HOT TICKET by Olivia Cunning

Hot Ticket by Olivia Cunning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read.

I liked Jace's story. You always wonder about him in the other two books and why he seems to hold himself back from the others. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars when I really wanted to give it 4 star. My problem is basically the retelling ROCK HARD in the first quarter of the book. I get that there was a parallel story happening at the same time with Jace and Aggie, I just would have preferred that to have happened in the ROCK HARD story and then Jace and Aggie have their own thing happening.

I thought that the relationship between Aggie and Jace was definitely hot. Each book gets hotter and hotter.

I liked that Aggie wouldn't let Jace push her away. She knew she wanted him and was good for him and wouldn't let him get away not letting her in. I think I would have gotten my feelings hurt and not gone on the tour with him to take care of him.

I also felt like Jon got dropped in the story somehow. I mean she even finished out Dave and Aggie's Mom. But what happened to Jon? Was he on the pigsty bus, did he leave, was he going to play bass when they go on tour and Jace plays piano? I guess that could be addressed in the next installment, but I have to say I'm not happy that I have to read them out of order since the author obviously interlaces her books.

Off to DOUBLE TIME now!

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THE PLEASURES OF WINTER by Evie Hunter

The Pleasures of Winter by Evie Hunter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read

There were parts that were interesting, but I felt like it just missed being special. Like if he was such a Dom, why was Jack/Micheal so attacked to Abbie when she was being so dominate sometimes.

Also, I would have liked to have read more information on Kevin and Kit. Had Abbie feel more about her how them getting together so easily and quickly made her feel. It was only addressed for an instant before she left the country.

There was no mention of Abbie's sister's husband. Was she divorced, still married, a widow?

I liked the time in the jungle, although it was a bit long. But, there were many times where things were sort of cleared up on the fly, so to speak. Example was when Abbie thought Jack/Micheal had told the press they slept together, but then Kevin says that he was mad at his agent when he realized the put that out to the press and Abbie said he had mentioned it, we never read it. There was another incident like that that happend, so there were just things that didn't make me love the material.

There was no mention of Abbie ever wanting to write a book, but all of a sudden she's been in Ireland for 5 months.

These were some of the the problems I had with the book.

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LAST CALL by Jennifer Schmidt

Last Call by Jennifer Schmidt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read

I'm a little disappointed by this because I kinda liked RISKING IT ALL by the same author. I just felt that this book was a little soft. The story didn't really hold up. For Novalee (which I can't stand that name) to have been someone who had been beaten to within and inch of her life, I don't think she would be someone who would easily let loose and go off with a strange man let alone go on a vacation to a place like Vegas alone.

Also, who gets married to someone and just lets it go. Never tries to contact the person to say, "hey, we did something stupid, lets get this annulled."

Then Dean, what the heck. The truth was a much better solution than that convoluted lie he came up with. I mean, it would have been easier to say, "Look, I'm sorry that I married you under false pretenses, but my Dad is a douche who will take everything my grandfather built and destroy it. Could you help me?" He didn't even have to say that his father's actions lead to his mother and sister's death. I would have helped not knowing that.

Also Cali was so wishy washy. One minute, she's all "hurt her and I'll cut off your balls" then she's "you'll never know what could happen if you don't go for it" to "don't fall in love." Just crazy.

I do like that Novalee decides to help Dean, but I think she was being a martyr by not letting him explain, tell him to sign the divorce papers, leave her alone, but then wanting him to fight for her. No one knows what's in your head.

I feel the author missed an opportunity to make Abby jealous and maybe duplicitous in working with his father. I respect the fact that she was a good friend, I just think I would have liked the drama of her going another way with that character.

I stand by my scoring that it was just Ok.

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BETTIE PAGE PRESENTS: THE LIBRARIAN by Logan Belle

The Librarian by Logan Belle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read

I liked it. Did I love it, No. I felt like Regina was too nieve. I mean for someone with their first sexual experience and to be of her age, she shouldn't have been that easy to control. I mean she'd controlled her whole life even knowing she needed to get away from her mother up to that point, I just can't imagine she'd be so pliable to Sebastian. She never even asked about the Blonde haired woman until she was well into a sexual relationship with him.

I also didn't like the character of Sloan, who I felt the author didn't really explain why she was so interested in keeping Regina and Sebastian apart. Also, since he wasn't technically part of the Library employment system, Sloan had no right to tell Regina she couldn't date him. Some of the things that Sloan did to Regina, I though Regina should have stood up for herself. I get that she didn't want to rock the boat and that working there was her dream job, but she got over it quickly enough after being fired. Within three months, Sloan can't fire her for calling in sick or letting her know she was late because she wasn't feeling well. You can't just guess that someone isn't telling you the truth and just fire them unless its a no fault state, at which time you can fire someone for no reason at all. But I think Sloan was opening herself and the Library up to a law suit for firing someone just because she thought she was sleeping with the guy she liked. And why was Sloan engaged, if she wanted Sebastian. I would have liked it better if Sloan had turned out to be the Blonde that Sebastian was sleeping with and that Regina didn't recognize her because of how her hair was draped over her face and Sloan was dumped when he started seeing Regina.

