fresholivebread's reviews
617 reviews

Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An equine therapist bonds with the ranch owner's son while searching for her estranged father, while a killer lurks. Both MCs are likeable - they're strong, resilient and compassionate. They form a connection from start - though Ford is coping with the trauma of his kidnapping + the betrayal by his ex, and Taylor has her own secrets. The romance takes place over a few days, but it felt natural, given all that's happening. 

I liked their chemistry and friendship, and there're good moments of them bonding and supporting each other. Ford is also super protective. Their tender and sweet moments offer respite from the darker moments of the suspense, which is chilling and disturbing, and heartbreaking as well. But the early reveal of the villain (who is a real piece of work) is a disservice. Loved seeing the past MCs, Clay and Joseph especially. 
Until Death by Delaney Diamond

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Reviewed as a duology - a spook gets close to a bookseller for investigative reasons and falls for her. Shanice is a strong FMC, and very caring of those she loves, and she held herself well. Cruz is charming, ruthless but also principled in his own way, and very protective. The romance heats up quite fast - the secrets are not kept for long though Shanice should've stayed mad for a while. There's a lot heightened emotions as they maneuver danger and action. They have pretty great chemistry, and I liked Cruz's tender side when Shanice needs comfort. He puts her first and willingly sacrifices for a future with her. The suspense is kind of middle of the road though, and this ends with a massive cliffy. 

Book 2 is a lot more intense - especially the romance. Their reunion is emotional and written well, and I loved all the feelings that came with it, especially from Cruz's side. And it's great to see them fighting hard to stay together from then on. The tender moments of them reconnecting are wonderful. Steamy times are pretty steamy, and I enjoyed how they rediscover and protect each other. The book had a lull in the middle, though it picked up soon after. Cruz and Shanice get their HEA, but some threads in the action plot remains hanging.
Until Now by Delaney Diamond

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adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Reviewed as a duology - a spook gets close to a bookseller for investigative reasons and falls for her. Shanice is a strong FMC, and very caring of those she loves, and she held herself well in the face of disappointment and deception. Cruz is charming, ruthless but also principled in his own way, and very protective. The romance heats up quite fast - the secrets are not kept for long though Shanice should've stayed mad for a while. There's a lot heightened emotions as they maneuver danger and action. They have pretty great chemistry, and I liked Cruz's tender side when Shanice needs comfort. 

Book 2 is a lot more intense - for both the action and the romance. Their >!reunion is emotional and written really well, and I loved all the feelings that came with it, especially from Cruz's side. And it's great that they stayed together from then on!<. Steamy times are steamier, and I enjoyed how they rediscovered each other. And they make a super kickass team. The suspense remains hanging however, though Cruz and Shanice get their HEA.
Dead Serious Case #3 Mr Bruce Reyes by Vawn Cassidy

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Tristan is tasked by Death to handle Bruce's (Dusty's love interest) cold case and to prevent apocalypse. Some new people - main one being Death, who is deadpan hilarious, and has his sights set on Chan. There's also Dusty/Bruce and Sam/Harrison, but the multiple couples worked for me here. Tristan and Danny remain the centre, and they're in a solid place now, with all secrets out in the open. 

Danny is really the best boyfriend - loving, supportive and devoted to Tristan, and is his pillar of strength. All their moments together very sweet and precious, and how they cared for each other had me going 🥹. The crew remains awesome, especially Dusty and Chan. Plenty of adventure and shenanigans, and as usual, a lot of emotion along with the humor, and I loved the mix of it. 
Holding Out For A Holiday Hero by Cynthia Eden

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A grinchy bounty hunter protects his high school crush and finds holiday cheer. True is sweet, savvy, and resourceful, smart enough to seek help when needed - and she finds it in Jake, one of Eden's best alpha, growly, protective heroes. Jake had been crushing on True since high school, but he's direct with his feelings now. Although Jake tries to stay Scroogey, he couldn't help being entranced by True's holiday spirit. It's also lovely to see True falling for Jake after she realises his feelings for her. Their romance has plenty of chemistry and steam, and I loved Jake's thoughtfulness. The suspense blends well with the romance, and there's plenty of action and humor. A fun holiday read overall! 
Hero's Haven by Rebecca Zanetti

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A painter's visions of a tormented man become reality when he escapes from his world to protect her from danger. Haven is scrappy, and builds walls to protect herself; Quade is the uber protective and alpha possessive vampire demon (thankfully less annoying than his brother). The sexual tension between them is very intense and their interactions are rather hilarious, with touches of sweetness and tenderness. 

