The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Who doesn’t love romance? All the books and characters flow together smoothly. I love how this book highlights the importance of family and love. I highly recommend this whole series.
The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I live for reading an entire collection at once rather than waiting for each new release. Each book brought the story of another Rocklyn family member and their love interest. Despite practically being royalty due to their vineyard the Rocklyn family has their share of issues, especially when it comes to love.
Alicia Street’s writing is engaging and easy to read. Each character pulls you in and has you rooting for their happily ever after. Throughout the series Tucker was always a hoot. I was glad to see him get his own story to round out the series.
The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This series is focused on the Rocklyn family. I love how the stories are all different, but they wind together a little as the characters in each story are family. Each story was a pretty quick read and was highly enjoyable. This was a series in which it was very easy to binge read. I just wanted to read, read, read to soak up as much as this family and their lives as I could. They all had their issues, but they were all easy to love.
The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dont let the length discourage you! These stories are totally worth it!
There are so many emotions within each story. We have happy, sad, steamy, and everything in between!
Fashionably Fake by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the 4th book of the Kings of Screen but can be read as a standalone. The author is very adept at weaving in the important details of the previous stories and keeping the reader from feeling like they are missing something. The characters are so fun to read and go on this “fake” relationship with. It is told in both POV’s which I personally love because you get to see both characters fall for each other in their own words. This was a great read and will definitely leave you going back for the first three!
Hidden Mischief by Alyndra Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was not what I was expecting. It was pretty vanilla to me, however the heat between Ashton an Zach was quite steamy! If you are new to spicy books or BDSM then this is the perfect beginner book for you.
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an author that I have enjoyed reading from the first book I picked up by her. I enjoy her writing skills as well as her attention to details that make her stories pop. Her characters are connectible and certainly bring heat and romance to the story. This book is no different. This is the first book in a new series for this author and what a great start it is. I enjoyed how I was pulled into the story by the characters. I enjoyed watching their growth as well as their attraction throughout the story. Their chemistry is off the charts for sure. This is a second chance romance story but is their love strong enough to survive the evil that is lurking? You don’t want to miss what happens with these characters for sure. This is a fast paced, engaging story that is hard to put down and easy to read. I really enjoyed this book and what the characters bring to the story. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What an absolutely amazing collection of fabulous stories from a truly talented author. It if so filled with wonderful heartfelt characters and creative, extremely well written storylines, you really wont want to put it down. There plenty of steamy moments but there is laughter and sadness, hope and fun banter, past hurts to overcome and even some danger. Don’t miss this!!!
The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is over 1000 pages…7 books of sweet couples trying to find their way. Some of these characters go many many years before finding the one they are meant to be with. All of these books are great. Of course everyone has their favorites. Personally it was hard to choose a few favorites out of the series. Rainy Day Lovers is by far one of my faves! All of the characters were totally loveable. The Rocklyn’s are just an average amazing family with great family
Values they make the readers root
For them all thru each page.
Rainy…well really what’s there not to love. This girl is an amazing person even at such a young age, she volunteers and helps
People when she can. I was so happy to see her find someone.
Maybe Lovers….Jeff, boy oh boy what in the world did he get himself into being engaged to Peyton. I cannot believe how she got away with everything she did for as long as she did. I loved the bartender Carly. She was another one of my Favorite characters in The collection
The author did amazing with each one of these books.
Review by @xchellex
Hidden Mischief by Alyndra Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first book in the Shattered Embrace series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What I loved about this book is how deep the author goes with her characters and setting the scene instead of it being a few words and then action. The build up of the characters attraction and witnessing their interactions really brought them to life for me.
This is a dom/sub relationship and the author does a great job of giving the reader a complete and full understanding of what exactly that entail in an open and honest way.
Zachery is a strong Dom. He runs a club and well as other businesses. He is successful and has never wanted to settle down until he meets Ashton.
Ashton is a sub. She wants to joined Shattered Embrace to rediscover herself. What she doesn’t expect is that the man she is employed by as a consultant is the same man who holds the key to the door of the club she wanted to join.
The attraction is immediate but can they mix business and pleasure? What I love about Aston is that she isn’t a typical shy, meek sub. Even with her Dom she is sassy and says what she thinks which only intrigues Zachery even more?
