Review: Wildcat (Max Monroe)

Wildcat
Series: Mavericks, #1
Author: Max Monroe
Publication Date: January 30, 2018

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Wildcat: a football formation in which the ball is snapped, not to the quarterback, but to another player lined up in the quarterback position.

Wild, Cat: a beautiful woman from the sky, who hooked me against the rails, and has me on the ropes. Sweet like honey, with a hint of sass burning behind her pretty brown eyes, she took over my heart without warning.

I’m Quinn Bailey, quarterback for the New York Mavericks.
Sports analysts predicted I’d break records and take my team all the way.

But no one predicted this.

And just like the other team, I never saw it coming.


Thank you, Max. Thank you, Monroe. Thank you for gracing us with the hilarious sports romance that is Wildcat.

Wildcat is Quinn Bailey’s story. If you’re a fan of Max Monroe’s, you may remember him as the Mavericks’ quarterback from Scoring the Billionaire. He also made an appearance in Sleighed It. He’s a sweet Texan who isn’t looking for love. He’s completely focused on his job…until he meets a certain flight attendant who he can’t keep his eyes (and mind) off.

Quinn was everything I knew he would be from meeting him in previous books. He had a confident cockiness due to his profession, but he was also down to Earth. I loved that he valued family and commitments. I also loved how he stood up for what he believed in.

Cat was also a great character. She felt like a real person. I loved how she navigated Mr. Quarterback’s interested in her. She didn’t exactly get swept away in his popularity, and that was cool. Cat was the perfect match for Quinn.

Some of my favorite scenes in Wildcat were those on airplanes. I really enjoyed all the moments spent with Cat on the job. There were so many priceless little moments from the way Cat and Quinn met to one of my favorite books being mentioned. Actually, this entire book and all of its settings were my favorite. They made for so many hilarious things to happen! I can’t count the number of times my husband made fun of me for laughing out loud while reading.

There were some amazing secondary characters I can’t leave out of this review. Casey, Cat’s bestie, was hilarious. I need a friend like him. Denver, Quinn’s brother. His story was a little sad, but I loved what it brought to the book. Sean, Cassie’s brother and Quinn’s football teammate. Oh, and Wes and Winnie. They showed up for some important times. Seriously, so many great supporting characters!

Wildcat was such a joy to read. I can’t even explain how much fun it was. Everything about Cat and Quinn’s romance was magical. From the way they met to the very end, I couldn’t get enough of them together. I am so excited to see what comes next for Sean in this new series!

Whether you are a fan of the Billionaire Bad Boys series or just looking for a fun sports romance, this book is not one to miss. It’s fun, romantic, and downright hilarious. I highly recommend reading it!

Review: Stud (Kelly Siskind)

Stud
Series: One Wild Wish, #2
Author: Kelly Siskind

Publication Date: January 31, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

A down-to-earth carpenter. A Prada loving personal shopper.
A Habitat for Humanity project that erects more than walls……

The word “nail” has so many meanings:

Ainsley’s manicured nails belong in the Museum of Modern Art.
The fashionista hammers nails at Habitat for Humanity.
She desperately wants to nail Owen Phillips.

Unfortunately, she mistakenly thinks he’s gay.

Owen needs to shed his hellish last few years. Yearning for the simpler things in life, like working with his hands, the finance mogul joins a Habitat build. Turns out he also wants to work over Ainsley Hall…but the confusing bombshell flirts blatantly with other men.

When Ainsley discovers Owen’s true sexuality, their mutual attraction ignites, but he hasn’t shared details about his past. If Ainsley gets wind of the lies chasing him, it will take more than hammers and nails (and nailing studs) to keep their walls from caving in.


Kelly Siskind is an author I can count on to bring me both laughs and feels. Her humorous dialog is amazing. So are all the crazy but easy to relate to situations she comes up with. The stuff she came up with for Stud was pretty awesome.

Ainsley was a woman people would guess to be shallow from looking at her from the outside. She wasn’t, though. Ainsley was an incredibly nice and smart woman who did right by those surrounding her. She wasn’t perfect, but her flaws made her even more attractive as the heroine of the story. I liked her immediately. A couple of my favorite things about her were her crossword puzzles, and how she looked up words and their meanings to use in certain situations.