The process of them building trust was written well, and loved that she asserts herself against him often. The heat and passion between them is 🔥! I really enjoyed them together, even if Quade warrants a smacking at times. But I did like that he's the one who wants commitment. And Quade adapting himself to technology and inventions was a lot of fun to read about. Fantastic action as usual, and the gang is always great.
Ball & Chain by Abigail Roux

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adventurous challenging emotional funny informative tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Ty and Zane attend Deuce's wedding, rebuild their relationship while stumbling upon dead bodies. There's a lot going on, and not nearly enough of Ty/Zane, given all the angst previously. I liked Nick/Kelly fine but there's WAY too much of them. But what we got of my favs was great. I loved their sexy reunion, there's good effort on reconnecting, and they really worked at their issues. 

There's constant reaffirmation of their love, and their affectionate moments really left me wanting for more. Ty's proposals are epic AND sweet, and I was all 😭😍 when Zane finally accepts. The mystery and sleuthing are mostly fun, though it got messy at times, and Ty and Zane should never go on vacation again (dead bodies galore). At end of it, we got Ty/Zane finally at a good place where they know nothing can ever break them apart, which was what I dearly wanted from this book. 
Touch & Geaux by Abigail Roux

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ty receives an SOS call, forcing him to face his secrets - secrets tied to Zane. I knew this was going to be a difficult read going in. I knew Ty and Zane are going to fight, say awful things, and really hurt each other. Still, I wasn't prepared for the heartache. I understood the need for conflict - but after all they've been through, it felt like a step backward at times, for who they are individually and as a couple. 

Zane has every right to be furious, but to be that cruel and disregard what Ty felt for him...ugh. It was an overload of angst, and at some point, it didn't even seem fixable. But ultimately their love prevails, and they end up stronger than ever, except it took them freaking long to get there. And while the making up was sweet and emotional, I wasn't sure it 100% made up for the angst. I didn't hate the book, but it was painful, and the wtf ending was quite meh. The action was great though, OTT-ness and all. 
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Dash of Peril by Lori Foster

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A lieutenant and a contractor gets caught up in a crime ring while things heat up. Margo is fiercely competent and tough as nails, while Dash is the laidback charmer with a big heart. He's been enamoured with her for a while, and he's now determined to win her over. Their romance is great - there's a strong connection, and they bring out the best in each other. Much as he wants to shield her, he never interfered with her doing her job - he has full trust in her competence and lets her take the lead. 

When it comes to the bedroom, however...whew! The trust Margo holds for him really allows her to let go. Dash is the most devoted of heroes and he absolutely worships her, but she is, at times, too stubborn about seeing it. Loved the emotions that came out in their HEA! The suspense is engaging, though also enraging. And Margo's parents oughta be cliffed.
Eye of the Storm by Monette Michaels

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adventurous challenging funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Keely sets out to warn her brother of danger and clashes with one of his men. She's the Mary Sue-st of all Mary Sues - a genius with three PhDs, military-trained and just very unrealistically kickass. Ren is the hunky, growly alpha male who's all lusty and protective. Their romance gets hot and heavy veerrryyy fast, but the connection seems shallow at first, though it gained some substance later. It's certainly steamy, but more depth would make their connection stronger. 

Ren's macho manliness and overprotectiveness can be annoying, especially since Keely has proven herself to be Superwoman on steroids.  Honestly, this is campy as heck but still manages to be entertaining, if you can overlook extreme OTT action, some sexism, implausible (and dumb) situations and corny dialogue. I happened to be in the mood for such a book, so I had some fun with it. CW:
sexual assault