galen shows Lacey how it doesn't really matter if they have a baby or not, he really wants to be with her no matter what. I understood that throughout the story (because we're in Galen's head a bunch too) and I never felt any doubt about it, but I felt like they got another happy-for-now ending without dealing with the depressed feelings that especially Lacey was having and would have continued if things didn't work out just right.

Not that it was a bad ending or anything. I felt satisfied and confident that they were happy together and that they love being able to journey through life together. It's just didn't seem to actually deal with the sadness in a way the back cover implies.

I was happy for Lacey and Galen that they were able to work things out, but felt like they could have worked through some of the issues they were having as a couple before everything wrapped up so tidily. I felt like they got to a solution without having to grow as a couple. But it was great to revisit them and see their wedding. I'm looking forward to seeing snippets of them in future books set in this world.

Queen Of Swords by Katee Robert

Queen Of Swords
by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review:
This was quite a space opera/adventure. It had a little bit of everything in it: space travel, paranormal, suspense, harlequin-esque secret baby, intrigue, contemporary drunk partying, daddy-issues, etc. I would be hard pressed to categorize this into only one genre.

Ophelia was quite an intense character. She was constantly faced with tough decisions. She did pretty well with them, at least as well as you'd expect when you're puking through most of the book. She was well tuned in to what was needed of her and even when she didn't want to do it, past guilt kept her walking the road laid out for her. I wasn't really sure how her partying and drunk sex ways lined up with being a gun runner and generally trying to hide from the authorities. She woke up from her first night with Boone, remembering nothing and thinking she really has to stop doing that so she doesn't kill anyone or get kidnapped. I couldn't figure out if that was simply something she did out of guilt (her ship was taken and crew killed) or if that was generally her personality anyway. Most of that got pushed aside when the adventure started anyway.

Boone had a lot of his shoulders too. He was rather domineering and controlling, even if he was trying to do what was best for everyone. He wakes up to his feelings for Ophelia before she sees them and is willing to work through whatever's necessary to be together. Like all the other characters in this book, he walked a fine line between likable and distasteful. He's honorable but also demanding enough to not give explanations. He's a bit annoying when he doesn't truly listen to the people around him, but luckily most of those people are strong enough to take matters into their own hands.

No one in the book was truly good or evil. The good guys did bad things and the bad guys weren't without their complicated motivations. People died and were betrayed and had friends betray them too. I enjoyed the amount of thought behind it all and the action, but there were so many different worlds and cultures, I don't think we got a real intense taste of what any of the cultures' or individual's motivations were. I didn't feel like a whole lot of world building took place. Lots of drama and action but not a lot of the whys behind it.

There were lots of injuries and blood. I mean, LOTS of blood. People bleeding and dying but generally carrying on with life as necessary. Not so much sadism that I had to stop reading, but it was always lurking in the background. It was all very intensely action-packed.

This was more drama/action story to me than simply a romance-type novel. I thought that Boone and Ophelia had an almost Klingon style relationship with each other. There was a lot of fighting, a broken nose, some stabbing and other various injuries in between the times they expressed caring and had sex.

This wasn't a very emotional book for me, but in the end I think that was good. If the bad parts were written more intensely I probably would have stopped reading. Instead the book took a birds-eye view of most of the physicality and emotion to make it an intense story but not a tear jerker or sadistic madhouse. It was a swashbuckling adventure in outer space and a good start to a series.

Down For The Count

Down For The Count
by Christine Bell
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

My Review:
Luckily this one wasn't too long because I just couldn't put it down. It's always nice when you find a great book that you can't leave but you still finish it at a reasonable hour. I think this one took me 2-3 hours, so I only had to stay up a little past midnight.

I had been pretty iffy on this book when I read the blurb because I'm not really into the fighter books that are so popular right now. Galen is a boxer and I don't know, I just don't tend to see the appeal of someone who makes it their job to beat people up and get beat up in return. I know lots of people must have a different opinion because of how popular that trope is in romance novels right now, but oh well. I just finished up my first Christine Bell book and knew that I had to get another hit.

Lacey starts out the book finding her 2-hours-old marriage voided when she catches her new hubby cheating with a bridesmaid. She's heartbroken and angry, but man does she seem strong and in control. She was a force to be reckoned with, even as she looked at herself as weak. She's got quite a code of ethics and her internal systems keep her toeing the line all the time.