Owen was a man trying to move on from a tricky divorce. All he wanted was peace…and a piece of Ainsley. Well, at first that was what he wanted. The more he got to know Ainsley, the more he realized they had in common.

Owen and Ainsley were a great match. They complimented each other so well. I liked how their relationship built. They connected over humor and sharing their experiences. The things they learned about each other were endearing. If they were a real life couple, I could imagine them going the distance.

I loved Owen and Ainsley, but I do have to admit that Emmett stole the show more than once. I wish that he had gotten his own book. I would love to read his and Cameron’s story!

Stud was a great addition to the One Wild Wish series. I love that it was part of this series, but so different from the first book. Ainsley was Rachel’s friend, but their stories didn’t mirror each other’s. Ainsley’s was entirely her own. They were also set in the same city, but in completely different setting and situations.

Overall, Stud was a fun romance with a deep connection. The romance was sweet and the dialog was filled with witty banter. I laughed and swooned so much. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy romantic comedy.

Review: Runaway Groom (Lauren Layne)

Runaway Groom
Series: I Do, I Don’t, #2
Author: Lauren Layne
Publication Date: Jan 30, 2018
Publication Date: Loveswept
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

For one charming playboy, getting cast on a Bachelor-esque reality TV show is the shock of a lifetime—until he finds love where he least expects it.

 
Gage Barrett’s reputation as a ladies’ man has been greatly exaggerated, but none of
that matters after a drunken bet lands him on Jilted, a reality TV show that matches runaway grooms with wannabe brides. Now he’s stuck at a Hawaiian resort with nineteen women competing to drag him back to the altar—and one contestant who’s even more miserable than he is. Gage has no idea how feisty, independent Ellie Wright wound up in the cast, but it’s obvious she hates his guts. And if there’s one thing Gage likes, it’s a challenge. . . .
Ellie can’t believe she let her best friend talk her into exchanging her dignity for a glorified bikini contest. Still, she could use the exposure—her business is struggling—and she’ll probably be one of the first to get eliminated anyway. But Gage isn’t the shallow jerk Ellie anticipated—and he’s in no rush to send her home. As stolen kisses turn into secret trysts, she finds herself losing track of what’s real and what’s for the camera. With the wedding finale looming, this runaway groom is tempting Ellie to start believing in storybook endings.
 

In Runaway Groom, Ellie has agreed to be one of the contestants on a Bachelor-like television show. She’s not doing it for the chance to find love, but for the chance to promote her new t-shirt company. Ellie has no interest in meeting Hollywood heart-throb Gage at the altar.

Gage isn’t exactly thrilled to be on the reality television show either. He lost a bet, and there’s nothing he can do to get out of being the “groom”. The only thing good about the situation is meeting Ellie. She’s real and refreshing in a way the other contestants aren’t. Gage just needs to convince Ellie that he’s not the Hollywood playboy he’s been made out to be.

Runaway Groom is the second book in Lauren Layne’s I Do, I Don’t series. I loved the first book, Ready to Run, but I found Runaway Groom to be even better! The format was so much fun! I loved that not only were first person dual points of view used to narrate, but text messages and official letters to the contestants. It also had what I love about every Lauren Layne book — great humor! Oh, and I can’t leave out the setting. Who doesn’t love reading books set in tropical locals?

Gage and Ellie were both pretty pessimistic at the beginning of Runaway Groom. I loved how that initially brought them together. I don’t want to spill how, but I thought it was so cool! Lauren Layne came up with a great plot there. It was so easy to understand how Gage and Ellie were meant for each other.

Honestly, Runaway Groom was perfectly written. I wouldn’t make any changes to it. It was so much fun to read! If you’re a Lauren Layne fan, you need to read this book. If you haven’t read her stuff before and love contemporary romances, you need to read this book! You don’t have to read the first book in the series to read Runaway Groom, so basically everyone needs to read this book.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can’t Believe I Read

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is Books I Can’t Believe I Read.