Could Ashton be the one the finally make Zachery settle down? Will the chemistry between them be too much to handle? As the story progresses we learn much about the characters and just how perfectly matched they are.
I can’t wait to read the next book.
Hidden Mischief by Alyndra Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is an interesting story covering a lifestyle I really know nothing about. I am not a huge fan of BDSM books and was unaware this was one. In here we follow Ashton on a journey of self discovery. I think I learned as much as she did. Ha ha! She is surrounded by Doms unbeknownst to her. Each is learning how to deal with each other in this new role from her besties, old classmates and family.
This is an okay story but just not for me.
Fashionably Fake by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. I always love a fake romance that actually blossoms into a relationship. Jackson and Ros worked well together and had good chemistry. This author does a good job weaving the plot and making each book feel different within the genre. I look forward to more by this author.
The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Stars
The Rocklyns Collection: Books 1-7 (The Rocklyns Series) by Alicia Street
The Rocklyns Collection is a boxset of seven books in the Rocklyns Series. Each book follows a different Rocklyn sibling and can be read as standalones but I’m a sucker for reading series in order. This Collection is a Contemporary Romance that will have you turning the pages till the end. I’m definitely putting this collection on my list of rereads. If you’re looking for a good second chance romance, opposites attract, forbidden love then this is a boxset for you. Each story has ,drama ,secrets, forbidden love and so much more. I highly recommend reading this collection and I’m looking forward to reading more from this Author.
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3 Stars
Deceptively Yours is the first book in the Titans of Chicago series by Anise Storm. This is the start of a new spin-off series (from Titans of Manhattan), this time set in Chicago. I have loved reading the Titans of Manhattan, so it was a given that I would be diving into this book as soon as it released.
This is a bit of a darker romantic suspense with trigger warnings for violence, SA, and more- so keep that in mind before diving in.
The story is a second chance romance with forced proximity, painful past history, hurt, tension, chemistry, sparks, sizzle, emotion, lies, secrets, angst, drama, tension, intrigue, action, flashbacks, and is told from a duel (alternating) POV.
There were parts of the story which were heart-wrenching at times, where I really felt for the character/s. And as I mentioned above, some of the subject-matter could be considered triggers for some readers – so be warned. This is not a light and fluffy read. Our FMC especially, has been through the wringer.
Though, I have to be honest here, I have really struggled with my thoughts on this book and how to put them into my review. As I have mentioned, I have read most of Ms. Storm’s books now and have enjoyed my reading journey with her. But I really struggled reading this book for numerous reasons, one of which was that it felt like it was (almost) written by a completely different author, and not up to Ms. Storm’s usual ‘polish’ (so sorry, Ms. Storm).
Let me try and explain. First of all, our MC’s are only 26 and so much has happened to them over the years- as they have gone from childhood friends to teen sweethearts, to then being ripped apart by harrowing circumstances at the age of sixteen. So, I really feel that these two needed to be slightly older now (perhaps 29/30) to really ‘fit’ the storyline/circumstances/life better. But, in saying that, there was a lot of dialogue/inner thoughts which ‘sounded’ much older and more ‘formal’- especially when we were reading from a sixteen-year-olds perspective. There were times that the dialogue just didn’t feel realistic for the situation or characters circumstances/ages, which pulled me out of the story and disrupted the ‘flow’. Then there was repeated information, in the form of inner thoughts/dialogue which was frustrating having to ‘hear’ something we already knew, repeatedly. After a while it just seemed like manufactured angst/drama. Then there was the use of wrong terms (from my perspective) which pulled me out of the story and had me re-reading to confirm what I just read. Which again, is my own perspective/‘issues’ with this book- as others might not even notice or care. There were also terms, sentences/dialogue that seemed quite ‘clunky/bumpy/unneeded/confusing, which made for a choppy feel, and again, pulled me out of the story. And the tenses of the story were in conflict at times, too. I feel that most of these issues could have been caught during the beta read/editing process and would have made the story so much more polished — made it flow/feel so much better (but again, this is just my personal opinion).