I also thought that the author made Sebastian's transition from a guy who slept with anything that walked to being hung up on Regina too easy. I mean, is all it takes is a twenty-something virgin for a guy to change his ways?

But, I enjoyed it. You wouldn't know it from my criticisms, but I did like it. I like Regina's roommate who was funny and I liked how she tried to help and was so worldly that not much surprised her. And I know many girls who have tried to be what the guy wanted only to have them change their minds and break their hearts so I like that she was doing the open relationship until he freaked out and she was was crushed and dropped all the others.

It was cute, but could have been better.

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NO RESERVATIONS by Lilly Cain

No Reservations by Lilly Cain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a NetGalley book.

I thought it was cute short story/novella, I guess is what you would call it. Sweet. Not much else to say because there wasn't a whole lot of story. But the author did a good job of giving enough back story so you know where these characters are coming from. I would have continued to read if it was a more involved story. I like her writing and how she tells the story. Not so much into fantasy at this time, though I have been in the past so not sure if I will read her other material, but its definitely a possibility.

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THE MARRIAGE MISTAKE by Jennifer Probst

The Marriage Mistake by Jennifer Probst
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a NetGalley free book.

It was cute. I would say it was lacking in a few things which is why it didn't get three stars. One, it took too long to get to where it was going.

Two, Carina didn't stick to her guns about not letting her emotions for Max get to her. I think it was too easy. Anyone who believes they can have a one night stand with the man they were in love with and still have feelings for and just move on and get it out of their system is delusional.

Three, there wasn't enough competition for her affections. Everyone stepped away too easily and Carina didn't even get a real chance to see what else was out there. Max intimidated everyone, even Sawyer, way too easily.

Four, I would have liked for the one night stand to have happened earlier in the story so that we could see the dynamics of them being forced to be married a little longer. Maybe have Max be a more interested in wooing Carina and Carina being cold and distant and making Max pay for it.

Five and finally, maybe it's because I didn't read the two previous books to get the back story but the peripheral characters were flat to me.

The author made some glaring mistakes as far as structure. For example, when they are in Vegas, it says that "Michael" stopped at the front desk. Since Michael isn't in Vegas and it's Max, you could get a little confused.

Anyway, like i said, I thought it was cute. I don't want to go read the previous installments in the series, but it wouldn't keep me from reading something else by this author especially if I got it on NetGalley.

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THOUGHTLESS by S.C. Stephens

Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NetGalley free book review.

I read a couple of reviews on Amazon and was waffling about buying this book before noticing that it was something I could read for free though my NetGalley account. One of the major criticisms I saw was that Kiera was sleeping with two men and drastically stringing them along. My first thought was how bad could it be. My second thought was that things happen in relationships that make them complicated and hard to make the proper choices, but OMG this was ridiculous. This isn't to say I didn't like the book. I liked it and could have liked it more if it weren't for the constant going back and forth by Kiera.

In some ways I felt like the author was trying to make the book as long as possible. But I have to say it drove me nuts eventually. I can understand Kiera feeling like Denny was safe. I can understand the first and even the second slip up with Kellan, to some extent. But once she knew how he felt about her and knew what she was going to potentially do to Denny, she needed to pull up her big girl panties and sit them down and talk. Them them both what was going on in her head and how confused she was. Her actions could only lead to destruction, which it did.

Denny was a little too peripheral of a character for me. I wanted to know more about him other than his drive towards his career and his seemingly unaware love for Kiera. How all her moods didn't alert him to what was going on is beyond me, which he explains later that he kind of knew something was going on with her, but he just let things go until things were out of control.

I don't have an issue with the cheating as some of the other reviewers I've read had. I believe that things happen and that you can't always control how you feel about someone. You can control how your act and be and adult and make sure you are free and clear before you act on those feelings, but I'm not nieve enough to believe that's how most people act.

But, I have to say I did like it. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what Kiera would do, when Denny would figure it all out, what Kellan would ultimately do. Based on how the author wrote Kellan, it wouldn't have even been a hard decision for me. I would have immediately been with Kellan. Although I thought Denny was sweet, he took their relationship for granted. He didn't think he had to work at it. I do believe that Kiera over reacted to Denny getting and taking the job in Arizona, but since she had moved from Ohio to Seattle to be with him, he should have taken her into consideration and discussed it with her before making that decision.

I believe that Denny's inability to consider Kiera in his major decisions was the start of their problems. Kiera being young and klinging to the first person she was in love with is the other half of their problem.

Good book, read the first couple chapters of EFFORTLESS, but I'm not sure I want to spend the money reading the sequel if it's more of the same filler of either or both of them not knowing what they want and how to communicate. Will consider.

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