I’m not sure how this is truly supposed to be interpreted. To me it sees like I can’t believe I read them is a negative thing. My list is probably going to be a mix of negative and positive.

1. Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy
by E.L. James

Say what you will about Fifty Shades, but it was popular. I can believe I read it because the hype intrigued me. I can’t believe I read it because of that dang red room. Not my style of romance at all.

2. Grey
by E.L. James

I’m going to be completely honest, despite the whole red room that is not my thing, I really enjoyed the emotion of the trilogy. I was hoping for that with the book from Christian Grey’s viewpoint. I can’t believe I read this book because it was basically the first book of the trilogy, but more messed up because I did not like being in Christian’s head. I’m amazed I read the entire thing.

3. The entire Game of Thrones series.

I am utterly shocked that I spent an entire summer binge reading the entire GoT series. It was good, but totally not my normal type of book(s).

4. Learning to Love the Heat
by Everly Lucas

When I was approached about reading this book it was described as an NA contemporary romance. I knew it had a love triangle, which I am not always a fan of. What I wasn’t expecting was a love triangle turned threesome romance. I wouldn’t have spent my time reading the first 2/3 of the book had I known where it was going. The threesome stuff was a shock and, to me, more erotica than NA. Not. My. Thing.

5. Taking Chances
by Molly McAdams

Speaking of love triangles…I can’t believe I wasted time reading this one. I know there are lots of fans out there of it, but it made me incredibly angry the entire time I was reading it.

6. Illuminae
by Amie Kauffman & Jay Kristoff

To know me is to know I don’t do alien anything. So, imagine my surprise when I read and loved Illuminae.

7. The Girl with All the Gifts
by M.R. Carey

Another thing I don’t do is sci-fi. Heck, I didn’t even know this book was about zombies when I read it. I just got a recommendation from someone and liked the blurb. I am amazed I read it and liked it.

8. After series
by Anna Todd

This is a NA series, so I’m not surprised I read it. What I can’t believe is that I finished the entire series. All but the last book were horrible examples for young women. It was like one giant train wreck. I can’t believe I kept going through all of the incredibly long books. And at the end, I can’t believe the last book was actually amazing. It’s what they all should have been.

9. Nine Minutes Trilogy
by Beth Flynn

The only reasons I can’t believe I read this series are the blurb and cover for the first book. Both did not call to me. I only read it because I was pressured by some friends. I’m so happy I did because it’s one of the best thriller series I’ve ever read. If you loved Sons of Anarchy, you need to read this!

10. Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light
by Jane Brox

I can’t believe I read this book…well, I didn’t exactly. It was so boring; I didn’t make it past chapter 2. I tried to skim the rest but kept falling asleep. It was worse than a textbook. Why was I trying to read it anyways? The things you do for book clubs…

Review: Getting Hotter (Elle Kennedy)

Getting Hotter
Series: Out of Uniform, #8
Author: Elle Kennedy
Publication Date: January 29, 2018 (re-release)
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Military
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

A good bad boy is hard to find…

Seth Masterson has been lusting over Miranda Breslin since the moment he saw her on a Vegas stage. Now that he’s been asked to watch out for her as she opens a dance studio in San Diego, he’s all over it, figuring it’s his chance to get her in his bed. Except the stubborn single mom seems determined to deny their sizzling sexual chemistry. In typical SEAL fashion, Seth makes it his personal mission to prove her wrong.

Miranda got over her attraction to bad boys about the time one of them knocked her up at the age of eighteen. Seth’s mocking gray eyes and military-buff bod, though, are pure and utter temptation. And when a flooded apartment forces her and her twins to move in with him, she can no longer resist the urge to set off some serious fireworks between the sheets.

But any involvement with Seth will be strictly physical—and temporary. So when Seth decides permanent is what he wants, Miranda must steel her defenses before she does something incredibly foolish…like fall in love.


I’ve been a fan of Elle Kennedy’s new adult romances for years, but I don’t think I’ve ever read one of her contemporary romances. Getting Hotter was the first for me, and I really enjoyed it.