Then there were the characters – who frustrated me to death with their miscommunications/misunderstandings/manufacturing angst and drama- I went from really feeling for them to wanting to knock their heads together, and that made it hard for me to fully connect with them and invest in their story. I am not trying to sound ‘nit-picking’ here, just trying to convey how I feel, and why this just didn’t connect with me the way I had hoped……
But having loved Ms. Storm’s other works, I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Happy reading!
Thank you, Anise Storm!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199274632-deceptively-yours” style=”float: left; padding-right: 20px”><img border=”0″ alt=”Deceptively Yours (Titans of Chicago, #1)” src=”https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1704305907l/199274632._SX98_.jpg” /></a><a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199274632-deceptively-yours”>Deceptively Yours</a> by <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14696494.Anise_Storm”>Anise Storm</a><br/>
My rating: <a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6245376024″>4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Gabriel and Harper were like two peas in a pod growing up. They had the perfect relationship as teens, or so Gabriel thought. They had many plans of going to the same college, living together, and much more. All those dreams go down the drain though when Harper breaks up with Gabriel and moves on. She blocks his number and all of his social media accounts effectively cutting him off. She thought she was doing a good thing by saving him from her horrible secret, her horrible home life. Now it has been a decade and Harper is back in Chicago to once again save Gabriel. Or so she thinks. How will Gabriel feel about seeing her? He spent all those years hating her but seeing her as a grown woman is making that hard. Will they get their happily ever after? I enjoyed this book a lot. It had the same vibes as her other series, The Titans of Manhatten, and I devoured those books. I’m looking forward to the next installment of this series.
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<a href=”https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/106111308-charlisa-wahtomy-alba”>View all my reviews</a>
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Titans are back, and can I tell you I was so excited….starting Deceptively Yours, which is the first book in the Titans of Chicago series. I am a HUGE fan of this author and I devoured this book and just could not put it down. All the feels of romance, drama, greed, danger, heartbreak, chemistry and some very steamy moments…Harper and Gabriel went through so much…it gutted me in many parts of their story….but I LOVED this book so much. I am eagerly anticipating on more from this series and I cannot wait.
How do you go from being together and having all of your future plans you want just go up in flames in a split second? The story of Harper and Gabriel is this story. All Harper and Gabriel want is a future together no matter what, but when a tragedy destroys those plans…Harper does nothing but try and protect the love of her life…Gabriel…but with lies. Split apart and no contact for ten years, Harper now is trying to protect Gabriel even though he wants nothing to do with the person whom tore his heart apart years ago. Harper is broken and feels like damaged good….she tries until the ends of the earth to speak to Gabriel..when a chance encounter leads them together again…hurt and anger along with love bring them close.
When hard truths surface that put Harper in danger more than ever….will Gabriel be able to be there for her when she needs him the most…..definitely read and find out.
I do not want to give anything away..but this story gutted me….and there are trigger warnings, so be advised….but this story was fantastic.
Dirty Heartbreaker: Hamilton Steelhawks Book 3 by A C Sheppard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dirty Heartbreaker is book three in the Hamilton Steelhawks Series. You CAN read this as a stand alone (that’s what I originally did), but I honestly suggest starting at the beginning and grabbing them all in order. I can’t wait to read the others myself. This type of Sports Romance isn’t new to me, but I don’t know much about hokey or skating. That didn’t cause any problems for me though. I really enjoyed the love hate relationship between the characters. This book in the series is about Colby and Gabriella’s entanglement and boy oh boy is it a sizzling story. Gabby’s best friend is getting married. She is maid of honor and is helping not only with the wedding, but also making the wedding gown. She’s a former ice skater turned business women. She is determined to make her friend’s wedding the best it can be with the least about of issues possible. Only issue there is that the groom’s best man also happens to be a hockey player that she’s hooked up with in the past. He ignites her at every turn. She has to stay away from him, but how when they have to help with the wedding. Thrust together for wedding prep has them all hot and bothered and of course fighting with sparks flying everywhere. Can these to be adults, put their differences aside, and put their friends big day first? Or will they ruin it all igniting the fires within them both. You have got to try this one out if you like romances. If you aren’t sure because it’s a sports romance let me tell you!! Put that aside and try it out anyways! You will be so glad that you did! This book was cute, steamy, funny, and of course bursting with romance. Don’t let the sport scare you off!! I’d definitely recommend this book to romance lovers of all kinds!
