Reviewing the Unreviewed [1]

Posted February 16, 2020 by Kim in Reviews / 0 Comments

I’m introducing a new review feature on the blog today — Reviewing the Unreviewed! One of my goals for 2020 is to do a better job of reviewing the books I read in a more timely fashion. Or, at all. But I’ve found not every book lends itself to a long review. Sometimes I only have a few quick things to say about a book. Once I actually get caught up on 2019 (yes, you read that right) and January reviews, I only plan to post one Reviewing the Unreviewed post per month. It’ll be my way to close out the previous month if I haven’t written a longer review for a book.

Some of these reviews will be really short. Like, shorter than the book’s blurb short. It might look a little weird, but I want to keep my review archive with Ultimate Book Blogger going, so bear with me. 

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Reviewing the Unreviewed [1]Bad Apple by Elle Kennedy
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: August 13, 2019
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: eARC
How I got it: From the author
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Between her waitressing job, volunteer work, and college classes, there are never enough hours in Maggie Reilly’s day. Especially not for a relationship. Luckily, she’s got the perfect arrangement: a lover she meets three or four times a year. But when she shows up at the hotel expecting to hop into bed with one man, she accidentally ends up with another—Ben Barrett, Hollywood’s most notorious bad boy.

Ben, determined to lay low after another scandal, just wants some much-needed sleep. What he gets is a scorching make-out session with a gorgeous, naked redhead. He won’t accept her apology, but what he will accept is a place to hide out…and if there’s some hot, no-strings sex involved, why the heck not?

But Ben soon discovers that one week with his sassy, bed-hopping waitress is definitely not enough. He wants more. A lot more.

Now he needs to convince relationship-averse Maggie that a bad boy might be oh so good for her—and the best thing that’s ever happened to both of them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In Review: My Thoughts

Novellas tend to be hit or miss for me, especially when they’re not essentially a bonus story in a series I love. I should’ve known Elle Kennedy would deliver a fantastic novella. Did Bad Apple leave me wanting more? Absolutely, because I am a greedy reader. But it was also a complete and satisfying story. Elle totally knocked it out of the park.

Bad Apple starts off with a bang with a super awkward (and sexy) meet-cute between Maggie and Ben. Their unconventional introduction leads to a little bit of a chase and an “expiration dating” story. And my gods is it steamy. 🔥🔥🔥 I thought maybe this story would be more heat than feels, but I got a dose of both.

Favorite Quotes:

“I don’t want to deflower you. I want to fuck you.”

“Eight days, Barrett. Don’t complicate my life.” 

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About Elle Kennedy

A RITA-award nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently publishes with Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Harlequin Blaze, Samhain Publishing, and NAL. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

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Reviewing the Unreviewed [1]Making Up by Helena Hunting
Series: Shacking Up #4
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: July 16, 2019
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: eARC
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Cosy Felton is great at her job—she knows just how to handle the awkwardness that comes with working at an adult toy store. So when the hottest guy she’s ever seen walks into the shop looking completely overwhelmed, she’s more than happy to turn on the charm and help him purchase all of the items on his list.

Griffin Mills is using his business trip in Las Vegas as a chance to escape the broken pieces of his life in New York City. The last thing he wants is to be put in charge of buying gag gifts for his friend’s bachelor party. Despite being totally out of his element, and mortified by the whole experience, Griffin is pleasantly surprised when he finds himself attracted to the sales girl that helped him.

As skeptical as Cosy may be of Griffin’s motivations, there’s something about him that intrigues her. But sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas and when real life gets in the way, all bets are off. Filled with hilariously awkward situations and enough sexual chemistry to power Sin City, Making Up is the next standalone in the Shacking Up world.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In Review: My Thoughts

I’ve not been great at sticking with the Shacking Up series. I’ve skipped books and read out of order. I absolutely loved the first book in the series — Shacking Up — and I enjoyed the second — Hooking Up —quite a bit. Unfortunately, I didn’t have as much luck with Making Up. Age gap romances can be tough for me, especially if I don’t see much beyond sexual chemistry for a couple. That was the case with Cosy and Griffin. I liked them together, even if Cosy was a bit much for me at times, but I wondered WHY they were together. They didn’t have much in common and I struggled with them as a couple. That said, this was still a fun, quick and sexy read, even if it’s not a favorite.

