Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an enjoyable book. Elsbeth’s journey in life was really interesting and I enjoyed reading about it. She endured so much in her life and it was fun watching her learn and grow from the experiences she had. The story had many twists and turns and kept me hooked from the beginning. This book was good and I look forward to reading more from this author
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Before I Let You Go is a contemporary romance with danger, drama, mystery, suspense, intrigue, secrets, and paranormal elements. The story centers around the MC Elsbeth whose life seems to be falling apart with one bad thing after another happening to her. When she inherits a house on a remote island from an estranged aunt Elsbeth seizes the opportunity to have a fresh start. This, however, does not come easy as she is wracked with guilt about leaving behind her ailing father and how she ended things with her boyfriend. When strange things start happening at the island home it leads Elsbeth to Bishop, who claims to be an angel, and a mystery that needs to be solved before time runs out. As secrets are revealed she uncovers the house’s dark history. I was gripped by the storyline and the earthbound spirit that needed Elsbeth’s help. This was a well written story with great characters and a unique storyline that kept my attention until the final pages.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a beautiful and unique story. I found this book to be an easy read that instantly had me hooked. I enjoyed reading and experiencing the characters’ growth throughout the book. I found the main character, Ellsbeth quite interesting and relatable, even down to her faults. She really had a strong sense of bad luck, insanely impulsive decisions but a very powerful heart of gold. Her character grows exponentially in such a short amount of time and by the end, she almost appears like a brand new person who owns up to her mistakes and learns from them. Also the love between her and Bishop, while unique, was stunningly portrayed with the author’s incredible writing skills.
I think readers will thoroughly enjoy this intriguing story. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.
The Closer: An enemies to lovers dark romance by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
For years our MC’s have been at each other’s throats and while there is a slow burn in this story it is explosive. This is the third book of the series that can be read as a standalone. This has action, steam, plot twists and will send you running back to the first two books in the series. Dallas and June are amazing! If you need me I’ll be reading the first two in this series.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 Stars
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace is the first book that I have read by this author, so I had no reference as to what her storytelling was like- but the cover grabbed my attention, and the blurb fired my curiosity to find out what happened. So I happily one-clicked myself a copy to explore.
I loved the premise of the story, right from the get-go I was intrigued by the whole earth-bound spirit, remote island murder mystery aspect and I was excited to see how the story played out.
What I discovered is a contemporary paranormal romantic mystery with drama, danger, suspense, intrigue, and uncovering secrets. While, for the most part, I enjoyed the story- there were aspects that pulled me out of the storyline and had me questioning things.
For me, there was a lot of contradictory/conflicting information/details. As well as getting whiplash from the characters sudden changes of opinion after having given very strong opinions to the contrary only paragraphs earlier, with no reasons for their change of heart. It felt like a lot of manufactured drama and that left a ‘bad taste’ in my mouth. It also made it difficult to connect with the characters or feel like I was fully invested in them and the outcome of the story.
The story was slow to get going, it was at least a quarter of the way into the book before the ‘story’ really started. So that was frustrating. A lot of what happened in that first quarter of the book could, in my opinion, have been condensed into a couple of chapters, or been told in a prologue. It just ‘dragged’ the beginning of the story out way too far and took away from the intrigue of the ‘actual’ story.
The transitions from scene to scene were somewhat abrupt and confusing too. With only a sentence space between one scene and the next, which didn’t allow enough space to ‘end’ what had been happening, before continuing, which made one scene flow into another, causing confusion. That had me rereading parts to figure out what was going on before realising that there were different ‘scenes’ playing out. A bigger space, symbol, motif, swirl, or other visual clue would have allowed a smoother scene break and given the story a better flow, while saving any kind of confusion.
Again, though, I did overall enjoy the story- I just feel like the author missed the opportunity to take her book to a whole other level and really stand out from ‘the rest’.
But, I see that the author has a lot of other books to her name, which makes me curious to see what else she can do, so I will be going back later to explore more of her books and find out.
Happy reading…
Thank you, Kellie Wallace!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A bit of an emotional read, Before I Let You Go is a contemporary romance with drama, romance, mystery, heart breaking moments enveloped with paranormal feel. Can I just say that this story really took me on a roller coaster of emotion. I was not sure what to expect, but I was intrigued by the cover and snyposis and started to turn the pages. Wow….this is a great read….
