Winter's Knight (L'Ange #3.5) [Tucker & Keir] by Mary Calmes

I've read this series almost exactly 3 years ago (in June 2018). I ADORED the first 3 installments but frankly I remember very few details about the series itself. It's been a LONG time and as I read quite a lot (not exactly this year but the 2 before for sure) I got into this one expecting to enjoy it mostly as it is. Yet the last few books I've read by Mary led me to realize while I've read most of her published work, I've drifted apart from her writing. These days I need something different so it's no wonder this book or rather, novella, was just an okay read for me. 

We've met Tucker Flynn in the previous installments though I don't actually remember the details of what brought him to be severely wounded and stuck in L'Ange where he feels nobody likes him. Well, he barely likes himself so it's no wonder he is so insecure. Living in the cabin in the woods is preferable. But something strange is happening, animals are migrating, running away. From what/who? Since no-one believes him, he goes to check it out on himself. 

Stand in Place by Mary Calmes

This book started beautifully, but as it progressed I was starting to wonder what I was reading. The interactions between the people made NO sense. The conversations were strange and unrealistic. And in no time half the town was all circling around Kaenon trying to make him feel at home and asking for his forgiveness for the way they treated him 15 years ago when he was outed at 14 years old. This felt like a very strange fairy-tale and I have yet to find any villain... 

Kaenon Geary have been away from the small town of Braxton, Texas since he was 17 years old. Getting a scholarship to play his favorite sport was his way out. Too bad it didn't last as long as he'd hoped getting injured. But he has made a life away from his past and his family. After telling his family he was gay, they basically threw him out, lucky for him his grandparents and his aunt took him in and they were literally his only family from then on. Now when his grandmother Jo is dying he has come to be with her for her last summer. He isn't thrilled to be back but she is all he has now that his grandfather and aunt are gone. Coming home means revisiting all the horrible memories he has of his parents turning away from him, his brother actively making his life a living hell and his beloved sister ignoring him like he died. The kids in town were no better but at a certain point he put everyone beyond a very thick wall and simply played with a sole focus of moving out. 

For a Good Time, Call... (Bluewater Bay #17) [Nate & Seth] by Anne Tenino & E.J. Russell

I thought I could do this but apparently not.. It's been almost 4 years since I more of less abandoned this series (more explanations bellow). But I DID want to read this one by Anne as I've enjoyed so many of her books before and also I LOVE slow burn and this one was sure to deliver (with one of our MCs being "Grace"). Sadly though I liked both Nate and Seth the plot and basically everything that brought them together was, well, boring. 

Seth Larson have been living in Bluewater Bay his whole life, more than that his family is one of the founding families. Not that it makes him feel anything positive about them.. Mostly estranged to them besides his grandmother whom he lives with and helps maintain the family mansion. She actually had enough and she wants to sell, but no one else beside her would agree and since she doesn't have a true hold on her estate or money she isn't sure how to go about it. Seth would do anything to help her, and getting to know Nate proofs to be handy on that account (and a lot more..).

The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard (Paranormal Princes #1) [Owin & Grimmwolf] by Charlie Cochet

I honestly don't know what to do with this novella. It started out BEAUTIFULLY with King Alarick and his adviser Lord Jean Eldrich - best friends who are BOUND to be lovers but the story wasn't about THEM it was about Price Owin of the Ocelot Shifters and Grimmwolf of the Grimm Wolves pack. While Grim usually downplays his heritage he is pretty up there in the food chain as well as the monarchy (if it can be called this way) even though he is "merely" Price Owin's "bodyguard" though I'm not sure what he needs body-guarding from (himself?)

It's time Prince Owin shows his worth in a quest. Failing means loosing his crown, but he isn't worried, he is sure he can get what he wants. After all he is a prince, others should bow down to him and do his bidding. Including or mostly Grimm. He can't stand him, can't stay away from him and generally doesn't know what to do with him. Grimm just stand there on the side smiling because he has figured Owin a LONG time ago and instead of being offended he is simply AMUSED (which annoys Owin even more).

In the Cards (Four Kings Security #4.5) [Ace & Colton] by Charlie Cochet

Though this one is a part of the "Four Kings Security" series (with Ace being our sole POV), it refers to Spencer Morgan and Julian “Quinn” Quintero getting married. Names ring a bell? these two were the MCs in "Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts" a contemporary novella by Charlie. Ace and Quinn are cousins so naturally he, Lucky (also a cousin) and the rest of the "Kings" are invited as are we.

Believe (Skins #3) [Rhys & Jevon] by Garrett Leigh

~sigh~ I'm SO disappointed. This was nothing like I expected. Naturally, ANY of Garrett's books are a must read, and though I expect a heart breaking story, I want to feel the promise of a HEA laced in between but here I was just depressed the whole while I was reading it. The alternating POVs helped, but still, Rhys was too "broken" and Jevon was doing his best, but he wasn't so sure himself if this thing between them is even possible.

