Mini Book Review - Tarnished Crown by Erin Watt

Royals 3.5

Picture Source: Goodreads 

Book Synopsis

Standard Disclaimer: For those who you have not read the Royals books 1 to 3 be aware of spoilers ahead. 

This story happens after Twisted Palace following Savannah and Gideon's relationship. It tries to shine some light over what happened between the two of them in the past and how they are going to proceed foreword. Love. Tension. Drama. And all that shenanigan. Of course, things are not so simple and the past keeps saying "Hello" to the lover birds.

My Opinion

 2.00/5.00

I stay by GoodReads ratings. It was ok. I might be in the minority when I am saying this... I was disappointed. Within the first three books, we get this strong and independent image of Savannah to now be ruined by this installment. I get the feeling that this was done to serve the fandom, which is not automatically a bad thing, but it was not served right. It takes time and patience to rebuild a relationship which had been broken to such a degree. Gideon did not even learn from his past mistakes and he still has the tendency to repeat those mistakes. Savannah should learn to love herself more and keep her standards no matter what. To be sincere, I do not know what made these two fall in love in the first place.
And last, this book? novella? - it has 21 chapters which makes this work to pass as a book - needs more substance. It was a good cup of tea turned bad. 

This is my sole opinion. >_^

Original review on Goodreads.

PS

See you in my next post!! And in the mean time feel free to check out my latest Summer Book Tag and Miraculous Ladybug comic review, -->HERE<-- and -->HERE<--.

Monthly Recommendations - May Is for Contemporary

Hello-Hello! I am here with another post. Recently I joined another books related group on Goodreads called Monthly Recommendations (<--link). You might know the creators, Trina (Between Chapters) and Kayla Rayne. Do not be a troll and check these awesome beings' channels. - (No offense, trolls but you are pretty grumpy imaginary creatures.)

The month of May is dedicated to Contemporary Books.

According to May's discussion board, "Contemporary fiction is generally considered to be a real world setting with no fantasy or paranormal elements that takes place after World War II. It includes a variety of cross/sub-genres, such as: Romance, Coming of Age, Mystery, Horror, Humor, Literary fiction."

Since I prefer my books with a splash of imaginary... stuff, contemporary books are very few in my read pile... Thus, the books of my choosing are more romance oriented and cross the line into the New Adult category. I am not counting the ones from my TBR (to be read) list since I cannot offer an opinion cause I did not read them... DUH! 

The books are in no particular order.

Let's get this recommendation started!

 

 

This is one of my recent reads. It is an easy and quick read. A lot of themes are explored throughout this book. "Don't be quick to judge" and "things are not always what they appear" are just a few of them. Brigid Kemmerer does a great job reflecting real world problems in her book. I also like the mystery-romance aspect. Boy and girl know of each other's existence but they are not acquainted at all. They judge one another based on rumors and gossip. Then, they end up later corresponding anonymously to talk about their life and problems. From my point of view, this story is a bit too focused on the main characters; although, that hasn't stop me from enjoying a good book like this (Review HERE).

Goodreads book page

  

 

Alright, this is a kind of a classic cliché and I so love it. This a contemporary love story which it happens to take place in Paris, France. L'amour! I couldn't help it. I had to say the phrase. Tired of having all - mostly all - your books taking place in the U.S.A or U.K.? Then this book is your answer to that. But don't get overly excited, there still is an American/English aspect in this book. The setting is beautiful. The story had the right amounts of romance, reality, cuteness, sweetness, and culture, and characters... I read this book twice and that says something since I rarely read books a second time. Anyway... Try the book if you are in a mood for cute and fluffy. (*Not really a standalone.)

Goodreads book page

 

 

A book published by Swoon Reads*** (<-- link). Teenage girl with good reputation (high grades and focused on her grades but with a "cold" demeanor) meets the hot surfer womanizer boy. It is set in high school. The two try to figure out who they are despite... high school society? It is a nice contemporary with an important message addressed people. There is a lot of steam potential... but is not explored at all; though, the romance is cute. And despite the title, personally, I did not see the "walk of shame". Nothing was shameful.