Difficult decision and grief can be a fickle thing. Elsbeth inherits a remove cottage in Guernsey after her aunt passes. As Elsbeth navigates breaking off a potential engagement and thinking what is best for her, the decision to go to Guernsey is difficult..knowing her father is gravely ill. With so much breaking her down, Elsbeth decides to take the leap and see what her newly inherited home has to offer. With new offers being presented to her by an ambitious businessman as soon as she lands in Guernsey, Elsbeth is overwhelmed between the cottage and being confronted to sell her property. Nohting prepares Elsbeth with this mysterious man that comes into her life…. Bishop York. As Elsbeth and Bishop become more close..there is more to realize the mystery behind their connection. Bishop will do everything in his power to keep Elsbeth safe…but when secrets come into play and the hard truths come out will Elsbeth be able to hold onto Bishop and get through her pain grief and heartbreak as well…….
This was a great read….and I loved the paranormal aspect of this story…
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Elsbeth and her sister Zara, the sibling dynamic caught my interest right off, I loved the house they found and made it home. The whole connection with Elsbeth and those around her keeps you interested and wanting to keep reading more. I got hooked on the story and the paranormal angles, I could not put it down and loved reading it.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Before I Let You Go is a paranormal/suspense/romance by Kellie Wallace. We follow Elsbeth, who is having a pretty trying time in her life. When her aunt leaves her a house, she sees this as an opportunity for a fresh start. Soon she finds herself dealing with a shady man trying to get her property. Elsbeth meets the handsome Bishop and finds herself needing to solve a new mystery. This was a great story. This book keeps you engaged with a well-written plot and plenty of twists. The story was wonderfully unpredictable. I loved Elsbeth and found myself able to relate to her easily. The chemistry between Bishop and Elsbeth was great. I look forward to more from this author.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book a lot. There were lots of layers to the story and so many different dynamics for Elsbeth. Her relationship with her sister, her mother, her father, the ex-boyfriend, the unexpected inheritance, and of course Guernsey. And then there are Ben, Bishop, Ambrose…and more! The author does a great job of building the characters throughout the story and giving the reader a chance to really root for Elsbeth and for her to find happiness. Lots of twists and turns make for a very interesting contemporary romance story! This was a quick read that I really enjoyed.
The Complete Echo Series by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was super excited to see this box set I love when all my books are in one place. If you are looking for a fantastic series to read, I highly recommend getting this book set. Echoing Hearts
Another great read by C.R Alam. I had started the series on His Forever Muse, so I went back and read this and was not disappointed, It was just as good as the second one. Although the relationship between Rae and Dean was slow burning,it was not lacking any chemistry. The story was a real page turner, with their on/ off statues leaves you dying to know what happens. I’m so happy they got their happily ever after. Reading this one after his forever muse makes me love Brandon even more than before. Im off to read the next book. I highly recommend reading.
His Forever Muse
This is the second book of The Echo Series by the Author C.R Alam. I’m a first time reader of this author and I was amazed at the writing. The story between Callie &Brandon was so well written and has suspense, romance and ups and downs that’ll leave you engaged and intrigued.His Forever Muse is a friends to lovers romance story( It’s one of my top 5 favorite genre to read).This book can be easily read as a stand alone. That’s what I did but when I tell you I will be running to go read the first book (Echoing Hearts)and then again on April 18th when Unexpected Entanglement comes out I cannot wait.
Unexpected Entanglement
I was waiting for this book to be released so I could read it. After the much anticipated wait I gotta say 10 out of 10 . Definitely Tied with the second book as my favorite of the series is so far. C.R Alam is amazing. She is hitting all of my favorite tropes when reading. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the new characters that were introduced in the book.the author really gets you to feel every emotion the characters feel. I love it ❤️waiting for the next installment
Make Me Burn by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read a few books from this authors and she always blows my mind with her storytelling. This is the ninth book of the amazing North Folk series. This could be read as a stand alone but there are previous characters in this book as well. I was so excited to read this I stopped everything and started reading it immediately. I could not stop until the very end. It only took me a few hours to devour this amazing story. I can’t wait to see what she will write next.
Logan Bennett had a tough childhood but then he met Victor. They were best friends for a very long time but then a misunderstanding broke them apart. Now Logan is a very well known billionaire and he loves to play games with others’ hearts. He is in complete shock when the beautiful Jinx from his childhood is at the same wedding he is at. She is now gorgeous but he knows she is still off limits because of his ex friend Vic. He knows he shouldn’t but he can’t control what his heart wants. Logan starts to get to know the grown up Jinx and he can’t get enough of her. Will Logan be able to end the feud with Vic so he can give Jinx the man she deserves or will there be too much bad blood?
