One sassy southern girl looking for the right man…
 
Two sexy men after her heart:
 
Bachelor # 1 – the long term boyfriend she just dumped
 
Bachelor # 2 – her overprotective brothers’ best friend
 
When the competition heats up, who will win her heart and her hand? 

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I was so excited to read this story as I adore the storyline where a woman falls in love with her brother's best friend. It didn't take me long to realise that my anticipation was misplaced.

Maddie is a young and supposedly smart woman yet she is constantly bullied and undermined by her older brothers who apparently have her best interests at heart. They waited for her when she went on a night out, told her what she could and couldn't do and decided that she shouldn't have a career as she wasn't smart enough. I don't mind strong men but these guys were unbelievable.

I quite liked, or at least didn't actively dislike, Chase although he was a little bit weak when it came to his reasons for not being with Maddie. If he didn't like her then that would have been fine but it was all just a bit pointless as conflict, to be honest.

The book was the length of a regular novel at about 350 pages and I felt every single one of them. Each chapter seemed to be each character going over the same emotions, same problems and same dramas but in a different setting each time - I hate to say that I was genuinely bored. To add to that, we kept hearing about the unlikeable brothers and some 'mystery' regarding their parents. When it all came to a conclusion the result was farcical and far from funny which I'm assuming was the intention.

The inclusion of secondary characters was obviously to set up their own, future stories. I for one will not be purchasing them and definitely can't recommend this book, I'm sorry to say. 1 star.

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349 pages

Click to see other books by Rita Herron

Jude Patterson is a sexy but shy romance novelist who discovers the flowery language he's always used in historical love scenes doesn't translate well to contemporary romances. Alyssa Stone is a beautiful fan who offers to help him learn to write better love scenes.

Jude is fascinated by Alyssa, whose confident and sensual demeanor conceals a very vulnerable interior. Before long, he's the one showing her how to write love scenes... and maybe even how to write happy endings.

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I liked the premise of this short story and, at the start with the introduction of Jude, I started to enjoy it. But then along came Alyssa and the story took a major nosedive.

Alyssa was such an unlikeable character that I just couldn't root for her in any way, shape or form. She wasn't relatable and her attitude towards Jude was horrible. I wondered why Jude even liked her but the descriptions made it clear that it wasn't for her winning personality. Even when the reasons behind her behaviour were revealed, I couldn't drum up any sympathy for her as it seemed so far fetched and ridiculous.

Together, Jude and Alyssa had little chemistry and the story plodded along without much happening of interest. By the end, while I did finish it, I was extremely bored and had little interest in the love story or how it ended up.

Lots of people seemed to enjoy this story but I'm afraid it just wasn't for me. At least it was free when I downloaded it but even then I really can't recommend it.

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88 pages

Click to see other books by Ellen Fisher

Someone borrowed is something new… 

Nikki Fine’s debut as an exotic dancer is also her closing act. Because the moment she pops out of the “cake” at a bachelor party, Nikki manages to whack Adam Burke. Fortunately, he overlooks their collision, which leads to a very private – and satisfying – encounter.

But it seems this fling isn’t meant to be. It turns out Adam is a conflict of interest at Nikki’s new day job – the one she can’t afford to lose. Resisting him is easier said than done when he keeps turning up at the office. Maybe she can risk borrowing this bachelor one more time…

All the Groom’s Men: These guys are too hot to be left at the altar!

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I'm always happy to read a Blaze romance and wasn't put off by the unusual premise or how the characters meet in the beginning. Unfortunately, after reading the book I feel that these are the only positive things I can say about it.

Firstly - the characters. Adam was far too immature for my tastes right off the bat and not just because he was only 25. I prefer the male lead to be a strong, confident man but Adam was a juvenile, college boy. Nikki, however, just left me shaking my head in disgust. She too was young, immature and so whiney that I actually couldn't stand her. The pair had no chemistry and the sex scenes were embarrassing to say the least. I want to read about men I want for my own and women that can inspire me - not two kids fumbling and groping about, playing at love and sex.

The plot was flimsy and ridiculous and just didn't interest me at all, I'm afraid. The language used was unbelievably unsophisticated and I just couldn't believe how the characters acted and interacted.

Whenever I put this book down, which was often, I started thinking that perhaps I was being too harsh and that it couldn't have been that bad. So I would pick it up to read again and find out that yes, it really was that bad.

Some books are so bad they are funny. This book didn't even reach those heights. I'm actually flabbergasted that this was a Blaze book and will be avoiding this author from now on. I'm still shaking my head that I wasted so much of my time reading this book and I can't recommend it by any stretch of the imagination. 1 star.

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224 pages

Click to see other books by Karen Kendall

Kristina Taylor's biological clock just went off. She has endometriosis. Now “who's your baby's daddy” just took on a completely new meaning. A brilliant plan for conception includes her hot best friend Johnny Huston. Taking him to bed won’t be a hardship—if she can only get him to play by her rules. After all, she wants to maintain their friendship. Not easy if he ends up being the best sex of her life.

Knock her up? Krissy has to be crazy. Or is she? Johnny has loved her since high school. Her plan might not include life after baby. His does. But how is he going to show her how good they can be together with all her rules—no kissing, no touching, no caressing. He can make love to her, but she’s determined not to enjoy it. To hell with that and to hell with her rules. He’s determined to show her friendship is the best foundation for a relationship.

But there are always complications…

With Johnny, Krissy is afraid to look to the future. Right now, she can’t get enough of the present, and she dreads the thought of losing what she’s had with him in the past.

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I was in the mood for a light, erotic tale and as I enjoy the storyline where friends fall in love I thought this one sounded perfect.

Almost from the start I realised that this story wasn't going to hit the right notes with me. Both our main characters were of college age and acted like it. Their priorities certainly weren't the same as if they had been a little older or more mature. There's nothing wrong with that but it made me dubious about whether they were making choices that could last in the long run.

I didn't really find either of the main characters likeable or relatable, either. Johnny was fair but Krissy just didn't do it for me. She was touted as a slim, gorgeous girl with oversized surgically enhanced breasts and her personality came across as childish, demanding and unsympathetic. The pair were constantly playing games with each other or creating conflict that a simple conversation could have sorted out - very frustrating.

Now onto the sex. Perhaps because of my points above, I found the sex completely unsatisfying despite there being a lot of it. It was a little tawdry and I got bored with them boinking, not boinking etc etc. There was also Johnny's fixation with Krissy's 'ass' which could only lead to one thing. This doesn't do it for me at all and even so, was written in a way that made me feel quite uncomfortable.

Good points about this book are that it's short and fairly inexpensive. Apart from that the elements just didn't work for me and I can't recommend it. 1 star.

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234 pages

Click to see other books by KyAnn Waters

Sophie believes that desperate measures are required to save her cousin from ruin, which is why she takes Alice's place in the Marquis of Roxburghe's planned seduction. Instead of the easy retreat she was anticipating, however, Sophie finds herself at the mercy of a man who shows no mercy when it comes to his desires. And she quickly discovers that Roxburghe is not a man who takes deception well...

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I bought this at the same time as the disappointing His Wayward Ward by the same author. Had I not, I would definitely not have downloaded this one but I had so I felt I should at least give it a go. Unfortunately, I wish that I hadn't bothered.

Within the first few paragraphs I had taken a huge dislike to our 'hero', Devereux. I normally like a dissolute rake that is redeemed by the love of the heroine but in this case it was his character and morals that were flawed and not just his behaviour. At one point he choked Sophie and bruised her but, don't worry, he was sorry - he has a temper and it would never happen again!! Shocking that such a leading man could be in a romance novel.

Sophie was a fair enough character but she lacked any excitement or strength and you felt it was only lust that the two characters felt for each other. I also couldn't forgive her for putting up with Dev's behaviour towards her.

The plot was staid and clichéd but nothing truly offensive. There was also nothing particularly sexy about the story despite it being billed as a risqué Regency romance.

Overall this isn't worth buying and I can't recommend it even if it was free. Sorry.

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55 pages

Click to see other books by Kate Harper

He's Got The Sizzle

When it comes to competitive cooking, Max Lunden is no stranger to winning...though he's never been great at working with a team. A master chef - and major hunk - he's travelled the world, picking up new cooking techniques as well as beautiful women. But when the prodigal chef returns home to his family's Greenwich Village restaurant, he discovers one too many cooks in the kitchen - and she's every bit as passionate as he is...

She's Got The Fire

Juliet Cavanaugh used to have a crush on Max when she was just a teenager, hanging out at Lunden & Sons Tavern, hoping to catch a glimpse of the owner's oldest, and hottest, son. Now a chef herself - competing in the biggest culinary contest in the country - Juliet will be cooking side by side with the one man she's always admired...and desired. But despite their simmering attraction, Juliet is determined to keep her cool - no matter how hot it gets...

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Too hot to handle? More like too boring to read. I started reading this book and after three nights of reading before bed I realised I hadn't moved past page 45. It really should tell you something when sleep sounds like more fun than continuing a book. To put it bluntly - I was bored.

The characters were one dimensional, boring and yet still managed to irritate and annoy me. Well, to be fair, Juliet was so bland that I barely even remembered her from one page to the next. I know this is down to personal preference of what you like in a hero but I just couldn't like Max either, I'm afraid. He was cocky, smarmy and far too self absorbed for my tastes.

I've never really watched any of those American chef competitions like the one described in this book but if I had liked the other elements then I'm sure that wouldn't have mattered one jot. I just couldn't get into the competition and the passion and excitement was missing. The author just didn't sell it to me, I'm afraid.

I know I've been pretty harsh about this book but that's simply because the writing style, story and characters just really weren't to my taste. I will now put the other side of the argument forward and say that I have read of many, many people who not only liked but adored this book and all the things that I wasn't keen on. I really do hope that you like it if you've bought it but unfortunately I just can't bring myself to recommend it. Not my cup of tea. 1 star.

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352 pages

Click to see other books by Louisa Edwards

Love and marriage don't have to be strangers... 

Gambling. Carousing. Flirting. Charlotte, Duchess of Rutherford, will do anything to escape her painful marriage and force her husband to divorce her. But when Phillip, Duke of Rutherford, promises a divorce if Charlotte will help him become a better husband for another woman, she wonders if she really wants to lose him...

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I love a good 'second chance at romance' story and the premise of this story really seemed to tick all the boxes for me. Unfortunately I was probably about 5 pages in before I began to have serious reservations about the story. Or, more accurately, the characters.

Philip has decided that he loves his wife despite marrying her for reasons other than love and not having spent much time in her company over the last few years. He wants her back and wants to atone for his sins so he is, in some ways, sympathetic. Charlotte on the other hand was just terrible. She was a shrew and instead of being strong she came across as a hard, unlikeable harridan who acted childishly and pathetically to get back at her husband. Her behaviour was atrocious and didn't endear me to her one bit.

Because of my dislike of the characters it was very hard to care about them or the things that they did. There were very few tender moments and the love scenes didn't interest me - possibly due to my lack of emotional involvement with the story overall.

To be honest, I found it really difficult to find the enthusiasm to finish this book. I even thought that the conclusion left it open to the couple falling out once again - but perhaps that's just me being cynical. I don't like giving books low ratings but I'm sorry to say I just can't recommend this book to you. 1 star and I'll be giving this author a miss from now on.

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311 pages

Click to see other books by Ashley March

Amber Smithson just had mind-blowing sex with a totally hot stranger. In an elevator! Ditching her high-powered medical career to become a homeopathic doctor sure didn't prep her for this kind of hands-on therapy.

Corporate lawyer Roger Martell leads a high-pressure lifestyle that's given him money and power…and, unfortunately, high blood pressure. His solution? Ask the deliciously soothing doc to help him out with a few alternative treatments…and plenty more steam-up-the-yoga-studio sex!
The results leave them both healthy and very, very happy.

Still, a few nights of great sex won't bring down Roger's blood pressure indefinitely. Amber's in his bed now, but that doesn't mean she'll stay there.

Unless, of course, Roger can talk Amber into making those house calls a permanent thing….

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This is the follow on book from Taking Care of Business - Roger was the hero's best friend from that book. Having said that both book stands completely alone so you don't need to have read that one before reading this one.

Unfortunately, while I really enjoyed Taking Care of Business, this book was completely the opposite. Amber wasn't just unsympathetic but also completely unlikeable. Added to that she was preachy, stereotypical and annoying - not the ideal heroine. Roger was fine although a little blah all round. While there were plenty of sex scenes, without any connection or chemistry they all fell a little flat. In the end I couldn't help but feel that Roger deserved someone a whole lot nicer than Amber.

On top of this I felt the story was weak and at times bordered on ridiculous. It was a real struggle not only to finish this book but also to even remember what the book was about once I'd put it down.

For a Blaze this was a real disappointment. I like to be swept away by the romance, lifestyles, characters and sex and this book didn't deliver on any. 1 star.

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224 pages

Click to see other books by Kathy Lyons

'I'm wearing a beautiful pink dress, and I'm in a big pink room with billowing curtains…and I'm dancing to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark…and my handsome partner leans over and whispers…'

Yes, 80s child Ellie really thought life was going to be like Pretty in Pink, St Elmo's Fire and all those other movies – where everyone was astoundingly glamorous, popular, successful, had huge apartments and lived happily ever after. But now that she and her gang are thirty, she has to admit that things haven't quite turned out that way. When did horrible flats, difficult relationships and menaningless jobs take over?And, more importantly, what happened to the coolest, wisest, most inspirational Brat Packer of them all? Where is Andrew McCarthy now? Did life fulfil its promise for him? Is he happy on Channel 5? Surely he, of all people, can tell Ellie what to do about her thirty-angst?

Determined to get her idol to unravel some of life's great mysteries, Ellie sets out, unwillingly accompanied by her best friend Julia, on a quest across the USA, from LA to New York to find him. It's an unlikely epic, by turns hilarious, romantic and downright uncomfortable – but, helped by a cast of thousands, of whom Frosty the Giant Pig is probably the least improbable, they do find some answers, although not the ones they expected.

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I, like many others, was eagerly anticipating this book after reading the brilliant Amanda's Wedding. Seriously, if you haven't already checked it out then I would definitely recommend you do so! Regardless of that excellent book, I couldn't help but be sorely disappointed in this attempt and now wish that I hadn't wasted my time or money on this abysmal book.

The characters were unbelievable, contrived, not to mention annoying. There were several times where I could have cheerfully slapped the 'heroine' and the situations in which she found herself. I found her childish, whiney and from near the beginning I found myself wishing for an unhappy ending so that no-one would be lumbered with her. She really was that bad. There were one or two moments which tempted a smile but in general it was the kind of book you finish and feel like you have just wasted a lot of time and haven't got anything to show for it.


What else is there to say? I won't give up on Jenny Colgan just yet but I would advise others not to buy this particular book. Read it from the library if you must or better yet, stick to Amanda's Wedding. 1 star and that's being ridiculously generous.

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403 pages

Click to see other books by Jenny Colgan