Goodreads book page

  

 

Now, we are leaving the YA territory and move towards New Adult / Adult zone. This is another romance that takes place in another place other then USA or U.K. It's happening in Rome, baby! Cute. Full of steam. Love. Romance. Culture. A Prince in disguise. It is a retelling of the film Roman Holyday with Audrey Hepburn in the main role. You can check my review, HERE, if you need more convincing. (*Not really a standalone.)

Goodreads book page

 

 

Well, well, well. The maturity scale in this one gets a little higher (and I am not talking about the sexy time). This is a complex and complicated story. It is about life, love, and redemption. There is a strong connection with Dante's Inferno or shout I say Dante's personal life viewed from his work, The Divine Comedy. It takes place in Toronto, Canada. Yes, it started as fan-fiction but there is so much more to the story. This is a story well written able to touch your soul and feels - oops, feelings.

(Not a standalone.)

Goodreads book page

 

Another new adult book. If you are a Colleen Hoover fan, you already know of this book. Again, the maturity level is pretty high - and here I am talking about sex. This is my favorite Colleen's book so far. (I've only read two and the other one is Confess which you can find my review on it HERE.) Life. Love. Redemption. Tragedy. And the most important, how we cope with tragedy and find a way to relive and bloom again.

Goodreads book page

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and found some new books to add to your on growing TBR pile. And, if you want more contemporary recommendations, check out the group's May discussion board HERE.

See ya in the next post!

 

P.S. Confess was turned into a short TV show. For more details on that click the link HERE.

*The book can be read by itself - ish - but it ties in with other books. A series of standalones...?
 ***Swoon Reads it is a website where you can publish your manuscript and based on feedback from the readers you have a chances to get published.  

 

Truth or Date by Susan Hatler, Book Two in the Better Date than Never Series

Book Synopsis

Gina Hall is done with men who won’t commit. Ten years waiting for her ex to propose wasted her time. Never again. When her friend Kristen starts a game of Truth or Dare, she dares Gina to go on a date with Ethan, who’s amazing and total marriage material.
As Gina plans the going away party for office playboy Chris Bradley, she spontaneously initiates a game of Truth or Dare with him. When his turn comes around, he dares Gina to pose as his girlfriend to help get a flirty colleague off his back. Gina finds playing couple with Chris way too much fun.
Even though Gina and Chris are pretending, their relationship begins to feel painfully real. Fearing she might be falling for another fly-by man, Gina must focus on Ethan so she doesn’t make the same dating mistakes all over again. Truth or Date - Goodreads

My Opinion

3.65/5 stars.
This is another Susan Hatler's romance short story or novella. I got it for free from Amazon and you know I cannot say "No" to free books. Or maybe no? Whatever, now you know. I looove free books.
Beck to the actual review.
In a few words, the story was cute, funny, romancy, and relatable.
The writing was easy to follow and made the events to flow nicely. On the other hand, the narrative was quite rushed due to the short length of the book.
So far, this is my favorite Susan Hatler story.
Are you in a mood for a quick romance with no excessive steam and just the feels? If yes, this might be your cuppa tea.
Oh! Since it is asecond book in a series, spoilers for the previous book might be obvious. Although, I believe it can be read as a standalone too.

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

Feel Free to check out my other reviews on books written by Susan Hatler: Susan Hatler-A Christmas Kiss and Susan Hatler-Shaken.

Genre: Adult, Romance, Short Stories, Contemporary
Language: mild
Sexual content: mild
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate

Confess by Colleen Hoover The Book with the Art of Confession

Book Synopsis

Don’t miss #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover’s beloved novel about risking it all for love—now an Awestruck original series, coming soon to go90.com and the go90 app, available for iOS or Android.
Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?
With her moving and compelling prose, Hoover “will pull heartstrings in this second-chance love story” (Booklist). Confess - Goodreads

 

 

My Opinion

3.50/5 stars.

This is the second book by Colleen Hoover I've read - my first being Ugly Love. To be honest, I picked up this book because I heard that there is going to be a TV show coming up. I saw the first two episodes and I was hooked to the story; thus, I thought I should give the book a try. (Plus the leading actors looked good together.)