Review by @heatherbass
Make Me Burn by Alicia Street
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this without having read any others in the series and I enjoyed that I didn’t feel lost because I was picking it up mid series. Jinx and Logan have chemistry that can be felt coming off the pages hot and heavy. Is the romance worth it though? There history and there’s messy but can two people navigate through it?!? Part of the reason this was only 3 stars for me about 3.5 is because I feel as if the story has been played out, I was waiting for something to really make this stand apart from all the other billionaire romances. In no way do I think it wasn’t good I just was waiting for it to stand out.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Elsbeth is a young woman in Texas whose life seems to be coming apart at the seams. She finds out that her long-term partner is cheating on her, right before he proposes. Her relationship with her sister Zara and mother is strained and her beloved father is dying. How much more can a woman take?
An opportunity for a new start emerges when she finds out she has been left a house on a remote island in Guernsey by an aunt she barely remembers. So she takes the opportunity to leave the dramas of her life behind. But the new start isn’t as easy as she wishes, and she is plagued with doubts about leaving her ailing father behind and regrets about how she ended her relationship with her cheating boyfriend. The house is a dishevelled mess, but Elsbeth is no stranger to hard work and takes on the challenge and finds part-time work at her lawyer’s office.
Things take a dark turn with a rich developer who hounded her aunt to sell the island and will stop at nothing to get Elsbeth to sell to him. Mysterious happenings at the house lead her to Bishop, who is not as he seems and reveals a mystery that Elsbeth needs to solve before it is too late.
I really enjoyed this fast-paced suspense/paranormal/romance by Kellie Wallace. It was well-written, and showed great character growth.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is a great paranormal romance story that is exciting and fast paced. For me this book really was all about the main character, Elsbeth. I found it so easy to connect with her while reading the book and I wanted to go in this journey with her. So much happens to her throughout this story and it was great to see how she developed through it all.
This is the first book that i have read by this author but it won’t be the last. It as well thought out and exciting to read. I found myself engaged with the story and really enjoyed the characters. This was a great book to read and I will definitely check out more.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this suspenseful story. This is a newer author for me which I enjoyed their writing skills and their attention to details that brought her characters to life. I found this book to be well written and hard to put down. I enjoyed how the characters pulled me into their world from the start. They are strong, creative, engaging characters, they made the story easy to read. I enjoyed watching their growth throughout which added to the story’s entertainment value. This is a fast paced hard to put down story that you don’t want to miss for sure. A story where the past comes to the present and choices that will change lives forever. This is a great story and one I highly recommend.
Review by @bjwagner
The Complete Echo Series by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Complete Echo Series is an incredibly immersive 4 book series, written by the equally incredibly author C. R. Alam. These books were absolutely addictive, so much so I was putting off important things just to finish another chapter. I loved each and every one of them, quickly falling in love with each set of characters. These don’t have to be read in any particular order, though I do recommend them all! This was my first experience with C. R. Alam, and I simply ate all of them up. I adored the entire series, and can’t wait to get ahold of more of this author!
<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208467318-make-me-burn” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”Make Me Burn (North Fork Series Book 9)” src=”https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/111×148-bcc042a9c91a29c1d680899eff700a03.png” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208467318-make-me-burn”>Make Me Burn</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5398771.Alicia_Street”>Alicia Street</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6403462130″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Firstly, this is book 9, can be read as a stand alone, or delve into the entire series.<br />Logan and Vic become best friends in college. Vic’s parents considered him another son. They were everywhere together. Jinx has always been the younger sister. Both boys were always so protective of her. Jinx of course fell head over heels from him from day one. Logan told Jinx all his secrets, they became fast friends. During school, Logan changed his number and basically disappeared. But Vic knew what had happened and the secret that could have torn everything apart. Well fast forward 8years later when Jinx and Logan reunite at a friend’s wedding.<br />Logan and Jinx end up hooking up “just to get it out” of their systems. Well…that doesn’t go as planned. Logan knows Vic will tear him apart if he knows his old bff and his little sister had a fling. Jinx is determined to figure out what happened between the two.