Unlike Kennedy’s new adult books that are written in first person, Getting Hotter was written in third person. Third person is not my favorite way for a book to be written in, so I wasn’t sure if I was going to like that. I honestly didn’t really even notice it. Kennedy’s writing is so well done, that it felt like I was reading in first person. I was able to connect quickly with her characters and fall almost immediately in love with them.

Miranda was one tough chick. She was a single mom to twins she’s birthed when she was eighteen. Miranda had to work hard to support herself and her family. She worked two jobs and wasn’t willing to waste her time on someone who wasn’t worth it. I loved how she valued herself.

Seth was also tough, but in a different way. He was a Navy SEAL, so he had the whole badass strength going on for him, but he was tough mentally. Seth was able to wall a part of himself off. That wasn’t a great thing, but I loved seeing Miranda break down his defenses. They were a great match. I loved them together, and their chemistry was palpable.

One of the components to Seth and Miranda’s relationship was the fact that she was a single mother. That wasn’t Seth’s favorite thing. It was hard reading his interactions with the twins at first. Those two six-year-olds were hard not to fall in love with. They were so dang cute, and one of my favorite things about this story. I loved how Seth slowly started to fall for them as hard as he fell for their mother.

My only disappointment in Getting Hotter was Dylan’s part in it. Dylan was Seth’s roommate who also had a side story of his own going on in the book. I wasn’t disappointed in the side story. It was exactly the opposite. I wanted more of it, and I was left hanging. His story had barely begun when Getting Hotter ended. I was bummed by that. At least I know it means there is more to come for him in a future release. 😉

Getting Hotter was a fun, steamy contemporary romance. I loved the characters and their story. I’m looking forward to going back and reading more of this series.

Review: We Were One (Elizabeth Reyes)

We Were One
Series: Looking Glass, #2
Author: Elizabeth Reyes
Publication Date: January 29, 2018
Genre: NA, Romance Suspense
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

ZERO CHEATING!

The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
~Oscar Wilde~

Adoration is not profound enough a word to express the depth of my love for her. From the moment she walked into my life and set my heart and soul on fire, not a day’s gone by that she hasn’t plagued my every thought.

We were each other’s completion. She was everything I wasn’t–the sigh to my roar, the virtue to my sin, the cure to my wounds.

We Were One.

Until the unthinkable happened.

That I’ve survived such a tragedy without having completely lost it, is a mystery in itself. But as my mind starts to blur the lines between reality and my delusional heart, I begin to question everything, including my sanity.

And then the real mystery begins . . .


I have been patiently waiting for We Were One since I finished Girl in the Mirror, the first book in the Looking Glass series. That book was such a ride, and I couldn’t wait to experience it all through Nico’s eyes in We Were One.

Just like Girl in the Mirror, it took me a minute to adjust to the writing style of We Were One. The majority of this book is told to the reader by Nico. Most of the character interaction is described by him rather than acted out. I knew why that was from the first book, but it’s still a little jarring at first.

The deal with We Were One is that it surrounds the same events as Girl in the Mirror, but the narrator is Nico instead of Maggie. There are a few new revelations, but it’s mostly the same story just with Nico’s thoughts and feelings. Being that the two books were very similar, one would think it would maybe be boring or too repetitive. I didn’t find that to be the case. I loved getting Nico’s perspective. It made me love his character even more.

Bad boy Nico was just as much a sweetheart in this book as Maggie described him to be in the first one. His heartbreak over Maddie was palpable. I adored the way he loved her. His intentions were noble, and getting to know their love story from his point of view was fun.

The only thing I would have liked added to We Were One was some of what happened between the last chapter and the epilogue. It felt like a giant leap between the two time periods. I was curious what happened during this time, and how the characters rebuilt their lives. Including some of those moments would have made the story less of a repeat.

Overall, We Were One was a great addition to the Looking Glass series. I felt like I got to know Nico, a lot better. I fell in love with his crazy love story all over again. I’m really looking forward to the third book in the series, Nico’s brother Nolan’s story.

Mini Reviews: Miss Mechanic, Caraval, The Vincent Boys, The Vincent Brothers

Miss Mechanic
Author: Emma Hart
Publication Date: December 12, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

My thoughts:

A while ago my blogger friend Cristina told me I needed to read Emma Hart’s Miss Fixit. I completely trust her opinion on books, so I immediately read it…and fell in love with it. When I heard Emma Hart was coming out with a new book, I had to pick up Miss Mechanic. Unfortunately, it took me a month or so to get to it.