Rhys Foster used to spend his days in an anonymous sex club, it used to be his THING. Sex, generally, was his thing but he is sick of it. Going to a pub to drink his sorrows he meets Jevon Campbell and somehow finds himself inviting him over to his apartment. Jevon is nothing like Rhys expected, while he is gay, it's somehow new to him. He has dated and slept with women, realized he isn't really into them but wasn't brave enough to take the leap into dating men and here comes Rhys, openly bisexual and VERY into exploring anything and everything related to sex. Put the two of them together, and Jevon is finally able to experience what he was missing, and Rhys sleeps for the first time with a guy who can actually mean something to him.

Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1) by Karen Chance

This book is impossible to read. After 24% I realized that very little actually happened and I'm totally and absolutely LOST with all the details of the past and present BESIDES the actual plot. I was bored out of my mind when I wasn't confused or lost. The little that DID interest me just didn't move along. There was WAY too much information about the world and mainly about Cassie's past and yet when something happened it was full of action and gory. Not that I mind about that, my issue was the action was SO confusing I had to re-read most of it and still not know who the author was referring to. I wanted this book (and series) to be awesome but sadly I'm letting this one go right here. 

It's Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane

Well, I liked this book but frankly, I didn't really enjoy it. I know it doesn't make any sense, it's just that on the one hand, I really liked the idea, the concept of a professor, a literature professor (!) dating an Hispanic mechanic with no real education, and yet, I didn't really "connect" with both MC. There was something that was putting me off both of them (on their own, I did like them together). I struggled to finish this one, even though it's quite short. 

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1) by Katie McGarry

When I started reading the book I was horrified to realize this is NOT a New Adult series as I remembered (and cataloged) it's a Young Adult! Yet since most of the time the plot evolved around the two main characters who went through enough in their short lives to mature them. 

Trespass by Meg Maguire

By finishing this one, I've actually finished reading all of Meg's novels. Yeah I have quite a lot left from her other pan name (and her real one) - Cara McKenna but this is a sweet step as well. Sadly it's my least favorite from her books. I kind of went randomly through her books so I didn't have special expectations from this one (or another).

Meg's books are usually very fluent and an easy read. I'm not saying there isn't drama around the building of the relationship. Sure there is! But mostly I expect a relaxing time giving myself to the book. Here while the beginning was interesting and I enjoyed the buildup, somewhere along the line, their routine together became "too routine-y" I guess. It took WAY too long for Sarah to confess to Russ the true reason she is on the run and when you think about it, it makes absolutely no sense as to why she wasn't looking over her back the whole time. Also the conclusion of the book was SO obvious and silly I was just put off by it. I was struggling to finish the last 2-3 chapters and when I finally did finish I was just annoyed with how obvious it was to me.. 

New Beginnings by Kyle Adams

The idea of this short novella was nice, but I think somehow it was too sugary and sappy. I don't know.. I waited for something.. I'm not sure what, something MORE. But it stayed the same... and well, from a certain point VERY predictable so yeah, it was kind of a struggle to finish and quite disappointing with the predictability. 

If You Leave (Beautifully Broken #2) [Maddy & Gabe] by Courtney Cole

I was actually having a good feeling about this book as I started reading it. After the first installment "If You Stay", I thought that maybe my experience with "The Minaldi Legacy" by Courtney was some kind of a bad fluck. Yet almost right from the beginning there were a few problems that annoyed me. 

First how Maddy was described. If you go back to the first book, Maddy was the one going out a lot, going with guys home and she kept telling Mila to go out, do things, meet guys etc. Yet here, she is described just like Mila in the first book with Mila telling her she should date. Now Maddy is the one that people say she is too serious and isn't "herself" from before her parents death. Why change a character I ask? For someone like me who just finished the first book it's REALLY obvious. Second thing is the fact that Maddy "shielded" her sister from their parents' fights. I WOULD get that if we weren't talking about grown women. When Maddy was abroad and Mila stayed living at home while being in college she MUST have seen things that even if she didn't notice that much as a child are OBVIOUS to a grown woman. Yes, I agree that two people can react differently to certain situations, and it's a possibility that Maddy would be more affected by her father's violence than Mila. But saying that Mila wasn't THAT aware of it? Why? It doesn't make any sense.

Beyond Control (Beyond #2) [Dallas & Lex] by Kit Rocha

I'm disappointed.. this book took me forever (!) to read simply because I felt it could have been so much more.. I kept waiting for it to get BETTER but in the end, and literally in the end I was just disappointed (all over again...)

Lex could be so much more, Dallas SHOULD have been so much more and the other characters? I want them to be complex, to have a lot to them, things we would discover in time, things that will change what I think of them or make me like them more than I do. But sadly I feel that the characters aren't developed enough..