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<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6813301-tori”>View all my reviews</a>
<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205837428-the-complete-echo-series” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”The Complete Echo Series (Echo #1-4)” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1706037377l/205837428._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205837428-the-complete-echo-series”>The Complete Echo Series</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18542723.C_R_Alam”>C.R. Alam</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6403462977″>5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This was a great series and every book was just as good as the one previous. How the author wrote the stories of these characters lives made them feel real. You will get invested in what is happening and time will pass fairly quickly. Don’t feel pressured to read these books in the order they are written. Although the characters may appear in any of the books, they can be read as a standalone and in any order you choose.
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<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/106111308-charlisa-wahtomy-alba”>View all my reviews</a>
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This novel is a story of redemption and new beginnings. This contemporary romance with a tidbit of paranormal has a dark mystery at heart. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader turning the page. The author does a nice job of hooking the reader from the beginning.
Stars in the City by Krysten Lindsay Hager
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This YA Romance is interesting book that had all of the teen angst and drama that i associate with YA. It even had drama filled moments and love triangles included. It was a cute story that was well written and clean (shudders in lack of smuttt lol) and i enjoyed the main characters, drama included. It just wasn’t really my kinda story but I think it would be perfect for someone that loves typical YA romance so definitely pick this one up if that’s your cup of tea.
Happy Reading!
Before You Say I Do by Marina Hanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is about Liam Cross being patient and waiting for Emma Price to agree to go out with him. It’s hard because Emma’s best friend is with Liam’s best friend.
Emma usually only has one night stands. She can’t trust any man after Stuart broke her trust in the worst of ways.
Emma and Liam get along great. Their one night was so explosive that they agreed they can’t just stop at one night. I guess you can say they become friends with benefits. They both enjoy eachothers company and they are totally in sync between the sheets. Emma starts to have real Feelings for Liam and she doesn’t realize it but, he feels the same way. He tries to fight it at every turn. They have an agreement that they will get married, Emma gets paid to stay married to him for 1 year and he gets his trust fund released to him. These two really annoyed me because they are perfect for eachother. Emma knows she will have a broken heart at the end of the year.
Wi these two have a chance at a happy ending ? Will Liam ever tell Emma how he really feels or is this really just a contract that will end in a year and these two go their separate ways ? Definitely a great read but everything this author writes is amazing!
Review by @xchellex
The Magic Man by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is book three to The Olympic Peninsula series and even though you COULD read this without reading the others (the author does a wonderful job at explaining who everyone is and giving little tidbits to let you know what happened in the previous books), I personally would just recommend that you read them all. You don’t have to, like I said the author is wonderful, but I would. Plus once you read one you will want to read the others to learn about these wonderful characters and their somewhat odd stories/lives. In this book you read David and Maddie’s story. David returns to the family for his sister Teresa’s wedding (her book is number 2). It’s odd that he just shows up out of the blue and the rest of the family can’t quite get a read on him. He’s been a surgeon in Africa for the last four years, but he doesn’t want to discuss it. He also doesn’t want to talk about his fiancée who’s coming to visit around the holidays. Weird right? But they’re not the only guests visiting the family. Maddie who is a serious actress is also staying at the O’Connell Compound and she has a leading role at the local theater! Unfortunately her co-star is Kilo, who’s the local yoga instructor, Teresa’s ex husband, and a huge charmer of the ladies. Even though she is drawn to David, knowing he’s engaged and his life is going another direction Maddie is pulled into Kilo’s web full of charm and excitement. She’s okay with a little theater fling, but it will end when the show does. Right? David wants Maddie, but his life is so complicated right now. He left Africa for a reason, he is busy appeasing his fiancée, and he also needs to figure out some custody issues as well. These two would have been perfect for each other. Time just isn’t on their side. Their lives are not on the same path right now. If only they could hit a reset button and meet each other at another time in their lives. Such a great series!! I can’t wait to finish it!! Grab this set today if you love contemporary romances with twists and turns and even a little magic!!
The Changed Man by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This set is getting better and better with each book! The characters, what they go through, and their cute little Compound life is so great! In this book you get to meet Jake again and get to know him a bit better. He’s been the CEO of the family business and has had a small feud with his twin brother Joe for quite some time. Him showing up out of the blue for David’s wedding throws the whole family for a loop. What’s he doing here? Why now? He resigned as CEO?! What the heck. Who is this brother who has done a complete 180 with his life?? Jake seems more laid back. He rents a random weird Victorian mansion. He’s even writing books! One of which they want to make a movie!! The family once again has a hard time reading their brother. What happened to him? Who is this new man and what happened to their brother? He seems a bit haunted but much more easy going then before. While he’s rattling around Port Townsend he finds a woman that he can’t keep out of his thoughts. She’s beautiful and she doesn’t even know it. He’d love to give her everything in the world, but she’s married. Just his luck! What will he do with the ghost that haunts him and the woman he wants but can’t have?? Man of man! Such a great book. I can’t wait to read the next one!! You have to give this set a shot!! Contemporary Romance with a few twists you won’t see coming! Such a super cute family with lots of ups and downs.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book had so many twists and turns; I could not put it down. Elsbeth’s character was very relatable. She had multiple traumatic events happen to her in such a short span of time.