I was hoping Miss Mechanic was going to be a spin-off of Miss Fixit. It wasn’t, but that ended up being okay. It was still hilarious. It made me smile and laugh so much. I adored the love-hate thing Jamie and Dex had going on. They had such chemistry! Miss Mechanic was such a fun read. It got me out of a book slump I was in. It’s definitely a book I would recommend to readers who like romantic comedy.

Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Publication Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

My thoughts:

My feelings about Caraval are complicated. I enjoyed it for the most part. The world of Caraval was beautifully created and the story well crafted. My issue with it was that parts of it dragged. I felt myself getting bored right before all the big action parts. If it wasn’t for those action parts, I might have not finished the book. Which would have been sad because the ending was quite good. I also want to mention that the narrator, Rebecca Soler, was amazing.

I’m really happy I decided to listen to Caraval. It was an interesting ride!

The Vincent Boys
Series: The Vincent Boys, #1
Author: Abbi Glines
Narrators: Kirby Hayborne, Shayna, Thibodeaux
Publication Date: October 12, 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thoughts:

OMG. The Vincent Boys is a total guilty pleasure. I was surprised at how much I loved it. I decided to listen to it because it was the only book I was slightly interested in on Overdrive. I wasn’t sure I would like it because of the love triangle, but I did. The love triangle didn’t bother me at all. I think it was because of the nature of Sawyer and Ashton’s relationship. Plus, for most of the book Sawyer wasn’t even around. I loved Beau and Ashton together so much. If you’re looking for a fun YA contemporary romance, you should try this one out!

The Vincent Brothers
Series: The Vincent Boys, #2
Author: Abbi Glines
Narrators: Kirby Hayborne, Shayna, Thibodeaux
Publication Date: June 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thoughts:

The Vincent Brothers was a great follow up to The Vincent Boys. It was just as addictive. I was so happy that Sawyer got a book. His feelings were so raw and brutal. After his loss in the first book, I wanted him to find his truth. I love that Lana was the one to help him find it.

Review: Nowhere But Here (Katie McGarry)

Nowhere But Here
Series: Thunder Road, #1
Author: Katie McGarry
Narrators: Marguerite Gavin, Sean Pratt

Publication Date: July 14, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.


Nowhere But Here has been out for a couple of years. I’ve seen it around and wanted to read it. I just hadn’t gotten to it yet. When I saw it was available as an audio book through my library system, I jumped on the chance to listen to it. I’m really mad at myself for not starting this series earlier!

Katie McGarry is a phenomenal writer. The way she puts words together and the story she tells… I’m trying to think of something to compare those to, and all that comes to mind is chocolate. Smooth, silky, and oh-so yummy. The plot of this book and how it was strung together was perfection. I loved the twists, turns, and revelations that were made. Somehow how Katie McGarry made a story involving a motorcycle gang sweet. That’s talent.

I adored Emily and Oz. Their points of view were so distinctive and had so much personality. Emily was this girl who started out seeming really small and scared. I thought she was going to be a delicate snowflake throughout the entire book, but she wasn’t. Emily had more backbone than I expected, and I loved it. It made for so many fun moments! And Oz… I absolutely adored his character. He was such a mature 18-year-old. He was more a man than a teenager. Honestly, his parts were my favorite. The way he articulated his thoughts was just so cool.

The rest of the cast of characters were just as good as the main characters. I liked Emily’s relationship with her parents, especially her father. Their closeness was sweet. I did wish I got to know Emily’s mom a little bit better, though. I also liked Eli, Olivia and that side of Emily’s family. The entire Reign of Terror group won me over immediately. Their family ways were so cool. I’m excited to read more about them in future books.

Why did I wait so long to read this book??? If you’re like me and haven’t read it yet, you need to bump it up your list. Everything about it was amazing. I highly recommend the audio version. The narrators are so good — especially Sean Pratt. I could listen to his voice all day.