Dirty Heartbreaker: Hamilton Steelhawks Book 3 by A C Sheppard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dirty Heartbreaker is book three in the Hamilton Steelhawks series. Let me tell you once i started i could not stop. I am late to this series, but I was able to follow along but some of the characters i was reading about are from previous books so I would recommend starting from the beginning. This book from the start pulled me in i loved the characters especially Colby. In book three we Follow the journey between Colby and Gabriella and it’s a whirl wind of adventures. I liked that i couldn’t predict what was going to happen with them next. If you are into Contemporary romance or even sports romance, you will love this series i highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading more books in this series and even more books by this author.
@stephaniedulac25
The Rocklyns Collection: Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Alicia Street
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a collection of novels, all featuring one family. They are good people, but certainly not perfect. Can they be manipulative? Absolutely. Overbearing? Without a doubt. But in the end, they will always have each other’s backs, and some of them may even experience growth and humility along the way.
Dirty Heartbreaker: Hamilton Steelhawks Book 3 by A C Sheppard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this romance story. I enjoyed how the author pulled me into the story from the beginning. This is a well written story about what happens when a best man and a maid of honor need to work together to make sure a wedding comes off without a hitch. What they don’t expect is their attraction to each other. Gabriella and Colby are great characters that you don’t want to miss what happens between them. I enjoyed watching their growth and chemistry throughout the story. They are strong characters that have a strong attraction which adds to the story. They are relatable and had me coming back for more. This is a fast paced, hard to put down, easy to read story. I really enjoyed reading this book for sure. I highly recommend this book
Review by @bjwagner
Perfect Office Pact by Maria Jane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am enjoying the Pact stories by Tricia/Maria and was excited when I saw there was another book out. I have read a lot of work written as Tricia and have enjoyed them all immensely. I love the variety of genre’s that she writes in both names.
Perfect Office Pact by Maria Jane is a contemporary romance tale. I liked that she is now writing in the third person POV because it gives a story more depth and gives us as readers a much broader and in-depth insight into the person, their feelings and their thoughts.
Declan and Mira have a push pull relationship neither quite knowing how to express their feelings. There were times I wanted to smack them and tell them to get it together and other times I wanted to hug them. The jury is still out on Mira’s use of the pact.
Perfect Office Pact is written well but the ending for me feels like it ended abruptly. It didn’t quite finish as smoothly as it could have. Having said that the story is fun and keeps readers engaged.
This book will keep you entertained with fun and humour, emotions, some angst, a fair bit of frustration and some sweet romance.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Oh, Anise you don’t know how happy I am to see another series is out. Deceptively Yours is a deviously dark second chance romance with some trigger warnings.
It has romance, steam, spice, chemistry, drama, angst, danger, action and some violence and more that keep those pages turning and before you are ready it is over.
The characters are well developed as is the twisty storyline. I wanted to smack them at times. Gabriel and his hatred and Harper who continues to keep the secret of why gave him up all those years ago.
Even though 9 years had separated them she could not let the boy now man she loved be in danger. Gabriel never knew what Harper sacrificed for him and he doesn’t want to know. What will he do when he finds out? If he finds out.
If you love a dark romance tale and want to know what happens you will have to read it for yourself, and I strongly suggest that you should, or you are missing out on a good tale.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Fashionably Fake by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the 4th book in this series, but it can be read as a stand alone. While I haven’t read the other books in this series, I have read other books by this author. I love her awesome world building and character development. She has a way of making you feel like you’re part of the story and you just end up so completely engrossed you don’t realize it. Ros and Jackson have amazing chemistry and I loved the way this story played out. While I did feel like the ending could have been a little stronger, It was still a great story. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series and getting to know the other characters in this world she’s built.