The character development was great and the story was very well written. There was an assault trigger I was not expecting, but it did help develop the story and character.
The Complete Echo Series by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of my favorite contemporary romance series! Each book, character, and setting, I fell in love with! Even though, technically, each book can be read separately and out of order, reading each book in order made me more eager for each book that came out and I absolutely love characters from previous books being brought into the current one I was reading.
First book focuses on Rae and Dean, who at first are taken aback by one another and find all the reasons not to be with each other but their chemistry takes the lead. It is great to see them bring better understanding to their individual situations and then start accepting they are a united pair. We also discover that both Rae and Dean have amazing friends that seek out what is best for them as well. Seeing these supported characters makes you feel so warm of their connectedness.
Then in the second novel, this focuses on Rae’s best friend, Brandon and Calliope, who is Brandon’s childhood friend and bandmate’s sister. This is my favorite one perhaps of their deeply rooted connection from long ago resurfacing and Calliope’s situation. Their story takes on a more suspenseful twist as Calliope was involved in a previously abusive relationship. If anyone is sensitive to these themes, it may be read cautiously but it is still worth the read!
In the third novel, this focuses on Chris, Dean’s best friend and Rowan, who recently discovered that Rae is her half-sister. After the passing of their father, Rowan, Rae and their brother own Vinalhaven Inn and are trying to renovate things for their cousin’s upcoming wedding. Chris, acting as a meditator on Rae’s behalf, tries to get to know Rowan but ends up falling for such a feisty, proactive woman. With his hotel background, he decides to stay and help out however he can, which also works in both their benefit romantically and professionally. Rae is brought into this book, which I loved.
Lastly, the story focuses on Curtis, Brandon’s bandmate and Calliope’s brother, and Lina, previous and current security detail for Curtis. Although there is still a lot of romance between these characters and past story characters brought back into the storyline, this one is a bit different as the female character Lina becomes a dominant figure in protecting Curtis from a harmful situation. I absolutely love Curtis’ take on Lina. He doesn’t feel threatened or belittles her position. More men need to take this approach with the strong women in their lives!
Before You Say I Do by Marina Hanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Before You Say I Do by Marina Hanna. This is such a good steamy romance. Its about a girl named Emma whose ex has done a number on her and she won’t get into a relationship with anyone because of it. When she meets Liam and has a one night stand with him something is different. The one night stand turns into a second and third when Liam realizes he doesn’t want to have just a one night stand with Emma. They begin to be friends with benefits and then realize they want more. Liam has some secrets having to do with his family and decides he’s going to propose to Emma so he can get his inheritance. He has to stay married for a year and he and Emma think they can manage. The only problem is they begin to get feelings for one another and that causes major problems! Will they be able to last a year or will they want more or worse it all fall apart. Read this steamy contemporary romance to find out!
The Closer: An enemies to lovers dark romance by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
June Allison is seeing her start up company getting ready to completely derail and she needs help. She reaches out to the one man she loathes, Dallas Evener the man who she never wanted to see again. The history between them is met with hurt, the chemistry though is still there. June doesn’t want to have to agree to a deal, but none the less she does. She doesn’t expect to start something again with Dallas and when she does can she give him a second chance or will this time around be an epic fail?
There are layers to this story with the history, pride, and the intense feelings June and Dallas have for one another. At times it hopped a bit for me that had me wondering if I was missing something. I thought this was overall entertaining, so many characters that I was intrigued about that I want to go back and start from the beginning of the series. I would check out more in the series.
The Complete Echo Series by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Complete Echo Series is a contemporary romance boxed set that contains all four books in the Echo Series. Each story centers around different characters that will certainly take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as each couple must work through issues like time, distance, separation, jealousy, insecurity, self-discovery, and drama.