So... I read the book after I saw the TV show and I do not regret that. In my opinion, the book and the TV show complete each other... But enough about the show and let's talk about the book.

My overall impression... It is an unique story and real but not flawless. The story flowed nicely. The characters fit together splendidly driving the action of the story quite well. Owen and Auburn have a great chemistry; although, chemistry is not the equivalence love. From Owen's perspective, I was able to understand the romance by the end of the book due to past circumstances - and if you read the book, you know what I am talking about. Not so much from Auburn's perspective. From her point of view, Owen sometimes was quite the creep. Do not get this wrong. I liked him. He was the sweet, good, and honorable guy. The things he said sometimes to Auburn, without her knowing what connected them, should have made her run away a little...

I understood what the author tried to do but she relied to much on the "fate" concept and not so much on the power to make a decision, to take action in your life. That left the story unresolved - literary - and underdeveloped. It felt rushed leaving plenty of room for a novella or a second book... Which... I wouldn't mind if it means that I will have a better resolution.

Despite the sad parts, there are a lot of funny scenes too.

After Ugly Love, I was expecting more from Colleen Hoover since she has such a beautiful writing style.

Overall, this was my cup of tea. And, if it happens for you to be a fan of Colleen's let me know what is your opinion on this book, the Confess TV show, and her other books.

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

Genre: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Language: moderate

Sexual content: heavy

Violence: moderate to heavy

Drugs/Alcohol: moderate to heavy-ish

 

P.S.

Feel Free to check out my Confess show info -->HERE<--while admiring the TV show inspired book cover below.

Cheater by Rachel Van Dyken With More Depth than the Title and Synopsis Let You Believe

Book Synopsis

Lucas Thorn wasn’t born a cheater. All it took was a single moment—say, a certain disastrous incident on the night before his wedding—and boom. Reputation destroyed forever and always. So now he owns it. He has a lady friend for every night of the week (except Sundays—God’s day and all), and his rules are simple: No commitments. No exceptions.
But a certain smart-mouthed, strawberry blonde vixen is about to blow that all to hell.
Avery Black has never forgiven Lucas for cheating on her sister. And suddenly being forced to work with him is pretty much a nightmare on steroids. Of course, it does afford her the opportunity to make his life as difficult as possible. But no good revenge scheme comes without payback. Because he didn’t become the Lucas Thorn without learning a few things about women.
Now Avery’s lust for vengeance has turned into, well, lust. And if Lucas stops cheating, it’s definitely not because he’s falling in love… Cheater - Goodreads

 

My Opinion

3.65/5 stars

Are you in a mood for a quick romance? Well... This is one of them. And do not be fooled by the synopsis, there is so much depth to the story. Ahhh... I want to use "and" again... I think the synopsis together with the title are kind of misleading . Yes, the guy practices polygyny (= one male having more than one female mate). Yes, he cheated (observe the past tense here). Also, all his "lady friend for every night of the week" gave their consent for this type of relationship and knew from the beginning that there are other women. Oddly enough - in a good way -  Lucas wants companionship and offers companionship to these women, not just sex.

This story is more about two people who, by fate, meet again and reconnect. They receive a second chance to confront the truth about their past and feelings for each other. 

What bothered me the most were the parents. Lucas and Avery were unable to say no to them. And they were so... soooo... or how the naughty side of me wants to actually say it... ANNOYING as f. I say no to my mom even when she is telling me to eat bread even though I am masticating bread in that very moment. :)) I value my mother's opinion very very very much but I will be unable to accept her to control me the same way Lucas and Avery are controlled by their parents.

And Lucas' parents! I am only going to say this: Come! On! He is your son. He is more important than your BFF's.

Also, take in consideration that they, all the parents, appear briefly through the book and are used as a tool to drive the story to an end. 

Other than that, they seemed nice enough. (^_^) :D

Ha-Ha-Ha!

I liked this story a lot. It was sexy, sweet, and bitter due to so much heartache. Cheater came this close - B L A N K  S P A C E  B L A N K  S P A C E - to reach the complexity of Gabriel's Inferno (Goodreads) by Sylvain Reynard.

This was my cuppa tea.