Review: Love, Life, and the List (Kasie West)

Love, Life, and the List
Author: Kasie West
Publication Date: December 26, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

This is the first in a set of three standalone books with crossover characters.


Kasie West is one of my go-to YA contemporary romance authors. I love her writing. It’s cute, heartwarming, and addictive. I’m always excited to start one of her books because I know I’m in for a fun time. That’s exactly how I felt when starting Love, Life, and the List, and that’s exactly what I got.

Love, Life, and the List is all about friendship, love, and growing up. It’s about letting go of the things that hold you back and discovering who you really are. Abby had to do a lot of that in this book. She had to navigate an unrequited crush on her best friend. She had to deal with disappointment and learning how to express her emotions.

I loved how the Heart List helped Abby open herself up to new experiences and find who she was. I also loved that it helped her identify unhealthy relationships she had and helped her stand up for herself.

The biggest one of those was with Cooper. Cooper wasn’t a character I liked. That was because I adored Abby and saw how destructive their relationship was. Yes, there were the cute times they shared. And, yes, I could see what Abby saw in him. I just didn’t like how he treated her. It wasn’t that he didn’t do nice things for her or treated her horribly. It was because he led her on. I know he wasn’t exactly trying to, but he took advantage of her love for him.

I do have to admit that I liked that Cooper didn’t hold Abby back on the love front. He pushed her to date other guys. I loved that he tried to set her up with Elliot. Elliot was an amazing guy, and I loved what he had in common with Abby. They were cute together.

Love, Life, and the List was almost perfect. Almost. The one thing that drove me nuts was the ending. I can’t say why, but I will say that it didn’t jive with what I wanted for Abby. It didn’t feel like it completely fit in my opinion. The end wasn’t my favorite outcome, but I do have to admit it was still cute.

Overall, I adored this book. It was cute, fun, addicting — all the things I mentioned before. I couldn’t put it down, and I didn’t want to. I am so excited that this is the first in a series of three crossovers. I can’t wait to see who shows up in those books!

Review: Bad For You (J. Daniels)

Bad for You
Series: Dirty Deeds, #3
Author: J. Daniels
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Publisher: Forever

Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Shayla Perkins isn’t the kind of girl who makes the same mistake twice, especially when it comes to Sean “Stitch” Molina. So when he gives her the world’s biggest rejection, that’s it—she’s done. Until the sexy, silent, unavailable Sean makes Shay a very personal offer. Of course, it still doesn’t mean he’s interested in her. Or does it?

Sean has done things in life. Bad things. And he’s paid the price. All he wants now is to make up for his past by doing good in the present. And no one deserves more good than Shay. Beautiful on the inside and out, Shay is the kind of woman who should be cared for and protected—especially from a man like Sean. He’s tried to keep his feelings for her in check, but a single, reckless impulse pulls them closer than ever before.

Soon the two are sharing their biggest dreams and satisfying their deepest desires. But what will happen if the only way to truly give one another want they want most . . . is to let each other go?


You know that book that is just so amazing you want to call and tell all your friends to read it? Well, that’s Bad for You. I cannot get over how awesome it was. It had everything: humor, romance, angst, heart, emotion, depth…I could go on and on.

I always thought no other Dirty Deeds book could top Four Letter Word. The connection between Syd and Brian that started this whole series was one I didn’t think J. Daniels could beat. Well, I was wrong. Bad For You surpassed Four Letter Word by far. The connection between Sean (“Stitch”) and Shay was so raw and so much deeper than I expected. Their romance was not light and fluffy. There was so much for them to overcome — especially for Sean. The darkness they had to navigate to get to each other was heartbreaking. Not that there wasn’t humor. There was a ton of it. It’s what helped bring light to this book and to Sean and Shay.

My favorite thing about Bad for You is the way Sean and Shay supported each other. Sean’s support showed up in the sweetest, most unexpected ways. Shay was a little more exuberant and entertaining. When it came down to it, the support they had for each other is what helped build their friendship and relationship. I loved the progression of it.

Bad for You is J. Daniels’ best book yet! I absolutely adored everything about it. I feel like I can’t adequately express how outstanding it was. I guess I’ll just close by saying YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!