Monday, December 18, 2017

Review: Maybe I Do by Nicole McLaughlin

Maybe I Do by Nicole McLaughlin
Series: Whiskey and Weddings, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781250139986
E-Book Source: Publisher
Audiobook Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

She doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s married to his job. Maybe whiskey is the secret ingredient that will bring them together―and give true love a shot?

Wedding photographer Charlotte Linley loves her work―even though she hates weddings. Sure, she still holds a grudge after being left at the altar by her high-school sweetheart. But today Charlotte is just happy to have complete control over her career, which is flourishing. Especially since she joined forces with one of the three gorgeous owners of The Stag, a boutique distillery that has become Kansas City’s hottest wedding venue.

Dean Troyer, bitter after the end of his own marriage, knows that Charlotte is the real deal―beautiful, talented, and successful. He may flirt with her every time she comes to The Stag but Dean is determined to keep his professional distance. . .particularly now that she’s helping him with his own sister’s wedding. The only problem? The more time Dean spends with Charlotte, the deeper their connection grows. Is this a rom-com cliché or could it be that these two jaded souls in the wedding business have finally found their real-life happily ever after?

Maybe I Do has a lot of things going for it: a beautiful setting I’d love to spend time in, a warm and welcoming supporting cast, and a premise I was totally on board for. Nicole McLaughlin charmed the hell out of me with the setting; I wanted to drop in and live in Maple Springs, Kansas. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this book, it ended up falling short for me thanks to the romance.

Charlotte is a wedding photographer who is wary about marriage after having been left at the altar by her high school sweetheart. Charlotte is talented, hardworking, and genuinely caring, which makes her easy to like. What I didn’t love about her was that she wants Dean so much that she takes scraps of affection from him, puts up with his push-pull attitude for way too long, and she takes way too long to stand up for herself. Dean is where Maybe I Do crashes and burns. He’s not a bad person, but to me he was a bad hero. Ms. McLaughlin did paint a clear picture of why his disastrous marriage made him insecure. However, though I understood where he came from, his jealousy, insecurities, and tendency to make decisions for Charlotte without actually asking her irritated me. As the story went on, Dean’s fears and doubts became his defining characteristics, which was incredibly unappealing. By the end of the story, I liked Charlotte’s ex (who I wanted to hate) more than I did Dean. Added to that, Dean and Charlotte spent much of the book internal monologuing rather than actually talking to one another. A lack of communication and a disappointing lack of chemistry made this romance fall flat. I had a litany of problems with the romance, but it feels overly harsh to continue. Suffice it to say, it just didn’t work for me.

Even though Maybe I Do wasn’t the book for me, I still want to read the next book in the Whiskey and Weddings series. Charlotte and Dean’s friends were lovely, the Stag was a well-imagined setting, and overall the series has potential.


FTC Disclosure: I received the e-book edition of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday: Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I adore the Alpha & Omega series. From the first novella (also titled "Alpha & Omega"), Charles and Anna have been characters who have captivated and stuck with me. By the time Burn Bright releases it'll be approximately three years since I've read a new Charles and Anna book, so to say I'm excited to read Burn Bright is an understatement.

Title: Burn Bright
Series: Alpha & Omega, Book 5
Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: March 6, 2018

Book Description (from Amazon):

They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok's pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf--but can't stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills--his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker--to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn...

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Review: One Hot December by Tiffany Reisz

One Hot December by Tiffany Reisz
Series: Men at Work, Book 3
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780373799244
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Hard as steel…and hotter still!

Never mess with a woman who carries a blowtorch in her backpack. Welder and artist Veronica "Flash" Redding's playful sense of evil sometimes gets the better of her. Like when her insanely handsome, wealthy, suited-up boss gave her the most sensuously wicked night of her life…then dumped her. Yep, revenge is a dish best served hot.

Only Ian Asher isn't letting Flash get away quite so easily. He's not ready to forget the intensity between them. The searing heat when they touch. And the deliciously demanding control Ian wields in the bedroom. Now he has only the holidays to convince Flash that they belong together…and that even the most exquisite, broken things can be welded back together.

One Hot December is wildly sexy, insanely funny, and quite simply a fantastic read. Every book in Tiffany Reisz’s Men at Work series has been incredibly addictive and Flash and Ian’s love story is no exception. It’s a wonderful romance that is so much fun I cannot help but smile when I think about it.

Flash is an awesome heroine. She’s got a quit wit (and sometimes a quick trigger), a spine of steel, and she’s refreshingly straightforward. She’s not afraid to be different, to speak up for herself, and I loved her strength. Flash isn’t invulnerable, though. She’s been hurt and has had to fight for respect more than once. I admired and adored Flash and wanted to see her find someone she could both love and trust. On the surface, Ian seems like an odd match for her. But the two of them simply click. Beneath the suit and the all-business demeanor, Ian is a funny, caring, deliciously filthy hero. Even though he is a wealthy businessman whose father owns the company he works at, Ian has worked hard to get where he is. He also has some hidden vulnerabilities. His mother died when he was a baby and one of my favorite parts of One Hot December was how Flash helped Ian connect with his heritage through his mother’s faith. The quiet moments of honesty and caring between Flash and Ian give this story its heart and are just lovely.

While I do love the emotional moments of One Hot December, it’d be a crime if I didn’t talk about how incredibly fun and dirty this book is. Humor in romance tends to be hit-or-miss for me, but the banter between Flash and Ian had me laughing out loud. And when Flash and Ian hit the sheets… Well, this book ain’t called One Hot December for nothin’. Ian and Flash could keep you warm in a snowstorm (not literally – please don’t attempt ;-)).

If you love holiday romances (and I admit to being a sucker for them, particularly Hanukkah romances), One Hot December has double the holiday cheer as it celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas. I truly loved reading Ian and Flash’s story. It’s a festive and fun read that is guaranteed to delight all year long.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.