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Language: mild to heavy
Sexual content: heavy
Violence: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate
 

Letters to the Lost by Brigid kemmerer which Turn into E-mails Faster than You Can Say "Letters"

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Book Synopsis

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart. Letters to the Lost - Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Opinion

4.5/5 stars

 I requested this book somewhat blindly from NetGalley. It looked and sounded interesting so... I thought I should give it a shot. Oh, boy! I was not disappointed.
It was a light read and easy to follow with a nice flow of events. Letters to the Lost brings into question the society and its views. Perfect families are not perfect. People can be both villains and heroes at the same time. People are people no matter the age. Lack of communication and expression of feelings can get you in deep trouble with those around you. Being misunderstood is a consequence of that. From all these books I am reading lately, including this one, I get this feeling that they are trying to transmit a message: Do not lie or, so called, protect the children from problems because things have their own way at getting back at you and backfire. Secrets are not good in a family. Children do not need to be protected from problems all the time. They need to understand and have someone to guide them through problems  because they need to learn. You can't just dump the problems onto a child's shoulders either. There has to be a balance. In my opinion, this book does a great job at presenting all these ethical issues. Also... Let's just say that in some parts... it does too much and, for me, it was quite far fetched. Oh! That might be the case because I've seen that plot twist so many times in books, movies, and TV shows. I mean, come on! It was obvious. :D
The dynamic  between the main characters is interesting. We are able to see the general two sides of human nature: the societal act and the true self. I can say the anonymous conversations were good therapy sessions for the two of them. Overall their story has a realistic-ish but beautiful resolution - too fast maybe? The romance factor was... yes and no at times. Don't get me wrong, it played nicely for the overall story. Although, it lacked some depth due to the issue I am going to discuss below.
The females in the book felt shallow and underdeveloped as characters. I was more connected with Declan which is not a bad thing... I wanted to see more sides of Juliet through her grief and sorrow. And this is my mature brain speaking, she spent a great deal of the book over idolizing her mother than paying attention to herself and others. And her best friend was just there. By the end of the storyline, I was not able to comprehend her existence in this novel. She had lots of potential from the bits of information I got about her from Juliet. Throughout the whole book, I was expecting her to be a back stabbing traitor but it was not like that - thank goodness! More details about the females characters were needed compared to the male ones. I do not know... You can say it was understandable since it is a light tragic young adult novel.  (I cannot believe that I've jut put "light" and "tragic" in the same sentence and in close proximity.) Or, that is just how I perceive it.

Finally, get some melancholic instrumental music, ask for magical power to make the weather gloomy and - by the end of the book - sunny, and see if this is your cup of tea.

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Language: none to mild
Sexual content: mild
Violence: moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate

Confess by Colleen Hoover Gets a TV Show on April 4th, 2017

 

Hello-Hello, Book Nerds! If you haven't heard yet, Colleen Hoover's book Confess was turned into a TV show. Check out the promo poster below. Isn't it gorgeous? *_*

 

 Ryan Cooper as Owen Gentry and Katie Leclerc as Auburn Reed 

The first two episodes are already out and you can watch them for free on GO90 - Confess.

What are you waiting for? Go watch it! I already watched them twice already. As a side note, Colleen has a cameo appearance in the first at the art gallery event.

All the episodes, seven in total, will be available on April 4th, 2017 - aka this coming Tuesday. 

So far, I am intrigued. The show has potential. Cute. Romantic. And Dramatic. It made me want to read the book.

Yes, I have yet to read the book. Like I said, I am planning to.  There is still time until Tuesday.

To form your own opinion, I post the trailer down below plus the book description.