Review By
Manda Kelly
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This isn’t the first book that I have read from this author. I will say that every time I read one of her books, I am just thrown by how well written they are. This book was one that I didn’t put down until I finished it. I had to see what was going to happen. The push and pull between the characters and the way the storyline just comes to life right off the pages. I am in love with everything in the book. The steam was just the right amount, the anger between the characters, the push and pull, the childhood friends, and the tragedy that happened. This book has it all. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, I was drawn into the book that I was feeling everything the characters were feeling. I was getting mad at my husband for even speaking to me. lol. I was completely irrational but I loved every second of it. If you want a book to give you all the feels this is one of them. This also could very well be, one of the top reads for the year so far. I can’t say enough about this book without giving spoilers. Just read it and you will love it as much as I do.
Reviewed by: @bbohls
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
From the moment I started reading this book I found it impossible to put down. It is well written, intense and such a great story. I loved the characters. The push and pull between them is captivating and I could have read about it so much more. Even through the hatred, there was an undeniable chemistry and for me that is what I loved the most about them.
I thought the story was really strong. It matched the characters so well and I was swept up in what the author was telling us. I love this authors writing style and this book is a great example of why. This book is absolutely fantastic and I loved it from start to finish.
Deceptively Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The first thing I would like to say about this book is that it needs a trigger warning. There are discussions of unwanted assault that I believe needs addressed for all readers.
Other than that, the book is interesting. The characters are easy to understand and they obviously care deeply for each other. It is repeated multiple times throughout the book that they are each others first and only love. Quite tedious, actually, hearing it over and over again. It is also a little frustrating watching Harper and Gabriel go back and forth being irritated with each other. The author stimulated my emotions, so obviously they struck a cord when I read this book. I just do not know that the book is for me.
Overall, I would recommend this book to romance lovers. Perhaps this just is not the romance book for me. There are multiple scenes that are not for young adult readers. I do hope this author continues to write other novels because I enjoyed the writing style, I just hope for a less tedious plot.
Review by @aware
View all my reviews
Fashionably Fake by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the 4th book in the Kings of Screen Series. Even though this is the 4th book they can all be read as stand alone reads as they each focus on a different couple. This is a friend’s to lovers story filled with chemistry, push and pull, angst and humour which really brings the story and the characters to life.
This is Jackson and Ros story. Jackson and Ros have been friends for a long time and even though Jackson wanted more Ros didn’t want to risk their friendship even though she was attracted to Jackson. So they look like they are destined to remain friends until …..
To clear his name for sleeping with a married woman Jackson tells the world that he and Ros are in a relationship and have been for months.
What follows is a story of a fake romance as Ros tries to keep up appearances without falling for Jackson and Jackson tries everything in his power to show Ros that his playboy ways are over and he only wants her. Will he succeed? Or will Ros continue to think it’s just another act?
Dirty Heartbreaker by Ac Sheppard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was quite the enjoyable lovers to enemies to lovers. A hot one-nighter to lovers after being best people at their friends wedding. I loved the flirty snark in this relationship. Being a snarky one myself, it is so much fun to watch people hide their attraction behind it. You can feel their chemistry as they try to hid the way they feel. I loved the interactions with the teammates and how they had to deal with their friends wedding. Drama, action, steamy romance make for a fun read. It’s definitely a sport romance. I love some of these hockey romances. They are really qyite entertaining. I definitely recommend this one.
Fashionably Fake by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is yet another great installment in the Kings of Screen Series by Morgana Bevan. I’m a sucker for a fake relationship story any day, but it’s hard to find one that really draws me in and feels realistic; however, that is exactly what the author has accomplished here. With the dual point of view, we get to see what both main characters are thinking and feeling as they embark on this new fun adventure, allowing us to feel closer to them and their story. This contemporary Hollywood romance was definitely a fun fast read. I cherished the characters’ entertaining, often sassy banter along with the awkwardness of being forced together. I love the vulnerability Jackson, the main male character, shows throughout as he deals with the walls Ros puts up in order to protect her heart from encountering heartache like her parents went through. Will Jackson and Ros be the next Hollywood IT couple for real or will their fake relationship stay just that? I love this series and have read 3 of the 4 books (somehow I missed Book 3) in it and I definitely want to read more things by this author.
Perfect Office Pact by Maria Jane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Easy to read and get lost in. I love how the author gives us both Mira’s point of view as well as Declan’s. I like that Declan has lots of layers to him. I like that the romance isn’t rushed. It made it feel more realistic. Definitely a good read.
