Tag: Grumpy/Sunshine Relationship

Book Reviews/

Dust Born by Elizabeth Hunter Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Dust Born by Elizabeth Hunter

Blurb

Sean Quinn returned to Cambio Springs to help his family find their way out of trouble—not uncommon in this desert town of shapeshifters—but before he can hit the road again, a new threat emerges on the border of his family home, a threat that could leave Sean stuck in the Springs just when he’s most desperate to leave.

And one unsuspecting human might be stuck right there with him.

Ever since Juniper Hawkins came to Cambio Springs to visit her big brother, strange things keep happening, not the least was running into the man who’d almost made her change her wandering ways. Juni wasn’t the kind of woman who settled down, even when the object of her affection was a tall, dark, and handsome photographer who kissed her senseless then abandoned her in Southeast Asia.

Not that she was still irritated about that.

DUST BORN is a brand new novel in the Cambio Springs Mysteries, a paranormal romance series by ten time USA Today Bestselling author, Elizabeth Hunter.

Sensitive Content

Here is the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading this book:

  • Alcohol
  • Animal Death
  • Blood
  • Injury
  • Profanity
  • Sexual Content
  • Violence

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

Reckless by Elsie Silver Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Reckless by Elsie Silver

Blurb

Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies’ man. Scorching hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package.

And he’s looking at me like I might be his next meal.

But I’m almost free of my toxic marriage and have sworn off men entirely. So all I see when I look back is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak.

The man is hard to trust—and even harder to resist.

Make that impossible. Because Theo is persistent. And no matter how hard I try to freeze him out, he melts my icy exterior and pulls apart all my defenses.

Over a drink in a small town bar, I blurt out my deepest, darkest secrets. Then I spend the singular hottest night of my life with him.

He worships my body. He makes me blush. I come alive beneath his hands.

Then I tell him to forget it ever happened. I want simple, and with him it all feels complicated.

It was supposed to be a one-time thing.

A secret.

But that little plus sign is going to make this secret impossible to keep.

Sensitive Content

Here is the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading this book:

  • Abandonment
  • Alcohol
  • Death of a parent
  • Divorce
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Infertility
  • Injury
  • Miscarriage (off-page)
  • Pregnancy
  • Profanity
  • Stalking
  • Toxic Relationship
  • Vomit

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

The Problem with Dating by Brittainy Cherry Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Blurb

If I had to choose a person to hate, Alex Ramírez would’ve been first on the list…

Welcome to Honey Creek, Illinois, where life was as sweet as the town’s name suggested. That was, until Mr. Fine Dining himself, Alex Ramírez, rolled into town with a permanent scowl. Even worse, he decided to park his snooty five-star restaurant across from my cozy dog daycare. He was tall, dark, and about as warm as a frozen entrée.

After one too many unpleasant interactions, I was determined to stay out of his way and to keep him out of mine.

But fate had a quirky sense of humor. When Alex inherited his great-aunt’s cranky canine, he had no choice but to come to me, the local dog whisperer, for help. As for me? I needed a fake boyfriend to ward off my ex-husband, who was determined to win me back.

So, we struck a deal: I’d turn his dog into the town’s best-behaved pet, and in return, he’d be my arm candy for a few family events and social gatherings. Simple, uncomplicated, and absolutely not romantic—at least, that was what we told ourselves.

As we played house, I couldn’t help but notice that underneath Alex’s prickly shell was a dash of charm that wasn’t listed in the ingredients. Our pretend dates started to feel a little too real. And our feigned kisses? They were getting laughably close to crossing the line. Suddenly, our interactions felt less like a food fight and more like foreplay.

With every playful touch and lingering glance, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was this fake relationship with Alex secretly penning its own authentic ending? Or was I risking it all for someone who was nothing more than make-believe?

Sensitive Content

Here are the potentially sensitive content that I observed while reading:

  • Alcohol
  • Anxiety/Panic Attacks
  • Cheating (not main characters)
  • Death of loved one
  • Emotional spousal abuse (not main characters)
  • Grief
  • Profanity

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

Between Love and Loathing by Shain Rose Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Between Love and Loathing by Shain Rose

Blurb

Fake dating my enemy so I can design my dream bakery should be easy … as long as I don’t fall in love with him.

Dominic Hardy might be an award-winning architectural engineer with fancy degrees and considerable accolades, but he doesn’t know a thing about baking.
He doesn’t even like sugar.
So when my late stepfather’s will states that Dominic Hardy is set to inherit the Pacific Coast Resort he’d painstakingly designed, as long as my bakery can be plopped in the middle of it, it’s no surprise he balks.
And my jaw drops when another stipulation requires us to mutually approve plans for my bakery’s design.
His stuffy taste will never mix with my whimsical vibe.

But then Dominic comes to me with a proposal I can’t refuse. He’ll give me everything I want in my bakery as long as I agree to one thing:

Fake date him for five months.
Keep his ex away by pretending we’re in love.
Smile and stare into his piercing green eyes at a gala or two.
Maybe share a kiss.
Nothing extreme.
Five months of acting in love when I really loathe him and his filthy mouth.
Even when he’s using it on me.

This should be a cakewalk.
Except there’s a fine line between love and loathing, and I think I’ve made the colossal mistake of blurring it.

Sensitive Content

Here is the potentially sensitive content that I observe, while reading this book:

  • Abusive Relationship (not main characters)
  • Alcohol
  • Child Abuse (off page)
  • Chronic illness/disease
  • Profanity
  • Sexually Explicit Scenes
  • Violence

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

The Fae Princes by Nikki St. Crowe Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

The Fae Princes by Nikki St. Crowe

Blurb

I thought Peter Pan was a myth and Neverland a fairytale. A story spun by my mother who had lost her mind a long time ago.