 

 

Book Synopsis

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.
The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin… Confess-Goodreads

Royally Roma an enchanting retelling of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday

The Royals #1 by Teri Wilson

Publication Date: 27 March 2017

Book synopsis

In this charming, modern retelling of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday, a royal prince tries to escape his hectic and rigid life and ends up leading a young graduate student on a chase through the Eternal City. Julia Costa is too busy trying to complete her PhD while also holding down a full-time job as a private tour guide in Rome to keep up with celebrity gossip. So when she crosses paths with a real, actual prince, she mistakes him for a client and takes him on a daylong tour of the city. Intrigued by the idea of spending time with someone who obviously has no idea who he is, and delighted at the prospect of a day free of royal obligations, Niccolo La Torre, Crown Prince of Lazaretto, acts on impulse and assumes the role of Julia’s client. He swears to himself that he’ll return to his royal duties after only half a day…but he’s having the time of his life. Until Julia presents him with the bill. Since he snuck out of the hotel without so much as a dime, he tries to escape, only to discover that she won’t let him out of her sight until he can pay her back. She’s determined to get her money…and perhaps more from the handsome stranger she’s fallen for.  Royally Roma

 

My opinion

4.5/5 stars.

This book was sweet, romantic, and intense. The love felt genuine and real despite being insta-love. Niccolo and Julia were complex characters with complicated pasts. They meet by chance and everything goes down from there.

Being a retelling of the classic black and white film Roman Holiday was one of things which attracted me to this book. And this says something because my number one black and white movie is Roman Holiday followed by Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

The story has its flaws. Some might find the writing repetitive and overwhelming in the beginning (especially in the description category). Despite the cliché and the flaws, it made me feel things. I was able to connect with the characters. I felt sad. I felt mushy. I felt joy and sorrow. And this is the most important thing when it comes to a book. Books must have the ability to make you root for the characters and feel what they feel.

Rome. That setting! It was a perfect ambiance for the romantic story to bloom. Rome was well written in the book, full of magic and history. An Eternal City indeed.

I was in the mood for this romance. And because it moved me, I felt like giving it a high rating. But! There is always a but. I made a short list of the main things that bothered me.

Bothering things (if you read the book you will understand): lack of GPS tracking; portraying the female in some instances based on the ancient Greek misconception (lack of self-restraint); same can be said about the male character who is portrayed as in control, honorable and in charge of the polis (thank goodness he was not also the stereotypical bad-boy).

[Yes, I had to throw some historical facts. The action is happening in Rome for goodness sake! Ha-ha-ha =))!]

Do you love super sweet, charged, and cheesy romance? Then, this is your cup of tea. Or should I say cup of espresso? ;)

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Cultural
Language: none to mild
Sexual content: heavy
Violence: none to moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: mild 

 

 



A Christmas Kiss (Kissed by the Bay #5) by Susan Hatler Book Review

Book synopsis

Harper Avery is a jaded divorce attorney who loves helping her clients move on to better things. After all, they’ve struggled enough being in an unhappy marriage. When one client’s soon-to-be ex-husband suddenly says he wants a second chance with his wife, Harper’s dubious, certain that her client is just going to get hurt again. Despite his career as a divorce attorney, Gabriel Hart still believes that love can work miracles. Sure, there are no guarantees, but he totally supports his client’s efforts to reconcile with his wife—even if it means Gabriel has to go head-to-head with Harper to keep her from ruining the couple’s chances. With the holidays approaching, husband and wife set out to see if they can work through their issues, while Harper decides to spend the long Christmas weekend at her friend’s cabin in Lake Tahoe. Only when she gets there, someone is already occupying her last-minute rental—Gabriel Hart. Both refuse to give up their holiday retreat. Will their adversarial working relationship make for a stressful weekend? Or will the magic of Christmas sprinkle them with a love that can beat the odds?   A Christmas Kiss

 

My opinion

2.5/5 stars rounded to 3.

This is a short love story. It is full of Christmas references. The author creates a perfect Christmas for our protagonists. Everything is perfect. Except the characters... I was not able to connect whit either of them. This is sad because the author had so much material to use. I was not able to feel the sparks from the writing. The protagonists are supposed to be complex... But... By the end, I was asking myself "Why did these characters fall in love in the first place?" The romance seemed forced. 

Also, what bothered me was the characters' inability to separate personal life from work.

All in all, the story was cute and cuddly. I had high expectations and I felt disappointed. The book had potential. It needs a revision. I love descriptions and this book was lacking in them in the emotional department.

It is a good romantic story for winter/Christmas time. If you feel like this is your cup of tea, go for it!

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Holiday
Language: none to mild
Sexual content: mild
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild