The blog post for today was supposed to be an author interview, but it was not meant to be. So, I have moved my second post of my latest reading list forward to today. I read so many books that I have three of these posts.
I’m currently reading a book that was sent to me to review (and another author interview coupled with that as well) and this will probably be happening within the next two weeks.
All of these books are available on Amazon and Kindle.
Reckless in Love by Bella Andre and Jennifer Skully
About the book
Sebastian Montgomery rose from nothing to become one of the most powerful media moguls in the world. Yet beneath the seemingly perfect façade of his life, the past still haunts him. Because when he lost his parents in his teens, he also lost his faith in love. When he discovers Charlie Ballard and her incredible metal sculptures, he is awed, inspired—and he can’t help feeling things he swore never to let himself feel again. Soon, Sebastian wants not only Charlie’s art, he wants her as a woman, too. More than he’s ever wanted anything in his life. And what a Maverick wants, he always gets…
For Charlie, Sebastian offers the commission of a lifetime. Creating a magnificent sculpture for his new headquarters is a dream come true, but falling for the spellbinding billionaire isn’t part of the plan…until his luscious kisses entice her into total recklessness. He fascinates and captivates her, and as Charlie learns more about the dark depths of Sebastian’s past, all she wants is to heal him with her love. But can a man who has grown up thinking love is toxic ever believe that true love is real?
My Thoughts:
The love story in this book is an age old love story but even so, it was still a beautiful story. I loved that Charlie was an independent tomboy and that she stayed true to herself.
I loved the way that Sebastian always tried to help. I was also great that he was a billionaire that was slightly broken and also needed to be helped and that it wasn’t just the woman that needed his help.
The explanations and the way the book was written was done very well and when it looked like all was about to go down the tubes, my heart physically wrenched, I could feel the heart break.
Blades of Magic by Terah Edun
About the book
It is not a peaceful time in the Algardis Empire. War is raging between the mages and seventeen-year-old Sara Fairchild will be right in the middle of it.
She just doesn’t know it yet.
Sara is the daughter of a disgraced imperial commander, executed for desertion. Sara is also the best duelist and hand-to-hand combatant in Sandrin. She lives quietly with her family’s shame but when challenged about her family’s honor, her opponent inevitably loses.
On the night she finds out her father’s true last actions, she takes the Mercenary Guilds’ vows to serve in the emperor’s army. Using her quick wits and fierce fighting skills, she earns a spot in the first division.
There she discovers secrets the mages on both sides would prefer stay hidden. Dark enemies hunt her and soon it’s not just Sara questioning the motivation behind this war.
While fighting mages, blackmailing merchants and discovering new friends, Sara comes across something she’s never had before – passion. The question is – can she fight for her empress against a mage who might unwittingly claim her heart?
This is year one of the Initiate Wars. Sara is hoping it doesn’t become the year she dies.
My thoughts:
The storyline of this book is good. I enjoyed the story but it never reached a point. I know that you need to keep some juicy action for the next books in the series, but you also need to at least close off one part of the storyline otherwise you leave the reader frustrated.
I struggled a little to read the story properly as it seems whomever Terah got to edit her book, didn’t do a good enough job as there were words left out and grammatical errors. This meant I had to reread some of the lines and then put my own words in. This also left me frustrated.
Besides these issues, I enjoyed the story itself.
Melting into you by Tracey Alvarez
About the book
ove small-town romance with an unforgettable cast of characters? The Due South series will transport you to an unspoilt, wild island off the coast of New Zealand. Meet Kezia and Ben…
Big, sexy men who don’t relate well to kids need not apply…
Kezia Murphy plays her widow card well. When you don’t trust people not to let you down, it’s easier to not get involved—and getting involved with a man who makes her skin sizzle just by looking at him would be una pazzia—crazy! Four years ago while Kezia’s daughter, Zoe, battled leukaemia, a tragic accident stole her husband’s life. Starting over in the little town of Oban where she’s adopted into the close knit community on Stewart Island, Kezia and her daughter are all the family the other needs. Except Zoe yearns for more.
New Zealand’s worst candidate for instant fatherhood…
Ben doesn’t do gooey emotional stuff. He doesn’t do cosy home and family. And he sure isn’t the big teddy-bear Kezia Murphy, the woman he secretly fantasises about, thinks he is. So when Jade, his surprise eight-year-old daughter arrives on his doorstep, he’s a D-minus student struggling to pass a crash-course in parenting.
They’ll either melt or raze their lives to the ground…
When the sparks of attraction between Kezia and Ben fan into an inferno, Ben doesn’t know how much longer the layers of resistance around his heart can resist melting into the gooey mess he fears. The more he fights it the harder it is to make the choice that will destroy the family he now longs to claim.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and the tension, hook, inciting incident, build-up and plot point in act one were very well written. It had me lost in the storyline. I also enjoyed the other two acts as much but I was hooked by act one already.
I was moaning at the characters for choices and face planting my hand into my face due to some of the decisions made by Ben and Kezia and wanted to smack them upside the head with a book.
I also loved the way that Tracey detailed certain actions, objects and moments. Very well done. A solid romance. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a mouth watering romance.
It left me with a happy feeling of love and awww.
Kiss me at Willoughby Close by Kate Hewitt
About the book
Welcome to Willoughby Close… a charming cluster of cozy cottages, each with a story to tell and a happy ending to deliver…
After her husband unexpectedly dies, Ava moves to Willoughby Close, trying to keep her chin up and herself to herself as she’s always done—not answering questions, not making friends, and not seeing much of a future. Her marriage was far from perfect, but it offered her a much-needed security that has now been ripped away. She’s not sure what to do now that she’s thirty-five, widowed, penniless… and unexpectedly pregnant with her late husband’s child.
Jace Tucker is the over-the-top sexy caretaker of Willoughby Manor, and he can see beneath Ava’s glamor girl act to the hurt she’s been hiding for so long. She has secrets for a reason—and so does he. The last thing she needs right now is a fling with a man who hides a past as regrettable as her own.
But with a baby to think about, and neighbors determined to be her friends, Ava finds herself starting to change and even more alarmingly, beginning to hope. Can Willoughby Close work its everyday magic on a woman like her? And when the past comes calling for both her and Jace, will they have to answer for their previous mistakes?
My thoughts:
I enjoyed the internal conflict of the protagonist, Ava, that was revealed all the through the book. The story beat was well written and the lesson that she needed to learn was well put forward.
I enjoyed reading the story and following the characters and Ava’s struggles and small victories. It was well worth the read.
The only problem I had was with the dialogue that was broken up. Instead of putting the ‘she said’ part at the back, it was placed in the middle of dialogue, mid-sentence, which caused it to be halting and a bit difficult to read.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
That’s it from me for now…
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