But there was no denying the overwhelming shadow cast by Peter Pan when he was standing in my house.

Pan took me captive to Neverland and I somehow found my place among him and the Lost Boys.

I’ve never looked back.

Now I’m entangled right alongside him in a war we can’t seem to escape. We thought we had defeated our enemies.

We thought we could finally have our happily ever after.

But there was one enemy we never saw coming.

A fairy who has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The fairy with golden wings and a dark, twisted heart.

She wants Neverland and she’ll stop at nothing to have it. Including destroying anyone who stands in her way, even her own flesh and blood.

NOTE: The Fae Princes is a reimagining of Peter and Wendy. Characters have been aged up for this darker, grittier version. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy this series. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes. The Fae Princes is the final book in the main storyline for the Vicious Lost Boys Series.

Sensitive Content

Here are the potentially sensitive content that I observed while reading this book:

  • Abandonment
  • Alcohol
  • Blood
  • Death of a parent
  • Gore
  • Kidnapping
  • Injury
  • Misogyny
  • Murder
  • Rape
  • Sexual content
  • Physical abuse
  • Profanity
  • Toxic relationship
  • Violence

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

Vicious Cravings by Elliott Rose Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Blurb

She wants to restore her power… they want to find their missing piece.

Healer. Claimer of Souls. The Mortala.

Keeping secrets was a language Nelloix spoke fluently. Making sure those secrets–the kind a witch like her could only evade for so long–stay hidden is the only way to prevent the nightmares of her past from catching her.

She dared break away from those who sought to bind her power for eternity. Her punishment? A shattered heart to match her broken magic. Swearing off love, fate, and bonding with another being in order to keep both herself and others safe from the curse within.

Time has nearly run out, unless she can find the elusive ingredient she needs for a potion. A botanical extract so rare, Nell might as well abandon all hope…

When shadows from the past find her, what if it’s too late to outrun fate?

Predators. Monsters. Vampires.

Mischief and order. Light and dark. Two fated mates desperate to find the third member of their soul bond. But some mysteries were meant to remain concealed.

Love casts the deepest scars. Both Hunter and Ace have been torn apart by a witch before. Will they be able to overcome their greatest fears–the darkest parts of their own vampiric natures–when their world collides with a mystifying green-eyed witch.

The one who seeks something only they can provide…

Dark cravings pull on an invisible thread weaving three souls together, but will they survive the forces threatening to tear them all apart?

Sensitive Content

Here is the sensitive content I observed while reading this book

  • Alcohol
  • Blood
  • Drug use
  • Death of a loved one
  • Gore
  • Group Sex
  • Murder
  • Profanity
  • Sexually Explicit Scenes
  • Violence

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

Tempting Enemy by M. Robinson Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Tempting Enemy by M Robinson

Blurb

Look but don’t touch…

From the night she showed up at my bar with a fake ID, I kicked her out. On her birthday, the following week, she showed up again. Except this time, she was demanding a job. Willing to do whatever it took to get it.

Against my better judgment, she got her, but I’m not going to make it easy on her. Neither are the guys at my bar.

I have two choices: Pretend she’s mine to protect her. Or deal with the consequences when her five older, overprotective brothers find out what their little sister is up to.

Either way…

It’s going to be hell on me.

Because I can’t stay away from her.

Sensitive Content

Here is the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading this:

  • Alcohol
  • Car accident
  • Death of a parent
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Gun violence
  • Misogyny
  • Murder
  • Profanity
  • Sexual assault
  • Sexually Explicit Scenes

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Blurb

Acclaimed author Kresley Cole introduces a sizzling new series with this tale of a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire — unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.

A mythic warrior who’ll stop at nothing to possess her . . .

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he’s waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . .

Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents — until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae — and their notorious dark desires — ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all-consuming desire . . .

Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

Sensitive Content

There are no trigger warnings or sensitive content listed for this book. Here is what I observed:

  • Alcohol
  • Blood
  • Dubious Consent
  • Explicit Violence
  • Fire
  • Gore
  • Kidnapping
  • Murder
  • Profanity
  • Sexually explicit scenes
  • Torture

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!

Book Reviews/

Zora Books Her Happy Ever After Book Review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Read the Disclosure here.

Blurb

A heart-pounding, curvy romance about an indie bookstore owner who finds herself in a love triangle when she meets the author she’s had a crush on for years…and his best friend.

Zora has committed every inch of her life to establishing her thriving DC bookstore, making it into a pillar of the community, and she just hasn’t had time for romance. But when a mystery author she’s been crushing on for years agrees to have an event at her store, she starts to rethink her priorities. Lawrence is every bit as charming as she imagined, even if his understanding of his own books seems just a bit shallow. When he asks her out after his reading, she’s almost elated enough to forget about the grumpy guy who sat next to her making snide comments all evening. Apparently the grouch is Lawrence’s best friend, Reid, but she can’t imagine what kind of friendship that must be. They couldn’t be more different.

But as she starts seeing Lawrence, and spending more and more time with Reid, Zora finds first impressions can be deceiving. Reid is smart and thoughtful—he’s also interested. After years of avoiding dating, she suddenly has two handsome men competing for her affection. But even as she struggles to choose between them, she can’t shake the feeling that they’re both hiding something—a mystery she’s determined to solve before she can find her HEA.

Triggers

There were no sensitive content warnings for the ARC I received. Here is some of the potentially sensitive content I observed while reading:

  • Alcohol
  • Profanity
  • Sexually Explicit Scenes

Ratings

Add me as a friend on Goodreads! Click here.

There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Keep Reading!