Blogging is a struggle at the moment and I definitely apologize for the repeated delays. I read nine books in the first fifteen days of November and I’m going to talk about them finally!
1. The Hook Upby Kristin Callihan
Sports romance day over at #RomBkLove on Twitter sold me on this book and I absolutely fell in love. It’s absolutely marvelous. I recommended it in my most recent Contemporary Romance for When You Need to Run From Your Problems post because of how much I adored it. It’s super sexy and a bit angsty and is essentially a book where the hero falls and falls fast, but the heroine is not interested in living her life in the spotlight so she holds him at arms length. She agrees to one night, which turns into more nights and it’s just sex, until, you know, it’s not. So, so good.
2. Scoring the Player’s Baby by Naima Simone
If you asked me for my least favorite trope of all time, it’s literally this. I hate when people get accidentally pregnant. HATE it. But I’ve loved the books in this series and I really like Naima Simone and sports romance day convinced me to commit to it. And ya girl does not regret it. This one was so good! Yes, there’s a baby creating the impetus that keeps Ronin and Kim in each other’s lives, but something about the way Naima crafts this one just really got me. It’s angsty and the mistakes feel real. The two also really didn’t want to jump into a relationship because of the baby. I’m not sure why this one works for me when so many have not, but it definitely did.
3. T he Dealby Elle Kennedy
Another #RomBkLove pick up for me, but I have read from Elle Kennedy in the past and I enjoy her writing. I liked this book fine, but I didn’t feel any real emotional connection to it at all. Essentially this is about Hannah, who is crushing hard on the new football star, when Garrett, hockey star, notices she got an A on the test that pretty much everyone failed. He convinces her that he’ll help her land the football guy if she tutors him and so she agrees. It’s a quick read and I really enjoyed the development of their friendship. I just… felt like something was missing, but I’m not sure what.
4. Love on the Tracksby Tamsen Parker
This was also one I picked up because of #RomBkLove, but unfortunately, it just really didn’t work for me. I mean, it was fine. But I didn’t like anything about it particularly. I hate saying I didn’t like the heroine because of all the connotations associated, but I really didn’t. I also didn’t like the hero. And frankly, Rowan’s dad can choke. Like, wtf was that about? Anyway, Rowan is a luge star competing in this big deal thing that was not the Winter Olympics and when Zane sees that he’s her celebrity crush, he decides it would be a great idea to crash her interview. So I felt like it was a Simone Biles and Zac Efron set up, but then… A complete let down? I wish I could better articulate why I didn’t really enjoy this, but I just didn’t…
5. Just Like Heavenby Julia Quinn
This re-read was a delight. I had this book on the romance novel shelf I made in my office at work and I kept staring at it and really wanted to re-read it. So I finally gave in and did. This book was absolutely delightful and I just adore Honoria and the shenanigans that go down with Marcus.
The plot line that holds this quartet together is that Honoria is a Smythe-Smith, a family known for their annual musicale, a quartet with four unmarried Smythe-Smith daughters that is always terrible. I love this series, but I especially love Honoria’s book because she’s such a gem. She’s so sweet and kind and a verifiable cinnamon roll heroine whom I adore. So many great scenes in here of Honoria being exactly who she is and it’s fantastic.
6. Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh
This book has been exceptionally controversial because the end feels like such a cliffhanger! It is one, of course, but I cannot wait for the next one! Nalini is a master of her craft and I do think that the Psy-Changeling series and the Guild Hunter series are very different not only in the obvious ways, but also just because Guild Hunters is really about Elena and Raphael and our adventures with other members of Raphael’s Seven or important members are fantastic, but it’s not the same as Psy-Changeling. I’m not sure I’m explaining it well. Regardless, the next book in this series is due out in the Fall of 2019, so if you haven’t yet started this series, you may want to hold off until closer to time so you’re not left wondering what exactly is going on. Also, for what it’s worth, I really enjoyed this book.
7. Beyond Ruinby Kit Rocha
Someone please explain how a m/m/f/f romance novel felt more tame to me than other books in this series? Kit Rocha has really broken my heat scale, I think. Regardless, this book was really great at furthering the plot, but for some reason I connected emotionally with exactly none of the characters. I really enjoyed it as I was reading it, but it definitely has not stuck with me the same way that Noelle and Liv’s books have. Regardless, it did make me more excited to finish this series and to dive fully into the Gideon Riders series.
8. Speakeasy by Sarina Bowen
I have been absolutely loving this True North series by Sarina Bowen and this book was no exception. May discovers her girlfriend cheating on her in the bar that Alex Rossi owns. Somehow, Alex, who really doesn’t like the Shipley’s, winds up helping her out, again and again, and then slowly the two are falling for each other. But May is insistent that it’ not the best time and is it really a good idea for a recovering alcoholic to be living with Alex above a bar? Maybe not. But the tension between them is so, so good and everything about this book was pretty much fantastic.
9. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
I started reading this book in June. JUNE and I just finished it this month. I was not at all connecting with this series, but something about the end of this book really pulled me in, enough that I immediately downloaded the next one. I am still a bit confused about the world of Kate Daniels, but I’m so intrigued by Curran that I just keep reading them anyway. Maybe at some point I’ll have a better grasp of the world and can write a better review, but for now I’m just along for the ride and hoping at some point the pieces slot into place.
My favorite book of the first half of November is a toss up between The Hook UP and Speakeasy. Did you find anything good in November? Let me know! Hopefully I’ll have the second half of November wrap up posted in the next couple of days. In the meantime, stay warm (if you’re also experiencing winter)!
xx
firewhiskeyreader 