She's a control freak and I think she was most upset because her honeymoon was supposed to be her time to let go. After a night of drinking her pain away, Galen convinces her to take the honeymoon anyway to relax. It takes her a while, but she does start relaxing. She's able to look at her life a little and start looking for what would make her happy.

Galen is in between fights so he has some free time. There's some sense of obligation for him starting out. He has to take care of his little sister's friend. But then he starts realizing he's not doing it because he has to. He's hot and knows what he wants, and yet gives Lacey space to come to terms with her life.

Galen and Lacey have a shared history. Years and years of little-sister's-friend banter. They have an comfortable, if slightly awkward, friendship. Secretly, Lacey's had a crush on him forever. So in the process of letting go, in paradise, with her secret crush, Lacey lets some of her inner sexuality come out too. It was awesome to see Lacey and Galen start figuring each other out. It all progressed so organically that you just knew they were at the right point to take their relationship further. The sexy-times were pretty scorching, but also sweet.

They still had their bumps and bruises along the way. Lacey's mom was a piece of work and things were not magically better because Lacey stood up for herself. It's always sad to be in that part of a story, but the book also had a good dose of sexy romance and some humor too. I had lots of feelings for these two; good, fun, sexy feelings as things were going well, and sad, depressed feelings as they had to deal with setbacks and problems. Now I can't wait to read the follow up novella for these two and see what else they've been up to. Then I'll have to move on to Galen's sister's book too.

Dirty Trick

Dirty Trick
by Christine Bell
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

My Review:
This was a scorching hot book. I loved it. Grace and Trick were wonderful characters and I really liked Christine Bell's voice. I ended up getting some unexpected laughs when I went back and forth between reading this one and one of the 50 shades parodies. Not that there was something spoof-like in this book, but going back and forth makes you realize some of the phrasing that we normally just skim through is actually pretty silly if you look at it expecting a parody. I had to remind myself that this was a more serious book and snuggle in for the fun, sexual fantasy ride.

Grace is a matchmaker who gets “tingles” whenever she meets a set of soul mates or compatible people. She doesn't feel like trusting that instinct for herself, seeing that her tingles are for her best friend, Trick, who she considers a player. Grace had a lot going for her; she's pretty, intelligent, has a job she loves and she's got some great friends too. She's got some relationship hang-ups from her ex that are really wearing her down. But she seems pretty happy with where her life is. I didn't feel like she was missing anything at the start of the book. It's just her sense of sexuality that's missing. When she starts exploring her sexuality with the disguised Trick, she blossoms so much and seems to just explode with light inside.

Trick is another great hero. He's got the whole SWAT team toughness, but underneath he's been in this vulnerable place waiting for Grace to see what they could have together. It's always so nice to see a hero who's not scared and running away as the heroine gets close to him. He seems to know exactly what Grace needs and while his choice seems a little shady to Grace, it's somehow exactly what she needs in order to open up. And Trick is totally happy being with her. He hasn't been “on the market” and you know, if something comes up he'll go out with her. He's already settled down with Grace, she just hasn't realized it yet.

The story moved very quickly and never felt boring or dragging. The characters were articulate and intelligent. Each of the characters that Grace and Trick interact with were good, solid personalities in their own right. We get just enough of a taste of Serena and a couple others, that I know I'll have to look up the other books in this series because I liked who they were here.

I'd say almost half of the book was sexual in nature. Mostly expected in a Entangled Brazen book. The sex scenes were very hot and well-articulated. These were two characters who were totally involved and enthusiastic to be with each other sexually.

If there was one thing I felt was missing on this one, it's just that it was too short. I wanted more Grace at her job, more Trick being awesome, and more of the two of them together. As it was, I felt like I barely got a taste and then the book was over. I mean, the taste was totally wonderful, but I really wanted more.

This is one that I will definitely read again and I'll be looking for more by this author.

Wrong Bed, Right Guy

Wrong Bed, Right Guy

by Katee Robert

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:
Another first-time-by-this-author book for me. I thought about reading book three in this series, but decided I should really start with book one. This one was a well developed, emotionally rich story. Two characters coming from opposite sides of the tracks, learning to find peace with who they are.

Elle is such a unobtrusive heroine. She's shy, has trouble standing up for herself and basically tries to make herself invisible. But somehow she gets the gumption to try to seduce her boss, Nathan. The funny thing is, it's Nathan's brother Gabe that she ends up seducing. And that's pretty much how the whole of Elle's life goes. She finds her spine and her own distinct personality through Gabe's force of character. By the end, she's capable of owning who she is and following whatever her heart desires.