In Book One, Echoing Hearts, we meet Rae and Dean who come together unexpectedly when Rae is asked to interview a home designer. When Rae meets Dean, the homeowner, is rude, obnoxious, and arrogant. After being left at the alter Dean is feeling jaded and the last thing, he is looking for is a relationship. He is civil to Rae at first but eventually becomes attracted to her wit and feisty attitude. This is an enemies to lovers story with drama, angst, chemistry, and finding love unexpectedly.
In Book Two, His Forever Muse, we are introduced to Brandon and Calliope who come together unexpectedly after fifteen years apart. Brandon is a gifted artist and musician who has lost his inspiration and creativity. He needs to find something that will spark his creativity, and this is where Calliope re-enters his life. They both find themselves in Morocco at the same time but for very different reasons. When they run into one another all the feelings Brandon once had for Calliope are rekindled. Calliope, or Callie, has had a rough past with a man who abused her and fled from him to start a new life. When she runs into her childhood friend Brandon old feelings resurface but she must decide if she trusts him enough to share her painful past with him. This was a second chance, friends to lovers romance with drama, passion, and overcoming a painful past.
In Book Three, Unexpected Entanglement, we meet Chris and Rowan who are faking being engaged to one another. Rowan is planning the perfect wedding for her cousin at an inn that her family owns. Despite the wedding being only two weeks away Rowan is determined that things like the inn needing repairs and staff will not stop the wedding from taking place. Chris is a wealthy and successful hotelier who finds himself somewhat reluctantly helping Rowan plan her cousin’s wedding. The witty banter between them gives the story a lively twist. The passion between Rowan and Chris is undeniable and might just get the two sidetracked from planning the perfect wedding. This was a fake to real romance with drama, tension, suspense, passion, family, and humor.
In Book Four, Dangerous Rhythm, we meet Lina and Curtis who are thrown together when Lina is hired to protect Curtis from someone who wants him dead. Lina must get over the less than perfect past her and Curtis have together and focus on keeping him safe from those who want to harm him. Lina is very serious by nature while Curtis is more easygoing so the two balance one another out. Lina has a hard time keeping her mind focused on her job because she is distracted by Curtis’ charm. This book had a reversal protector role, action, danger, suspense, angst, tension, and passion.
This was a great boxed set with fantastic characters, great storylines, and twists and turns. Each story had another story that was simultaneously weaved into it which added an extra dimension to the overall theme of the book. Although the theme of each book was romance there were underlying themes of angst, danger, suspense, drama, mystery, and intrigue that kept me riveted. The stories contained strong characters who were relatable and engaging.
The Closer: An enemies to lovers dark romance by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Whoa! Did that just happen? What a shock! This writing in here just drew me in. I loved all the bantering/bickering between Dallas and June (Enemies to Loves is a favorite trope of mine). As well as how the author told us of a past between them but never really got to the nitty gritty of it until later in the story (nail-biting at times). June stayed pretty true to form through most of the book but Dallas was ever changing and ended up in a different place than when he started. I really liked the build up between these two and as the story unfolded. At times I wasn’t sure if they should be together or let them go their own way.
Secondary characters are wonderful! We met her friends and their companions in the last couple books. They did not disappoint and held true to form as they all helped June through this debacle she found herself in. Then there is that pesky dark unknown guy who was so difficult to figure out. He embodies the darker side of the story but I was in a quandary about him as much as June. He played his part well but I wonder…….
As usual the author wrote an amazing story. Well built characters that surprised me. I held on as we traversed the ups and downs on their business side as well as these twos personal lives. The suspense and deeply emotional parts left me baffled at times. Overall a good ending for these three friends.
Before You Say I Do by Marina Hanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a great read. I love that the main characters had issues in their pasts and did what they could to move past them by setting boundaries. Emma will only have one night stands because of her past and when she meets Liam, that is about to change. They both agree to certain rules and boundaries but they quickly find that their hearts are moving faster than they would like. There are some steamy scenes in this book that help elevate the story line. I find that these scenes aren’t throughout the book but in very strategic places and that is what helps elevate the story line. There are some surprised in the book that I didn’t see coming and that made it even better. I love the simplicity of them falling in love. It kept me turning the pages and hating that it ended. There is character development throughout the book that doesn’t smack you in the face. It is at a pace that matches the story line. It isn’t like poof the characters are different then before. There is also struggle with the growth which makes the characters more relatable. With change comes some push back and that is what happens in this book. It is a gentle tug of war within themselves that grows into an amazing story. I highly suggest reading this.
Reviewed by: @bbohls