Favorite Quotes:

“This feels a lot like Pretty Woman, except I’m being paid for my virginity.” 

“I promise I won’t be someone you’ll think back on and regret.”

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About Helena Hunting

Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s putting her degree in English Lit to good use by writing contemporary erotic romance. She is the author of Clipped Wings, her debut novel, and Inked Armor.

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Reviewing the Unreviewed [1]Awk-Weird by Avery Flynn
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: October 14, 2019
Publisher: Entangled Amara
Format: eARC
How I got it: From the author
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

There’s more to me than just being awk-weird. I own my own flower shop, have some great friends, and I have my eye on adopting the most adorable kitten. But sadly, hot guys don’t tend to be blown away by my trivia-spouting, dorky self.

So when a Thor-lookalike who happens to be a professional hockey player hits on me at my bestie’s wedding rehearsal party... You better believe I climbed that tree like a cat. And the fact that it happened not once, not twice, but three times? Yeah, that’s pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a woman like me.

There’s zero chance I’ll end up ever seeing him again... right?

Until the pregnancy test comes up positive. What happens next?

Oh my God, I wish I knew…

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In Review: My Thoughts

The first book in this series — Parental Guidance — was one of my favorites of 2019, so I had super high hopes for this follow-up. I wasn’t let down. The surprise baby trope isn’t one of my go-to’s, but I still loved this book. Tess and Cole’s story was cute and sweet. He was super swoony and she was my favorite type of quirky, awkward (er, awk-weird?) heroine. A pretty light read, I giggled my way through a good chunk of it. I love this series.

Favorite Quotes:

“As my aunt Haven once said, I’m an acquired taste and usually best in small doses.”

“This isn’t temporary for me; it hasn’t been since the first time I saw you. You changed everything, and I’m so lucky you did.”

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About Avery Flynn

Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey's Mallory books. It wasn't long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin's four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn't long before the local book stores' staffs knew her by name. Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

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Reviewing the Unreviewed [1]The Rebel King by Kennedy Ryan
Series: All the King's Men Duet #2
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: November 18, 2019
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: eARC
How I got it: From the author
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
My rating:

Ambition. Revenge. Love.

Raised to resist. Bred to fight. Survival is in my blood and surrender is never an option.

Though surrender is what Maxim Cade demanded of my body and heart, I had other plans. We were fast-burning fascination and combustible chemistry, but the man I trusted with everything was a trickster. A thief who stole my love. If what we had was a lie, why did it feel so real? The man I swore to hate will have it all, and wants me at his side. But power is a game, and we're the pawns and players.

Facing insurmountable odds, will we win the world, or will we lose it all?

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In Review: My Thoughts

I should be used to Kennedy Ryan putting me through the wringer, but I wasn’t prepared for the All the King’s Men Duet. I inhaled The Kingmaker and waited with grabby hands for The Rebel King. Then life got in the way and it took me some time to get around to reading it. Holy crap. What a ride.

There’s not much I can say about this book that won’t ruin it for you if you’ve not yet read, so I’m going to keep it simple. If you’re into politics with your romance and want a beautifully-written duet that will keep you guessing, this is the duet for you. Clear your schedule and prepare to binge.

Favorite Quotes:

“I would kill a thousand times for you. I’d die a thousand times for you if I could.” 

“The past is behind us. The future is ours. Figure out how you can change the world right now, and don’t fear it. Do it.”

“We weren’t unlikely, Nix. We were inevitable.” 

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About Kennedy Ryan

Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.

She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.

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Let’s Chat

Have you read any of these books?
What’d you think?

Kim Sig

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