I didn't like how she treated Gabe when things got rough. She really did paint him into a corner and make it seem like he wasn't good enough for her. But she really pulled through at the end and owned up to her issues. It felt like she really grew and understood what her issues were and decided it was time to solve them.

I would have loved to see more of Elle's interactions with her painting. The few times it's mentioned, it seems like such a huge part of her life, but we only get a few brief glimpses of her painting.

Gabe is a pretty hunky hero. He's loud, uncouth and tattooed. Everything Elle's convinced is bad for her, but she secretly likes a lot. I loved that Gabe could be alpha and push Elle without turning into a jerk or objectifying her. The tattoos were slightly a turnoff for me, in that I saw a picture of the idea behind one (skin pulled back to reveal some Bible verses) and it really grossed me out. It just looked a little too real and gory to me. I don't think I could go for a hero who looked like he had skin peeled away from his arm. Luckily, the tattoo design itself is only mentioned a couple times so I didn't think about it too much in terms of the story, even though tattoos as a whole were a huge part of who Gabe was.

As an aside, I couldn't figure out one of the Bible verses mentioned. Hosea 11:9 was supposed to remind him of what his mom thought he should aspire to be. But the verse says “I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man – the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities.” (NIV) Maybe I'm just missing something, but I couldn't connect what he should be aspiring towards.

Gabe and Elle were good multi-dimensional characters and I liked the secondary characters too; Gabe's brother Nathan and Elle's friend Roxanne. They both added some extra depth to the story and balanced out the two lovebirds' angst. Elle's mom was pretty nasty and was definitely a tough situation to reconcile, but the author did a pretty good job of keeping it real and forcing Elle to stand up for herself without simply brushing the conflict away afterwards.

The story ticked along pretty quickly and I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. This one had a perfect amount of angst and character growth. I loved the path that Gabe and Elle took to find their happily-ever-after. Nathan's story looks interesting and I'll definitely be buying the rest of the books in the series soon.

His Risk To Take

His Risk To Take
by Tessa Bailey
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:
After reading the second book in this series, I decided I had to come back and read the first one. The description didn't grab me right away and I'll admit, the book took a while to grab me too. Troy is a very dominant, confident male and at the beginning, Ruby doesn't seem to have much positive going for her.

But I really liked where Troy and Ruby went in this story. They're both broken, hurting people and they find a way to overcome and heal together. And the sex is pretty hot, if you like dominant male sex. Troy's got a filthy mouth, so be prepared. But he's also not skeptical about his ability to love, which I really liked. He doesn't sit pretending that he probably doesn't like Ruby all that much and he's not a jerk. A couple times I felt like his dominant tendencies got in the way of him and Ruby having a relationship; he's not good at keeping her informed about what's going on, but he gets upset when she takes things into her own hands. I felt it was sort-of unintuitive for him that he got upset because Ruby “didn't trust him”, but he didn't really give her a reason to either since he kept her in the dark.

Ruby grew on me and I was pleased that I never felt like smacking her. She skates the edge of the law, but she has good reasons and I always understood where she was coming from. She was the reason I almost didn't read the book (because I didn't think I'd like her), so I was pretty impressed that her character didn't annoy me while I was reading. She was strong and did what she felt was necessary without second guessing herself. I loved that even when she wasn't sure if she could love someone, she found a way to put her feelings into action even if she couldn't say the words.

For me, the very best part of this book is the ending. It was simply perfect. That's where you really feel it was all worthwhile. Sometimes the dominant sex felt like it kept you from seeing the rest of the story, but the ending wiped that all away and I was completely in love with both Troy and Ruby. Overall, I like book two of this series better than this one, but this is still a worthwhile read.

Seducing Cinderella

Seducing Cinderella
by Gina Maxwell
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Review:
This was such a great book! I saw a recommendation from Ruthie Knox and had to give it a try. I loved the writing style and I felt very emotionally involved with the characters. I laughed, I cried and I could barely put the book down.

Lucie and Reid had a good amount of complexity and I love when characters are just good together - they really liked being around each other. The sexual energy was really hot and well written. There were some editing issues - words missing or wrong word, but it didn't interfere with my reading pleasure.

After the book was over, I realized that I would have liked to know more about the characters; they spent a lot of time together but afterwards it felt like you didn't know much about them besides how they were as a couple. Maybe that's a tribute to how well the book was written - I just didn't want it to end and didn't want to give up the visit I had with Lucie and Reid. Can't wait to read Gina's next book.